450Bushmaster.net

Started reloading 4 years ago and cleaned all my cases with a cheap tumbler in crushed walnut shells well after those a 4 years and thousands of handgun and rifle cases my tumbler has begun to bite the dust, it ran for about a half an hour with 20 .450 cases last night before it went from running full Speed to barley going. So my question is what do you all clean your brass with. Is stainless steel tumbling worth it?

Thanks,
Matt

I've been reloading for over 50 yrs., in almost all that time I've used corncob and crushed walnut shells W/mild abrasive in a tumblers tumbler model B with good results. ( I thought ) Last year I started using stainless pin media with water, Lemi-shine, and dawn dish washing liquid. I've never seen such clean cases, inside and out, and primer pockets are clean as new. Its a little more trouble but the results speak for themselves. I'll never go back.

Lemi-shine? Which version? I've been doing some ultrasonic cleaning and it may be worth trying that in my cleaner.

Here's a link to info on ultrasonic cleaning. I've had good luck with it as long as I don't try to do too many cases.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technica ... -cleaning/

I'm using LemiShine HD in my tumbler, just a tablespoon or two, I always rinse with hot water, you can google LemiShine for info on their products. I found it at my local Walmart. Good luck.

Lemi-shine detergent or machine cleaner or?

Thanks.

It's dishwasher rinse.

Tumbler with SS media is the way to go. Don't use too much Lemishine though. I use an empty 45 ACP case full. Brass looks like new inside and out.

You can get into it for a reasonable price by using the 3lb rock tumbler that Harbor Freight sells. Does smaller loads (25 450b or less) than the nice $269 Thumlers unit. I run my decapping stem out far enough to not begin sizing the case, pop out the primers and throw the cases into the tumbler. For that smaller tumbler I use a 9mm empty case of LemiShine and 2-3 drops of Dawn. In the summer, I run a dehumidifier in the shop with a 1-1/2 gallon hopper which thanks to our wet spring, still gets filled every 24 hrs. I use the water it removes from the air for tumbling, but tap water works as well. If you watch the HF sales, you can get that tumbler for $29.95. I still use my vibratory tumbler for removing sizing lube, but that's about all. That having been said. The first 2k 450b cases I processed were through my vibratory tumbler and walnut media (also available from HF). That worked fine as well. Just required cleaning the primer pockets manually. Performance wise, I haven't seen a benefit from the wet tumbling, but it's result is very pleasing to the eye.

Hoot

EDIT: HF has the dual drum (50 450b cases) version of the tumbler on sale for $54.99 right now.
http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html

Thanks for the replys, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the model b tumbler due to being able to clean a few hundred .40 s&w cases at a time after the weight of the media and water since I usually don't reload those untill I'm going to sit and do atleast 300 rounds. I figure the 19 450 cases I have left can go in with .45acp cases to make a full load.

Mdt1992 wrote:Started reloading 4 years ago and cleaned all my cases with a cheap tumbler in crushed walnut shells well after those a 4 years and thousands of handgun and rifle cases my tumbler has begun to bite the dust, it ran for about a half an hour with 20 .450 cases last night before it went from running full Speed to barley going. So my question is what do you all clean your brass with. Is stainless steel tumbling worth it?

Thanks,
Matt

I don't know about worth it?? But they do clean, inside and out, like a champ..

..t