Stainless Steel pins

[DeanoBeanCounter]

1. If I remember right, stainless steel pins are used for wet tumbling only. Is this right?
2. What are the measurements of stainless steel pins?
I finely realized that I have been throwing away stainless steel pins for years at work. They come out of Amerex Fire Extinguishers with brass valves. I can cut the brass end off and if necessary cut them to length. I thought I could throw a few in with my corn cob medium. Either that or build me a drum tumbler.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Dean
:veryconfu

[gunoil]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_FpiTzVYP8

Heres one way to clean stuff with them.

[zarrinvz24]

I've seen people add dawn and lemishine to the water mix with the pins, never tried it myself but the pictures are impressive.

[Gofaaast]

I would build a drum tumbler utilizing a fire extinguisher drum and a old sewing machine motor, if you are handy.

[jeepyj]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_FpiTzVYP8

Heres one way to clean stuff with them.

Very interesting. I would like to see how much brass it would do at one time. The fellow only mentions doing small parts.
jeepyj

[MrWolf]

I have used the Harbor Freight dual tumbler for years. Each drum holds three pounds, but I put in a little less. Used so much the plastic roller cover started going but some electrical tape did the trick. Works for me and yes I use Dawn in it. I have found that using the citric acid in a separate container for a short time (depends on how much you use), rinsing, then in the tumbler with pins works great. Good luck.
http://t.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html

Ron

[GRUMPA]

The .060 pins are all I use for cleaning. Some folks get different results because of the water itself, some tap water seems to have compounds that don't agree with the process. I get so many comments on how the brass looks when folks receive there brass I stopped giving it a thought. If a person knocks out the primer first, not only does it clean the primer pocket, it dries faster.

Biggest help would be to dry them off with a towel and let air dry. During the summer months all it takes is about 1/2 hour and mine are dry. Just click the link in my signature and start clicking threads. I have a few pictures of the finished products and note how clean they are all over..

[MrWolf]

For drying the brass I use an old food dehydraor. It never worked for the food but set it at 100 degrees and next morning they are nice and dry. As Grumpa stated, I also deprime first with my Harvey Deprimer. Works for me.

[mold maker]

My first pins were too small and stuck 2 at a time in flash holes. They were replaced by slightly larger pins which I wont clean without. Using Dawn and citric acid with the pins produce cleaner/brighter brass than new, inside and out. Even really old, black range brass is rendered beautiful. The brass holds it's new look for years and resists finger prints.

[Walkingwolf]

I have been throwing away spent primers all these years, but since seeing the use of pins thought why no put those primers to good use. They are mostly plated brass so I doubt the would damage the casings. Looks like I will have to save some to try it.

[Buck Neck It]

Spent small pistol primers will inevitably work their way back in to the pockets of pistol cases. You will have to deprime all over again. Murphy's law.

[Walkingwolf]

Spent small pistol primers will inevitably work their way back in to the pockets of pistol cases. You will have to deprime all over again. Murphy's law.
There might be few, just like there are a few cases that I have to clean corn cob out of. One could use the small primers for large primer cases, and large primers for the small if that is a concern. I have never had a problem clearing primers, I just use a rod removed from a die. I don't deprime during sizing, but as a separate step before cleaning. I also clean every primer pocket with a primer tool.

I am not too concerned with getting the primer pocket spotless, I polish to see my semi auto cases better on the ground, otherwise I would not bother. Plus it takes some force to get a primer in the pocket, or it would just fall out under recoil, try pushing one in with finger pressure sometime.

[rondog]

Go big or go home! Small cement mixer, 25lbs. of SS pins, water, Dawn, Lemishine, and a 2 gallon bucketful of deprimed .30-06 brass. Yes, it works awesome! I run all of my brass this way now, large batches at a time.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dejE4iL9UK8

[edler7]

My pins are .0415" diameter x .270" long. It would take a LONG time to cut as many as I have in my tumbler, I think I'd give up before there were enough.

Occasionally one gets stuck in a flash hole, but it's less than 1 per batch of cases. I'll never go back to tumbling with cob or nut, the cases just come out nicer with pins. Deprime first and the primer pocket is clean, too.

Initial start up cost is high if you have to get a tumbler too. I got lucky and had a rock tumbler bought in a yard sale years ago on hand, so all I had to buy was pins.

[Plate plinker]

Go big or go home! Small cement mixer, 25lbs. of SS pins, water, Dawn, Lemishine, and a 2 gallon bucketful of deprimed .30-06 brass. Yes, it works awesome! I run all of my brass this way now, large batches at a time.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dejE4iL9UK8

That's the way Jerry Miculek does it mister high volume shooter himself.