Tumblers

[wch]

[B]Is case tumbling really necessary?
I've reloaded for years, and when my cases get too dirty, I just wipe[/them off with a Flitz cloth and go back to loading.
Seems to me as if this is one of those "Range Myths" (as opposed to Urban Myths) that are fueled by the industry to sell products that aren't really necessary].
About the only result of all this time and money is cosmetic; if that appeals to you, go for it. I'll continue on my scruffy way.

[fryboy]

necessary? no ...nice ? yes ! it's nice to know that there's no grit on my cases that mite scratch my dies and if i had a choice between grabbing a grubby looking round and a clean one to stick in my chamber i know which one i would grab ( what about you ? ) but i have to admit that various liquid media gets the inside looking like new and less carbon deposits also translates no crud building up inside the case walls ,

[unclebill]

i tumble for 2 reasons
1 it makes it easier to see any weakened/cracked cases
2 my ammo is pretty.

[1hole]

"Is case tumbling really necessary?"

No.

"I've reloaded for years, and when my cases get too dirty, I just wipe[/them off"

I tumble but I don't delude myself about it and I had reloaded for many years before tumblers came on the market. Fact is, clean cases are clean; there's no grit to hurt anything on a clean case. For the life of me, I can't see that finding cracks or splits is any easier on shiney cases than otherwise and I don't know what weakened cases look like.

[STAR4ever]

I have expensive dies and reloading equipment so I like running clean and lubricated brass through them so that they are not having dirt and grime residue embedded in them. Once carbide on the FL sizer die is scratched, it pretty much cannot be salvaged.

My semi auto firearms also like clean brass once it is turned into reloaded ammo.

[wch]

Fryboy, I am not judging, but I am questioning.
There's a big difference.

[dragonrider]

WCH, Fryboys quote about judgement is not directed at you, it is his signature line that is always there.
About case cleaning, I don't know how many cases you clean at once but I clean hundreds at a time so one by one with a flitz (?) cloth certainly is not in the cards for me. A tumbler or vibratory cleaner leaves me free to do something else while the brass is being cleaned. Many folks want thier brass shiny, I don't care, all I want is clean, free of shooting residue. so I tumble them for less than one hour.

[wch]

My apologies, Fryboy.

[Wayne Smith]

I've used a tumbler for years after 20+ years of not using one. Now I have a tupperware container of citric acid mix in my loading room - I'm doing most of my case cleaning with that. Still have the tumbler, use it occasionally, mostly to dry the brass if I want to reload it quickly.

[cbunt1]

Necessary? Nope. Cleaning your cases? Well, I think it is...easier to ID bad cases (as mentioned above), easier on the dies, easier on the press (especially when/if you go progressive).

Me? I tumble. I feel the call of a "duty to beauty." Because I'm well known as the local "lead boolit guy" the folks at my ranges love to look at my ammo. A bright shiny case, with a well-formed cast boolit always gets the reply of "Really, you made that? The boolit too? Tell me more!"

Which leads (often) to an opportunity to bring another caster and/or reloader aboard...

So to me, my bright shiny ammo that works well, shoots accurately, and looks as good or better than factory rounds is just one more tool in my ambassador arsenal.

In short, tumbling isn't essential, but it's nice. Clean enough is good enough.

[unclebill]

"Is case tumbling really necessary?"

1 For the life of me, I can't see that finding cracks or splits is any easier on shiney cases than otherwise
2and I don't know what weakened cases look like.

1 it is for me
2 i do

[Moonie]

I have expensive dies and reloading equipment so I like running clean and lubricated brass through them so that they are not having dirt and grime residue embedded in them. Once carbide on the FL sizer die is scratched, it pretty much cannot be salvaged.

My semi auto firearms also like clean brass once it is turned into reloaded ammo.

Um what kind of gunk are you putting your cases into that is going to scratch carbide, honestly?

Not that I'm disagreeing with you about clean cases, I much prefer them myself but I've never managed to scratch carbide, this from a guy that broke ball bearings as a kid, ask my parents

[fryboy]

Fryboy, I am not judging, but I am questioning.
There's a big difference.

no apology needed but it is accepted , as dragon rider stated it is my sig line and it's meant at no-one in particular and the world in general , while i could use about anything for a sig line i chose this one for obvious reasons , granted it is about deeper than many realize but it's also very truthful , many people judge things/people and dont even realize it let alone even understand why they form the opinions they do , but it's not for me to judge and my sig line confirms this [shrugz] it was a long time before i had a sig line here , i really like the one i use at another site but ...that one really applies to what we do with our choice of clean/polished/prepped/whatever brass ....

back on topic , while i agree that carbide is hard to scratch i actually have more steel dies than carbide ones , a piece of grit say caught in the neck can and will imbed it's self on a steel expander ...this will then scratch every case neck that i size as long as that grit is there and some grit is very very hard , the same principle also works on the outside - even more so if using lube ( and who doesnt use lube with steel dies ? ) even carbide dies are usually just a carbide ring set into a steel body , i'm a poor boy ..dies cost money and are a tool and the better i take care of my tools the longer they will last and the better results i will achieve with them , but as always that old saying applies YMMV ( your mileage may vary )

[462]

To me, tumble cleaning bras is all about taking care of my reloading equipment...not just the brass, but dies, presses and guns. I haven't scratched a die, but have bought used ones that were. They can be fixed, but why cause the problem, in the first place?

[Chicken Thief]

This is funny!

Yall talk about the outside of the case ant it being purty. I'm a magpie for shiny brass myself, but think of the crud and whatnot that will grow inside a brass shell with 10-15 shootings and no cleaning?

Thats why i tumble.

My

[unclebill]

, this from a guy that broke ball bearings as a kid, ask my parents

hahahah!
thats a good one!

[Hip's Ax]

When I return from the range my rifle brass gets deprimed and goes in walnut and polish to get the grunge off, then into plain corn to clean off any walnut and polish residue.

After resizing with spray lube they go back into the tumbler to remove the lube.

After the brass is completly processed it goes in the tumbler with corn and polish then plain corn and my process is complete.

I rarely work in batches of less than 100, more often than not I will be working with up to 500 even 1000.

So some steps have a reason like grunge and residue removal but the final stage is to get them nice and shiny. I like the way it looks and they are easier to find in the grass after firing. I always seem to lose one or two though.

[Pieter C. Voss]

Schuetzen shooters often breech seat their bullets and load a charged case behind the bullet. It is commonplace to use the same case dozens, even hundreds of times with no cleaning. If any "crud" builds up inside the case it is not apparent from the results on the target--1/2 MOA is not uncommon for a proven match winner.

[jcwit]

Necessary? Nope!

Necessary to wax my car? Nope! Do I step back and admire my car after I'm done? YUP!

I my mind, basically the same, sorta akin to pride.

[nes4ever69]

cleaning 100 and more pices of brass is easy with a tumbler. besides nice, clean, shiny brass looks nice.