Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Getting started cleaning brass.

Howdy all. I've been searching the net and forum. Found lots of assorted opinions on the subject. Tumbler noise,media,cost,and so on. I've never really given it a good trial. Back in the late 70s,I bought a little Thumblers and some corn cob media. Didn't really have a clue. No guidance. I must have been all of 14,and Dad didn't hunt or shoot. So,here we are. A while back I bought some brass here in the classifides. It had been stainless pin tumbled and was like new. Got me to thinking. I figured the Fire crew could break this down the best.

If you had to start from scratch.

Only cleaned 300 pieces or less a year.

Price was no object.

Price is a BIG object. (on the cheap)

What would you all do?

Thanks a bunch!

Find a way to shoot more


Use the Thumblers Tumbler you have and buy some small ceramic media. It'll do small batches and they'll look like new. Do a search for Dave Mauer. He sells it.

Find a buddy that loads, have him tumble it for you.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What he says.

On the other hand, I've got a Thumler's Tumbler that I bought in 1977 and still use to polish a couple of thousand cases a year. It really hasn't cost much on a per year basis.

Yep, I have the Thumlers Model B. It consistantly gives me brass looking like this...

Use the NRA formula of (2) 1 gallon milk/windshield washer fluid jugs, 1 squirt of dish detergent, 1 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of salt, add cases and fill w/hot water. shake/soak for about 10 minutes, pour liquid into another jug, rinse cases in hot water and air dry. Works great! can be reused lots of times and is fully biodegradable. I decap first. Muddy

Since you already have the Thumbler, I would purchase some stainless steel pins and get after it.

I switched over to the stainless steel media a couple years ago and very glad I made that decision.

Good luck!

My old tumbler is long gone. It was the little rock polishing type,and 38 years was a long time ago. Not sure where it ended up. That's not to say it can't be replaced. I'll have a couple hours to kill tomorrow while my daughter takes her CNA test. Figured I would hit local gun and shooting emporium and look at case cleaning goodies. I don't do the huge quantities some folks do in a years time. I have however been buying more once fired stuff these days. Usually not de-primed and cleaned. It would be nice to be able to bring it back to like new condition.

Dang gandog56! It would be a shame to fire those and dirty them all up. Nice.

I've used both the vibratory and SS methods.

If bringing the brass back to a like-new condition is what you want, SS pins are the way to go.

For that many per year, I would get some Brasso, Iosso polish or such, micro fiber towel, primer pocket brush and a good brush for knocking the crud out of the necks and be done with it.

Nice, what media do you use??

That's what I've been doing. It will put a he!! of a shine on them. If you have the patience. Sitting down to 50 not so nice cases is loosing it's appeal.

Buy a midway tumbler/brass separator combo. Cheap and it comes with media and polish and a bucket. I have cleaned more than 300 cases in a night with it.

I'll check that out K1500. Sounds like where I'm headed. The Cabelas kit is getting good reviews as well. The town where my daughter is testing has a Field & Stream and a Harbor Freight. I'll give them a look also to kill some time. I considered a Harbor Freight tumbler and some stainless pins as an option. Where is a good place to get stainless media?

Just got the Cabela's kit, no complaints. IIRC Cabela's ups the warranty to lifetime. I used the NRA formula and/or brasso for several years prior and it's simple enough...

I've got vibratory tumblers that work fine.

I sometimes use 5-gal pail, add a gallon or two of water depending on how much brass, dump in a cup or two of vinegar, a couple squirts of dishsoap, and some salt. I don't precisely measure the ingredients.

I let it sit a while stirring now and then. Then pour off the liquid and fill it up with a garden hose and stir/dump repeat a time or two to rinse it off. Let brass dry in the sun.

That works well for cleaning off all the old tarnish, carbon, etc. This method doesn't polish the brass, but it's nice and clean of tarnish and soot.

That's awesome.

Brasso weakens brass over time. Not good if you want to reload them plenty times!

25 loadings and counting on my match brass. Wipe on, wipe off.

What are stainless pins. powdr