Tumbling media in flash hole

[bootsnthejeep]

Anyone got a silver bullet or amazing solution for this? My 45-70s that I load with blackpowder get soaked and then deprimed (lee universal decapper) and get tossed in the tumbler. And every damn one of them ends up with a piece of tumbling media in the flash hole. I can run them thru the die again, or sit there with a piece of brazing rod and poke them all out. I thought the brilliant minds of here might have another solution I hadn't thought of.

[870TC]

I just load them and shoot it out. No apparent problems so far, only been doing it this way for 20 years or so.

[No_1]

I had the same problem and ended up trying different brands of tumbling media until I found one that had either smaller or larger granules. I chose the smaller granules, bought a bunch, use new finish car polish with it and have never looked back. Ended up saving time and money which is always a good thing :castmine:

Robert

[mooman76]

I run mine through the media before I decap. The media never seemed to do a great job in the flashole as far as cleaning anyway. A really small jewelers screwdriver or something similar works good to clean it out.

[docone31]

I tumble mine with the primers on board. When I deprime, I also then tumble the same batch. On the rare occasion I get media in the flash hole and it does not tap out, I use a pin.
I used to just shoot it out, and I never noticed any difference either.
The big trick is to keep the media dry.

[44man]

I let mine dry good first, no problems.

[EDK]

Get the ceramic media from SAGEBRUSH or Dave Maurer or ?

De-prime promptly after shooting black powder, set it up according to instructions and let it clean your cases AND primer pockets with a lot less hassle and better results than before! I knock most of the media out of the case, rinse it around in clear water and get the rest out and then put the casings on a drying rack (also from SAGEBRUSH) and let it dry. If I neck size/full length resize, I wipe the spray on lube off with solvent.

Go do some lookin' and listen' over at shilohrifle.com/forums or bpcr. net. You'll learn a lot about black powder reloading on either one.

:cbpour::redneck::Fire:

[Calehedron]

I deprime with an RCBS universal then tumble. After that, they are run thru the sizers and the deprime pin in them knocks out any media trapped in the hole.

[madcaster]

Does anyone use an air nozzle?:idea:

[Newtire]

I just use a mechanic's scribe and poke it out. Not a real problem.

[beagle]

I poke mine out too but I don't think it makes any difference. Just something about priming with a particle of tumbling media in there that goes against my grain.

As has been pointed out, the obvious answer is to get the right sized media but I use the cheap "Lizzard Litter"./beagle

[94Doug]

I use a drill bit of appropriate size.

[monadnock#5]

After tumbling I count the number of cases out that I want to reload by placing them case head up in a loading block. When the loading block is held up under a 4' florescent, it's easy to see which cases need need the attention of the aforementioned mechanics scribe.

[cajun shooter]

I also shoot the "HOLY BLACK" and media in the primer pocket is no different than having to clean cases. It's one of those things that comes with the game. I was told that cleaning with the right size ceramic media will stop alot of this type problem. It's expensive but does not wear out.

[Shiloh]

Does anyone use an air nozzle?:idea:

I have and it works great If I have a large amount. I usually look the cases over before loading and push out stubborn grit with a scribe.

Shiloh

[686]

for all my rifle cases i tumble first then size-deprime. i then tumble-polish . this gives me nice looking brass. i use 20-30 walnut , this is very fine , also i do not use it for the second tumling id it is getting lumpy. the fresh stuf comes right out. i do check every one and use a pick to get any that may be left.

[rugerman1]

I use one of those pistol length LEE trimmer spuds. Thread it down on your reloading bench while you are priming with a LEE hand primer.As you eyeball each case when you are priming,if you see a case with a booger in the flash hole,reach over and poke it with the trimmer tip.

[dale2242]

I like to size first then tumble to get the sizing lube off the cases. If the brass is for straight walled handguns, size-tumble- decap, no problem . The decapping pin pushes the media from the flash hole. With bottle neck brass, I size - decap- tumble- and [like madcaster] blow the media from the flash hole with air. I don`t want to leave it in the flash when I load.---dale

[DLCTEX]

First, I have found a media (no name, bought at a gun show) that is smaller. Hasn't been a problem since. I was using my air compressor with a nozzle, holding a handful at a time and blowing through the flash hole. Then hold the handful up to see light through the flash holes. You can do hundres in minutes.

[Shuz]

Folks--smaller media is the answer. There used to be an outfit in Illinois known as Mt Pulaski Products. Maybe they're still in business? Anyway they offer corn cob grit in various sizes. I once bought a pallet load by mistake(but that's another story), and I sold most of it to IHMSA friends in 1989. Now that I'm down to my last 50 pounder, I better look 'em up! Once again.....Size does matter!--Shuz

[carpetman]

If you use corn cobb media--it seems a given it will stick in the primer pocket. If you use walnut media it runs out like sand. I size then tumble to remove the sizing lube. When I used corn cobb media it was a problem----not with walnut. You can buy walnut media from the pet store---sold as litter for something or the other and it is cheaper than buying the same thing but called media for cleaning.

[snuffy]

Here's a link to a thread I started over at THR,(the high road forum).

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=367827

The question was, and is; does a chunk of media stuck in a flash hole do anything to accuracy/velocity?

I spent some time and ammo trying to find out, in my mind I proved it does cause worse groups, but the velocity results were mixed.

Since I tumble, then size, it makes me no difference. The de-primer pushes the media out of the flash hole. As for case lube, a wipe with a denatured alcohol soaked paper towel takes it right off. When loading with my dillon 650, I tumble after loading to remove the lube.

[prs]

I used to get cob media in the primer holes of my .45 Colt blackpowder loads. Primer in or primer out made no difference in getting the pockets clean -- they did not get clean with media alone. So I went to ceramic media in a wet (Thumbler's) tumbler. Well, they got clean and had sort of a matt finish, but every once in a while a piece of ceramic was left in the case and seperation of re-usable media from water was a royal PIA. So, I tumbled without the ceramic and just used hot water and any brand of powdered dishwasher machine detergent and upped the timer to 8 hours. They got as clean and even brighter than with the media. Primers left in or out, didna matter one itty bit. Then I added some Cabelas case cleaner to the mix just for fun and they were so bright as to be out of place for a darksider. I also like the way the phosphate based detergent gets rid of any primer lead and not having media to sift or such. I realize it may be different with 45/70 since you may not be cleaning 250 or more cases per batch; but it does make it easy and simple.

prs

[C1PNR]

Wasn't it BruceB who suggested going to your local feed store and ordering 1/8" grind cob? Cheap and far fewer problems with media sticking in the flash hole.

I also size and then tumble. Always use one hand to take the cases out with the case head up, and have a pin or bent paper clip in the other hand. Takes no time at all to poke out any residual media.

[SHOOTER IN EXILE]

Where I live, tumbling media is quite difficult to obtain, almost impossible. A friend gave me a few pounds that I'm using. The guy said that the media could be washed then dried. Is this really possible? if so, how is it done?
Could some kind of media be home made?

[LqChrome]

Snuffy,load then tumble? What does that do to the powder? Some one said this would cause the finnish on smokeless to be dammaged. what about BP? Does it change the grannule size?

[Dale53]

Ammunition companies tumble loaded ammo with no problems. The "trick" is to only tumble loaded ammo for about 15 minutes. It easily removes all of the sizing lube and is not long enough to change the characteristics of the powder.

Tumbling loaded ammo for a long period IS a bad idea. You can reduce the grain size of the powder and change the burning characteristics seriously (this can raise pressures to the dangerous level).

Just don't tumble very long. Problem solved...

Dale53

[LqChrome]

Thanks for clearing that up,Dale

[Dale53]

One further point:
I do NOT tumble greasy, loaded ammo in the same media that I use for regular polishing. This is a great way to ruin your new, clean, tumbling media. Save the "dirty" stuff for loaded ammo tumbling.

You can add a VERY small amount of mineral spirits to the media to help clean the ammo. You MUST be careful with this. A SMALL amount. I have the large Dillon vibratory tumbler and I put one cap of mineral spirits in the media if I haven't used this media for a while. DO NOT leave the ammo in the media after you finish tumbling. It is possible that the fumes could penetrate the cartridges and damage the primers or powder. It is unlikely, but POSSIBLE. So, DON"T DO IT! See, that isn't so hard, is it?:mrgreen:

Just tumble a short time (no longer than 15 minutes) and immediately remove the ammo from the tumbler. Now you will have nice clean ammo that will rival factory ammo in appearance.

Dale53

[handyrandyrc]

I used to cuss it out as well, corn cob bits in every danged flash hole. Bought a 5 pound corn cob batch from www.grafs.com -- lo and behold, no more stuck grits in the flash hole! Their grit is finer, it seems. I'll keep buying my media from Grafs -- it was cheap and no more stuck bits.

[Lloyd Smale]

I clean my cases throughly before sizing and depriming. Then if the case needs lube to be sized i will reprime after sizing and tumble long enough to remove the case lube. I too doubt if it would actually hurt to leave it and shoot it out but i cant see wasting a shot at a throphy animal because of it and i usualy load my ammo in large batches and dont do anything special for hunting ammo, just grab it out of the can and go.

[405]

Never had the problem. I reload a lot, have for a long time. Never have used a tumbler or other mechanical cleaner. Shoot both BP that I wash, dry and smokeless that I just clean with solvent and a paper towel and brush on the inside and clean the primer pocket. Do my cases get stained?- YES. Are they dirty, gritty. oily or have some have foreign matter on the inside?- NO. Is there anything inside or outside the case that shouldn't be there or affects accuracy, reliability, longevity?- NO. Are they perty after a few shots?- NO. :(

[Hipshot]

I use the front portion of an old dart (as in darts in a tavern) to poke it out. Doesn't take long and the weight of the dart and the compact size makes it easy. It just doesn't have the tail fins screwed into the back of it.
And yes smaller corn cob media makes the job much, muck quicker.

Hipshot

[NHlever]

I use a jeweler's screwdriver small enough to fit through the primer flash hole. One quick trip around the pocket cleans the carbon buildup, and it's easy to flip out, or poke through any tumbling media that gets stuck there. One tool, two jobs, quick, and easy. The cheap department store ones work fine.

[jcwit]

I buy my media from Graingers Ind. Supply. Switched to 20/40 size ended the problem with media in the flash holes, can't see any difference in cleaning or polishing. Price is right to 40 lb. bag for $22.62. They also have the std. size & walnut media.

[kfarm]

Most of the time I tumble and polish with normal media, then I lube, size (if needed) and then deprime. After this I tumble in fine media to remove the lube residue. I have found that Harbor Freight has some fine walnut media the works great and is too small to lodge in the flash hole, but I do have 2 tumblers set up.
Carroll

[snuffy]

I've got to remember to subscribe to a thread once I post on it![smilie=1: Then I would know someone asked about a statement I made.

The tumbling after loading argument has been hashed out many times on other loading/shooting forums. The opinions run about 50/50 on whether to do it or not, some getting pretty heated about "YER GONNA SHOOT YER EYE OUT", to it don't make a bit of difference.

It was on glock talk reloading forum where someone tumbled handgun ammo loaded to 50% density for MONTHS with the three basic types of powder, flake, ball, and extruded. Rounds were taken out of the batch at regular intervals, shot for groups while recording velocity with a chrono. Some were pulled apart to inspect the powder granuals. NO CHANGES WERE NOTED!

I did a test while posting on the accurate reloading forum. The never ending subject of "should you tumble loaded ammo?", came up there. I took my 300 WSM, loaded with R-19, to around a 80% density load behind some 150 core loct bulk bullets. I tumbled them for 17 hours, in a midway/FA tumbler, removing some at 1 hour, then at 3 hour intervals to pull bullets to examine the powder. I kept out 10 for a control. I quit at 17 hours, because I could not see any degradation of powder granuals, even under a 20 power glass. These were shot over my pact chronograph, while shooting groups.

I saw a jump in velocity of about 200 fps at 4 hours, but attributed that to bullet glint triggering the stop screen prematurely. It was a cloudless day at high noon, while not using the diffusers. The rest of the loads were all the same velocity, within the ES of the control group. Group size was uniform, EXCEPT the 17 hour group was much smaller.

In order for powder to degrade inside a shell, it would need an abrasive to be added. Powder is some tough stuff. It like a plastic by nature. Try to cut a granual, it ain't easy. Then, most of it is coated with graphite, a good lubricant. Then there's the fact that it can't really move around all that much. Also the motion imparted by a vibratory tumbler is small at best.

[Ricochet]

I've never had a problem with media in flash holes. I never tumble cases. I just let 'em slowly turn brown.

[Sprue]

The routine that best serves me is that I tumble first, then lube/resize. (I use spray lube). After sizing, I then dowse a clean shop towel with laquer thinner and then give each case a twist or two in the towel. No media issue or concerns here. Works for me YMMV

Now, I do have a nifty tool on hand to pick out the occasional piece of media. I have some leftover contractor tools that I used to use wiring on jackfileds / panels in phone company central offices. Its called a Spudger. They can be had for cheap and will last a lifetime. Below is a random link for a picture and reference.

They are about the size of a lead pencil with a hardened piece of wire bent at a right angle. These are actually used in plucking a single wire from a bundle of hundreds so to speak.

http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detail.aspx/Wire-Maintenance-Tool-Spudger-Single-Pack/FT328

[Hipshot]

Snuffy,
What does your post have anything to do with the topic subject ?

Hipshot

[snuffy]

LqChrome
Boolit Bub


Snuffy,load then tumble? What does that do to the powder? Some one said this would cause the finnish on smokeless to be dammaged. what about BP? Does it change the grannule size?

You didn't notice this question in post #26?

I was simply answering that question.