more case cleaning questions

[bigted]

didn't want to intrude on the other post on this subject so ill start a new one...

I read some on those stainless pins for cleaning so I have a couple questions about em...

1- can I use em in my vibratory cleaner from lyman?
2- ive read that to pick em up to use a magnet...never had a magnet adhere to anything stainless.
3- where do I go to get em?

[Don McDowell]

You can get them from BACO.
I've seen to much stuff wrecked when soft metals come into contact with hard metal, and can't get warmed up about those pins. Also there's a credible report or two about how the "pins" are chewing the case mouths out bpcr cases..

[Nobade]

Yep, BACO has 'em. That is all I use any more. They are terrific! You don't use them in a vibratory tumbler though. Order the Thumler's model B high speed, also from BACO. No need to pick them up unless you spill them in the bathtub when you're emptying the tumbler after it's run. Then it's just a few and I just pick them up. They are magnetic though, must be some sort of 400 series stainless.

I just finished running my 44-90 cases with them after shooting today. An hour of tumbling with Rio Grande burnishing compound and they look like new. After they're dry it'll be time to load them up again!

-Nobade

[John Boy]

The pins now seem to be the fad. I'm not a fan of them. For one reason the polishing surface can only be the ends of the pins and secondly, I want a media that cleans 220 Swifts up to 50-70's, cleaning outside-inside and primer pockets, primarily shot with black powder

For about 4 years now, have been using the Kramer K-Polish 2mm ceramic triangle (3 ends that do the cleaning & polishing ...Edit, plus the sharp edges of the tringles) - Strato-O-Sheen (happy to hear others have found the product) and a squirt of Dawn with Oxi. Will not change because the combination does the cases in the Lotrone better than new brass each cleaning. Plus I have no penned mouths, even with thin wall cases. Yes I have to pick the media out of some of the pockets - but so what! That's my story!
http://www.kramerindustriesonline.com/PC.html

[montana_charlie]

2- ive read that to pick em up to use a magnet...never had a magnet adhere to anything stainless.
3- where do I go to get em?
2 ... Stainless steel comes in several alloys. The 'less stainless' ones are magnetic.
3 ... At the top of this page is a banner ad for STM. They have the pins.

CM

[bigted]

cool and thanks for the info. don't know if ill change just yet but its nice to know some of the good and not so good. I also don't want to chance some of my brass as it were very expensive for me.

I don't mind the washing and occasionally doing the sonic cleaning as this gets em pretty clean also with no work except to rinse em off and dry em when done. the sonic cleans very well in all crevises too...altho seems like black magic to me but ...hey ...guess sound does its job well under fluid and I know it wears down my nerves when I hear too much talkin... [like listenin to the boss]!!:lol:

[semtav]

Follow John Boys Recommendation. I've got a bunch of pins and they clean great, but I always had problems with the mouth. Now I know why.

[Lead pot]

A lot of the case mouths get damaged when they get shook up when rinsing in a coffee can or milk bottle when you shake them.
I use a 12 mesh and a 50 mesh the 12 lets the pins pass through and the 50 mesh catches the pins.

http://goldprospectingusa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15&products_id=75&zenid=7ut78jg2kd7j6vf1q5620tf6m4

[John Boy]

Another reason why cases get scratched and buggered in a rotary tumbler is because it is not loaded correctly. Change the word "rocks" to "cases" and follow the directions on how to properly load the tumbler ...

Once you have a clean barrel add enough rock to fill the barrel about 1/2 to 2/3 full. (If you add more or less the rocks will not tumble properly.) If you don’t have enough rough to fill the barrel at least 1/2 full you can add enough ceramic media to bring the barrel up to a proper operating level. Finally, add enough burnishing solution to fill the barrel to just below the top of the rocks.

[M-Tecs]

The SS pins have been working great for me in .223 through 45-70 BP. They do a great job cleaning the primer pockets. I haven't had any neck issue but I will be doing some 22 Hornets and some 44-40 soon. With the thin neck it will be a good test.

[texasmac]

Here's an article that discusses several case cleaning methods including stainless steel pins and the results of a recent experiment with stainless pins.
http://www.texas-mac.com/Case_Cleaning_Ultrasonic_vs_Tumbler_with_Ceramic_M edia_Tumbler_with_Stainless_Steel_Pins.html

Wayne

[nwellons]

Thanks for posting the article, Wayne. It is an excellent discussion and would be useful to anyone considering mechanical cleaning methods.

[bigted]

Wayne...thanks for the link and the article. it further grounds the fact that I do have the best process for me. I don't intend on getting into the tumbling arena as three of my bp shooting rifles have cases that are expensive and sometimes hard to aquire so ill not be doing anything to em that would further the damage to them and thus shorten the life of the cases.

thanks again everybody for your answers to my quarry concerning the stainless pins. I have my information I was needing to make an educated guestimate on my cleaning methods.

[Chicken Thief]

Dumb me!
I must be using my SS pins all wrong because i got no defects at all.
Not even the tiniest bulge or abrasion.

[bigted]

beings we are on the "case" subject... im looking at getting a 44-77 and my gosh I cant believe the price of the reloading dies. anybody know where a feller may find em a bit cheaper? all my usual sites are asking well over 100 dollars for a set and ive seen em for over 200...what gives with them??? don't have this kinda price on 30-30 winny or 32 spc or 32-40's all bottleneck cases so what the heck makes these 44-77 dies so expensive anyway...id like to get a set of 43 Spanish to replace my 'lee' set but the same goes with them...HMMM...any ideas?

[Chill Wills]

When they make and sell gobs of 30 WCF dies the price can be low, when only very few 44-77 dies are ever sold from their 44-77 tooling the dies are like semi-custom and carry a high price.

BTW Pins or ceramic - both are light-years better than what we used to have to do. Slow turn Model B is the way to go IF you are buying and don't already own some kind and want to adapt.
-Michael Rix

[Don McDowell]

Ted Lee 43 mauser dies if going with groove dia patched or greasers, 43 Spanish if strictly bore dia slicks.

[bigted]

don...im doing strangely good with the Spanish. I ordered an accurate mould that will fill the case after fireforming. ..it seems as if my particular chamber is on the LARGE side being capable of accepting .452 inch boolits and does well with them ahead of 78 grains cartridge and the beloved SPG...this along with a good blowtube makes shooting nice n tight as well as the cleanup a snap.

as this rifle has no collector...[messed up before I got hold of it]...value... I drilled n tapped the wrist and mounted a browning vernier on it...tightened the staff screw to hold the staff uprite better and this seems to make a great diff in the sight picture with that crazy front sight.

fireformed some 10 more cases today... speaking of the Spanish ... and as I had a couple cans of pyrocrud i thought it would be a great time to load it behind a pistol boolit and proceeded to lead the **** outta my barrel. don't know if it were the pistol boolits or the powder but man what a mess...LOL. what fun.

chills...thanks for the thought about the production and sales of the bp bottleneck cases and the die price. still don't think they oughta be that high but... whats a feller to do???...either pay up or don't play I guess ... huh?

[semtav]

I started with the corncob media and vibrator. ok but !!!
Then I tried coal slag. good cleaning gave the cases a satin look (peened)
Then I got the cylindrical ceramic media. worked ok in the vibrator
Then I graduated to a tumbler
Then the cylindrical ceramic media didn't clean very good.
Then I got some SS pins. Wow do they ever clean.
Then I tried 3/4 of the ceramic and 1/4 of the SS pins Not very good
Then I tried half the ceramic and half the SS pins. Pretty good
Then I ordered the 2mm triangle ceramic media
Now I'm broke, anybody want to buy some shiny brass??? :)

[EDG]

If case mouths are getting dinged up in a tumbler, it is probably a rotary tumber that does not have enough cushioning media and brass in the load. If they are loaded too lightly the brass does a lot of falling and bouncing against each other. They can actually damage each other regardless of the media used.


The Austenitic alloys 301, 302, 303, 304 etc are not magnetic and are very corrosion resistant because they are variations of the 18-8 family (sometimes called the 304 or 302 family) have a minimum of 18% chrome and 8% nickle. These alloys are not magnetic.


2 ... Stainless steel comes in several alloys. The 'less stainless' ones are magnetic.
3 ... At the top of this page is a banner ad for STM. They have the pins.

CM