Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Ultra sonic or stainless tumblers?

I sold my tumbler when moving and need to get set up again. If you could start from scratch would you go ultra sonic or wet stainless in a vibratory tumbler?

It has been a while but all of my cleaning in the past was a simple vib tumbler with corn cob.

The stainless pins and water don't work very well in a vibratory tumbler. You need a rotary tumbler for that.

If you do small lots <50, an ultrasonic works fine and you don't have to worry about pins in the flash holes. The SS pins can do a lot more cases at one time in a decent size tumbler. Results are similar. Pick your poison

I don't have an ultrasonic, but do have a SS setup, and am very impressed with the results.

Deprime before tumbling, and the cases come out very clean inside, outside, and also the primer pockets.

Ditto SS

How long do you guys typically tumble your cases in the SS pins? That uses a liquid medium as well, right?

I have both the ss is better . I was going to ditch the ultrasonic but found it very usefull in cleaning small parts especially trigger groups ar bolts and pistol slides. But just cleaning cases the ss is tops over every thing I have used

3 hr will do it and then some in my thumblers

The Ultrasonic is awesome for removing case lube, but not damaging carefully worked cases. For this reason alone, I feel its a mandatory addition to my bench. I never felt I could fully remove the case lube from my cases, but with the Ultrasonic it's a non issue. It definitely doesn't clean cases like a Vibratory or Rotary Tumbler though (talking brightness), so I tend to use it just for case lube and small parts as mentioned above.

The Rotary is great for cleaning cases, and in fact, is better than anything I've used, but you have to plan time for the drying cycle!

I dry the cases in the oven. Cookie sheet line with old towel or paper towels, cases on the sheet and into the oven for 20-25 minutes @ 170-190 degrees. Dries them out nicely and they are ready to go in a little over a half hour. In the summer you can set them outside on a nice sunny day.

Another vote for stainless media and a rotary tumbler. Dawn + Lemi-Shine & about 2-3 hours works awesome. I got the Frankford Arsenal unit for Christmas and have zero complaints.

Ok, seems pretty clean cut, I will give the stainless/rotary tumbler a go.

Get the larger SS pins. They won't stick in the flash holes.

Yep, good suggestion. Get the .047" ones, the .041" ones will double up in the primer flash hole.

My google fu is weak, what is the best source for the larger pins? When I pull up stainless tumbling media I dont see diameter shown.

Disregard, my google fu was strengthened by using the proper terms.

Good site for all things SS tumbling.

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

I recently got the Frankford Arsenal tumbler and it comes with stainless media. When my brass comes out it looks almost "fake" it is so sparkling and clean

Do you guys use tap water or distilled water?

I use tap water (warm), 2 tablespoons dawn, and � teaspoon lemishine.

Do you guys always deprime? I have never been retentive about cleaning primer pockets but will the pins get trapped and damage my decap pin if I dont deprime first?