Tumbling brass?

[RAM4171]

Okay I told y'all I was going to ask a lot questions

How often do you tumble you brass?
Every time before you reload?
Every other time?
Only if it looks dirty?
Just curious If I need to include a tumbler on my initial setup.
Thanks again for all of your advice.

[michael e]

Try to most of the time. If its my revolver brass I can skip a time or two. I reloaded for years without tumbling it at all.

[MoJo]

A tumbler is a nice addition to your reloading tools but not necessary. A large coffee can or, plastic gallon size jar, some media and a clothes dryer can make an improvised tumbler. Put the cases and Media into the container, duct tape the lid on and put the can into the dryer with the heat off with some old pillows or blankets packed around the can to keep it in place and not bang around. Run the dryer for an hour or two - - - clean brass!

This is best done while the wife is not home or with her permission. I used to use three sleeping bags to hold the container in place.

[NcongruNt]

I tumble before each loading. More accurately speaking, I tumble after each firing. As soon as I get brass home from the range, it goes into the tumbler. When it's done, it gets sorted into bins (by caliber and headstamp) and it's ready to use when I need it.

While not absolutely necessary, A tumbler is a good part of a starting set up. It was for me.

[Divided Attention]

OR Tell your wife you heard this great idea about using her dryer instead of going to the added expense of a tumbler and I bet you get one .....

Or at least get the EVIL eye!

Don't even think about it MAR~!!!!!

[Jumping Frog]

How often do you tumble you brass?

I tumble it twice for every reload.

First, I tumble the dirty brass after firing (every time). Clean brass will not scratch your dies; dirty brass can scratch your dies.

Then, I have a second tumbler that I use to tumble the newly reloaded ammunition before putting it into storage. I like to make sure all the bullet lube is off and the brass has a shiny new Flitz finish.

[ghostrider]

I tumble the brass after shooting, then sort and store in plastic containers until
I reload it.

[ghostrider]

Then, I have a second tumbler that I use to tumble the newly reloaded ammunition before putting it into storage. I like to make sure all the bullet lube is off and the brass has a shiny new Flitz finish.

There are some differing opinions on tumbling loaded ammo:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/200 ... aded-ammo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.frfrogspad.com/miscellc.htm#tumbling" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/tumble.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jumping Frog]

Then, I have a second tumbler that I use to tumble the newly reloaded ammunition before putting it into storage. I like to make sure all the bullet lube is off and the brass has a shiny new Flitz finish.

There are some differing opinions on tumbling loaded ammo:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/200 ... aded-ammo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.frfrogspad.com/miscellc.htm#tumbling" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://yarchive.net/gun/ammo/tumble.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah, and if I cared enough I could dig out just as many links showing it is harmless. That has been discussed on gun forums forever.

I'll start with noting that every major ammunition manufacturer finish tumbles their loaded ammunition.

And that is all I have to say on the subject because I don't care enough about it to argue further.

[OldCannon]

...There are some differing opinions on tumbling loaded ammo:
...

Whoa. How did this thread get hijacked from cleaning brass to talking about tossing around loaded ammo?

Back on-topic: I've been amazed at some of the ways people tumble brass without needing a "fancy" tumbler:
1) Toss 'em in a mesh bag, toss the bag into a dishwasher -- presto
2) Toss them in a <soft, non-damaging container) and run them in the dryer (some do WITH wet clothes, some without )
3) Most interesting: Toss 'em in a container and put them on the treadmill

All humor aside though, brass casings contain a lot of nasty chemicals, including lead residue. The cost of a vibrating tumbler and sifter (always sift outdoors), or an ultrasonic is well worth the safety. For those hobby-inclined, there's a LOT of instructions on how to make DIY tumblers, including this amusing invention:
[youtube=]MJ55V17YvkE[/youtube] <-- grr, why does this not work according to the editor information? Here's a direct link " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sjfcontrol]

...There are some differing opinions on tumbling loaded ammo:
...

Whoa. How did this thread get hijacked from cleaning brass to talking about tossing around loaded ammo?

Back on-topic: I've been amazed at some of the ways people tumble brass without needing a "fancy" tumbler:
1) Toss 'em in a mesh bag, toss the bag into a dishwasher -- presto
2) Toss them in a <soft, non-damaging container) and run them in the dryer (some do WITH wet clothes, some without )
3) Most interesting: Toss 'em in a container and put them on the treadmill

All humor aside though, brass casings contain a lot of nasty chemicals, including lead residue. The cost of a vibrating tumbler and sifter (always sift outdoors), or an ultrasonic is well worth the safety. For those hobby-inclined, there's a LOT of instructions on how to make DIY tumblers, including this amusing invention:
[youtube=]MJ55V17YvkE[/youtube] <-- grr, why does this not work according to the editor information? Here's a direct link " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[youtube][/youtube]
Works for me -- just include the entire link, then delete the "www" part. Like this, without the X's: [youtubeX][/youtubeX]

[MegaWatt]

My SOP for brass is when I return from the range with brass, I have a magnet I run through the cases to pick out the steel ones my grandsons accidentally pick up. Then I dump them in the vibrating polisher for 2-3 hours. Once I start the polisher, I add a small daub of old car wax that my friend Charles Cotton told me about and results in a bright shiny finish. When they're done, I dump them into the plastic sorting containers (that I complained about the cost of when I bought them but am very happy I did) and sort them into the different calibers, (cursing the .380 shooters for mixing their impotent rounds with my 9mms) and put them in different clearly marked coffee cans. The calibers I don't reload I save for my shooting buddies that shoot that caliber. I try to do this every time I bring brass home because as everyone else posted, clean cases won't scratch dies or chambers.

[ghostrider]

Whoa. How did this thread get hijacked from cleaning brass to talking about tossing around loaded ammo?

The OP is asking questions, one person answered and included the fact that they tumble loaded ammo. I merely
responded to that by pointing out their are different opinions on doing that, just so the OP was aware of that. I neither
condoned nor encouraged the practice.

[ghostrider]

Yeah, and if I cared enough I could dig out just as many links showing it is harmless. That has been discussed on gun forums forever.

I'll start with noting that every major ammunition manufacturer finish tumbles their loaded ammunition.

And that is all I have to say on the subject because I don't care enough about it to argue further.

I don't know what argument you're referring to; I merely pointed out there are different opinions and the the links
I included discussed both sides of the topic.