Trying a New Thing

[Captainkirk]

So.
The .45-70 cases were dry ( I had set the paper plates with them and the steel pins in front of a box fan for an hour or two), so I did a quick once-over on the primer pockets with my fancy electronical RCBS case prep thingamabob (only takes a few seconds per) and chucked them in the dry media tumbler. I did notice the cases felt kinda "draggy" on the fingers, almost as if there were a sort of dry film on them from the brass cleaner solution, even though I rinsed them quite well in cold water. I'm assuming the dry tumbling will fix that, it normally does.
As for the pins, there was no rust whatsoever and they dried just fine. Though it appears to be a major PITA, I'm pretty sure I lost not a one of the half million little pins. I put them back into the drum for storage. Bottom line is, there is not a hint of pitting and corrosion anywhere on the cases, inside or out. Once these cases are finished they should look as good (or better) than new. I'll keep this thread updated with pix and posts as I continue.

[Captainkirk]

So, after a few hours in the dry media, the cases came out bright and shiny inside and out, and primer pockets as well. I'm sold on wet tumbling for BPCR brass. I think it's far too much monkey motion and unnecessary for smokeless brass, but for longevity of BP brass, it's worth it. Stuff ain't cheap even when (if) you can find it these days!

[Shootemup]

Back   when I  shot BPCR competitions my brass was shiny  at the first  match  after that the targets didn't care what my brass looked like.

[Captainkirk]

Back   when I  shot BPCR competitions my brass was shiny  at the first  match  after that the targets didn't care what my brass looked like.

My targets don't care either. I do.

[ShotgunDave]

Back when I first started shooting CAS, I was gung ho about getting my brass back to as-new looks. I soon decided that it wasn't worth the effort for me. I was unwilling to spend the money for all the extra apparatus to do it. I carry a bottle of soapy water to the range and toss the spent brass into it right after firing. Then I rinse it when I get home. Once it's all rinsed, I mix up a bottle of water and Oxy-Clean and put the brass in it. It immediately begins to foam up. Once the foam dies down, I rinse again and dry them. Once dry, into the media tumbler they go with walnut shells and a little Turtle Wax. That's as far as I go now. They come out slick as snot, but they do have a patina to them. But they function perfectly and that's all that matters to me.

[Hawg]

I use a water and Windex mix to drop them in. Rinse them off and let them dry and they go into the tumbler with corncob and Meguiars polish. They definitely have patina but they're clean and they work.

[Captainkirk]

Sorry, fellers. It's a "thing" I got...

[Hawg]

Sorry, fellers. It's a "thing" I got...

Can you say anal?

[Captainkirk]

Yup. You can say it. I admit it. I love shiny brass on my ammo. 

[Hawg]

Yup. You can say it. I admit it. I love shiny brass on my ammo. 

Oh I like it too. I just don't want to do the work to get it. You know if I don't like making paper cartridges, shining up brass ain't gonna happen.

[Captainkirk]

Yup. You can say it. I admit it. I love shiny brass on my ammo. 

Oh I like it too. I just don't want to do the work to get it. You know if I don't like making paper cartridges, shining up brass ain't gonna happen.

Well, truth be told...once you get past the wet tumble stage and onto the dry, all it takes is patience. Drop the brass in the dry tumbler, turn it on, and walk away for 3-4 hours. The media and polish do all the work. The wet tumble seems to have knocked a whole bunch of extra hours of dry tumbling off the process. There is literally no manual work outside of draining the water and separating/drying the pins. I betcha you could even handle that, Hawg!

[mike116]

I only tumble for an hour and a half each,  wet and dry.

[Captainkirk]

I only tumble for an hour and a half each,  wet and dry.

Probably all you need to. Like I said, I've got an issue...

[Hawg]

Yup. You can say it. I admit it. I love shiny brass on my ammo. 

Oh I like it too. I just don't want to do the work to get it. You know if I don't like making paper cartridges, shining up brass ain't gonna happen.

Well, truth be told...once you get past the wet tumble stage and onto the dry, all it takes is patience. Drop the brass in the dry tumbler, turn it on, and walk away for 3-4 hours. The media and polish do all the work. The wet tumble seems to have knocked a whole bunch of extra hours of dry tumbling off the process. There is literally no manual work outside of draining the water and separating/drying the pins. I betcha you could even handle that, Hawg!

Mebbe, mebbe not.

[ShotgunDave]

I'm not knocking you at all Capt. I know how you are!