What did you do in the reloading room today?

[max it]

HI Ya, I am trying to clean my brass without a tumbler or rotary today.
I washed some .38s with vinegar and water. Sort of cleaner but not good.
??
Much obliged, Max

[Larry Gibson]

Many years ago before I got a tumbler I used old jean legs cut off with the bottom sewed up. I'd put cases in them and then fill the bag partially up with cheap short stemmed rice, twirl the top a bit, fold it over and tie it with heavy cord really well leaving the rice/cases loose inside. The put it in the clothes dryer with some old towels on tumble cycle and let run for 50 - 60 minutes. Cleaned the cases fairly well. Rice was separated by making a shaker with a piece of light grate in the bottom of a small plastic wash pan with a bottom hole cut out. Pouring the bag contents into the pan while in/over a carboard box and shaking a bit separated the rice from the cases.

Be advised, the wife may not be too happy with that method but it does convince her of the "need" for an actual tumbler......

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Max,
I wouldn't use vinegar to clean brass. Diluted vinegar may be OK? but who knows? Vinegar will remove tarnish, but it also oxidizes the brass, they may not turn black right away, but they are on their way.
Many of us use Citric acid. It removes the tarnish and crud, But it passivates the brass, to inhibit future oxidation and tarnish.

When I have small batches of brass to clean (by hand), I use a cotton rag and MS.

[Outer Rondacker]

HI Ya, I am trying to clean my brass without a tumbler or rotary today.
I washed some .38s with vinegar and water. Sort of cleaner but not good.
??
Much obliged, Max

I have helped many folks get into the hobby of reloading. Most on a budget so no brass tumbler. I have them get a container that has a screw on top like a modern hodgdons powder container. Put some DAWN dish soap in it with very hot water along with there brass. Pot the top on and roll it around under there foot while watching TV. 10 mins later rinse and repeat. Most of the time works well. You can add some lemon juice or lemi shine if you want. If you want better results shake for 3 mins hard in your hands. Its free and works very well for the cost. Hope this helps.

Oh in the reloading room today I cleaned and sized half a five gallon bucket of 38s.

[cwtebay]

Many years ago before I got a tumbler I used old jean legs cut off with the bottom sewed up. I'd put cases in them and then fill the bag partially up with cheap short stemmed rice, twirl the top a bit, fold it over and tie it with heavy cord really well leaving the rice/cases loose inside. The put it in the clothes dryer with some old towels on tumble cycle and let run for 50 - 60 minutes. Cleaned the cases fairly well. Rice was separated by making a shaker with a piece of light grate in the bottom of a small plastic wash pan with a bottom hole cut out. Pouring the bag contents into the pan while in/over a carboard box and shaking a bit separated the rice from the cases.

Be advised, the wife may not be too happy with that method but it does convince her of the "need" for an actual tumbler......

I did this in a similar fashion in high school and college but put my cases in a plastic mayonnaise jar filled with crushed walnut and cases. Threw it in the dryer while jeans were being done. Small pro tip - put a small screw through the side of the lid attaching the lid securely to the jar - or don't have a small statured fiery Irish mother when the contents are expelled into the laundry....

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[K43]

Sized, prepped and primed 100, once fired 300 Savage cases. Need to decide if I'll just load my old standard deer load of 150g Partition over N140 or work up a new load with Ramshot TAC or Big Game.
Loaded up the last 52 PB 180g sized .324". Changing over to all GC and powders that fill the case better than Unique, etc. for all my rifles.

[Mandoair]

Been going over 5.56 brass that I sized and prepped a year ago and resetting shoulder lengths to -.002 or .003 than retiming as needed.

[max it]

So here is my reordered reloading room; It looks better on its side.
Today I moved 100 38's along by one station. I am enjoying loading on a single stage press, but it is tedious. In fact I have ruined around 50 rounds so far. Mostly by doing things our of order.
Much obliged,
Max

[frkelly74]

I have had , on the bench, for maybe three years a 100 round loading block mostly full of empty brass that I had formed for my 6.5 Roberts, Arisaka. And some how there was also 6.5X55 Swede in there too. So I put up a new light fixture over the bench and cranked the radio up and got down to business, Sorting by seeing which empty brass fits which rifle, and I couldn't resist forming up some more Brass for the Roberts. I ended up with about 90 Swede brass and about 70 Roberts brass out of the mess. I know the math is off but it is what it is. So I got to digging around and found my stash of 6.5 bullets that I have horded for 20 years and am now making ammo. I intended to make some 6.5 X50 for the unrechambered Arisaka but discovered that I have about 150 rounds already loaded. I NEEEEED to go shoot some of this up.

[Magnum0710]

Today I finished off 50 rounds of 38 special 158 grain SWCs with 3.4 grains 231. My normal mouse load is 3.2 but my old school Lee dipper gives me 3.4 and was alot faster so I went that route.
After that I finished my 9mm work up using 100 grain J words also with 231. Went from 4 grains up to 4.7. Also loaded a small amount of 147s with 3.2 grains 231 just to see how they compare to the 100 grain.
Lastly, I wanted to see if I could reload 380 in an emergency situation using tools from my 38/357 and 9mm Lee whack a mole Loaders. I'm pretty sure it's going to work, all cases passed the plunk test. Same 100 grain bullets with 3 grains 231.

[BJung]

Today, I had cast hp bullets at 30:1. Last week I cast 40:1 hp bullets, Pb:Sn with the PB being either sourced from range jacketed lead, .22lr lead, or pellet lead.

[Pereira]

7.5 grs and a 255 gr rfn in a few 38-55 cases.


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[Hillbillyhunter]

Loaded some hitek coated 240 grain semi wadcutters over a healthy dose of H110.

[max it]

Aside from the washing issue, today I loaded 50 more 158gn .38's. At the range earlier I found that mouse load works fine with 3.2 gn of HP38 however at full range length (60'?) it shoots high. So I increased the load to 4gn. Let's see if that is better.
p.s. I got some real Dawn and Rinse Aid. Maybe cleaner now.
Much obliged, Max

[MOshooter]

Finally had a chance to tumble with the Frankford Arsenal 7 liter tumbler
I was able to tumble 1000 30 carbine brass, it did a great job.