MidSouth Shooters SupplyRotoMetals2Titan ReloadingLoad Data
Inline FabricationReloading EverythingLee PrecisionWideners
Repackbox
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 21 to 34 of 34

Thread: SS pins or chips????

  1. #21
    Boolit Master


    Omega's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Clarksville, TN
    Posts
    1,318
    Quote Originally Posted by oley55 View Post
    did u check to see if a magnet will pick them up? I rely on a magnet to pick up the inevitable water surface tension floaters that seem to escape during rinsing
    Yes, they are magnetic, I too rely on the magnet to get the pins out of the bottom of the media separator.

    Quote Originally Posted by Burnt Fingers View Post
    They are magnetic.

    The chips are a byproduct of making nails. I had a couple of nails in my chips.
    I was wondering about this, I had thought maybe it was from millings, but they are very symmetrical so had my doubts.
    "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."
    ~Pericles~

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master


    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Aberdeen, South Dakota
    Posts
    7,136
    Well you guys finally convinced me to give up my ultrasonic for a wet tumbler. The person who gifted me the ultrasonic is finally getting back into shooting, so I gave it back. I really liked the ultrasonic, but after looking at the prices of a good one, I am starting to realize there might be something to wet tumbling, especially when it comes to long term 20+ year durability. So I bought a Thumbler tumbler.

    I bought pins. The thing that scares me about the chips, and I could be off base, is that they look like metal corn cob media. I gave up dry tumbling years ago because it is a PITA. Besides the dust, I hated having media stuck in the flash holes. As a result, I cleaned before I sized, so the pin would push any out. In the case of a wet tumbler, you are going to want to size first, so it cleans the primer pocket. I don't want to have to decap and then resize later in most cases. That's what I like about the steel pins, they are smaller than the flash hole, and long, so they will not get stuck without being noticeable.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master


    Burnt Fingers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Tejas
    Posts
    1,938
    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    Well you guys finally convinced me to give up my ultrasonic for a wet tumbler. The person who gifted me the ultrasonic is finally getting back into shooting, so I gave it back. I really liked the ultrasonic, but after looking at the prices of a good one, I am starting to realize there might be something to wet tumbling, especially when it comes to long term 20+ year durability. So I bought a Thumbler tumbler.

    I bought pins. The thing that scares me about the chips, and I could be off base, is that they look like metal corn cob media. I gave up dry tumbling years ago because it is a PITA. Besides the dust, I hated having media stuck in the flash holes. As a result, I cleaned before I sized, so the pin would push any out. In the case of a wet tumbler, you are going to want to size first, so it cleans the primer pocket. I don't want to have to decap and then resize later in most cases. That's what I like about the steel pins, they are smaller than the flash hole, and long, so they will not get stuck without being noticeable.
    Take a look at the picture in post #18.

    The chips are a fraction of the size of the pins.
    NRA Benefactor.

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master


    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Aberdeen, South Dakota
    Posts
    7,136
    Quote Originally Posted by Burnt Fingers View Post
    Take a look at the picture in post #18.

    The chips are a fraction of the size of the pins.
    Yes, they are small, but they are also irregular. Corn cob and walnut media is also small, and gets caught all the time in flash holes.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
    StuBach's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    1,135
    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    Yes, they are small, but they are also irregular. Corn cob and walnut media is also small, and gets caught all the time in flash holes.
    I have been using chips for several years now and never had any chips get stuck in flash holes or primer pockets. Only reason I switched over to pins was cause they provide a marginally smoother finish in my opinion. I haven’t had any pins stuck yet but have heard of it from others.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master


    Burnt Fingers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Tejas
    Posts
    1,938
    Quote Originally Posted by megasupermagnum View Post
    Yes, they are small, but they are also irregular. Corn cob and walnut media is also small, and gets caught all the time in flash holes.
    You're not seeing the forest for the trees.

    Corn cob and walnut are roughly spherical in shape. The chips are basically flat. Compare it to a baseball vs a index card.
    NRA Benefactor.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    OKC , Oklahoma
    Posts
    3,384
    What people like may be influenced by what they clean .
    There may be a bigger advantage to chips for cleaning small caliber bottle necked rifle cases .
    I clean mostly straight wall cases and am totally satisfied with the cleaning of the pins , but if I was cleaning a lot of .223 I would be more interested in the chips.
    I have a hard enough time seeing the pins on the floor and in the bottom of buckets to gather up the ones that escape not to mention that pound for pound you would have 3 or 4 times the number of the chips to keep track of.
    It seems to me that the advantage of the chips is also the drawback of the chips.

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Kaneohe, HI
    Posts
    5,562
    Quote Originally Posted by Omega View Post
    Used the email to order, $27 for 5lbs shipped wasn't bad. Just received my order, well packaged in an SFRB and took a pic next to the MTM pins for reference. They smell a bit like oil of some sort, probably from the process that produces them so will wash them as per the included instructions and give them a try next time I have a decent batch to try them out on.

    Looks like rice.

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Kaneohe, HI
    Posts
    5,562
    I don't do facebook.
    How do I order a bag????

  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Kaneohe, HI
    Posts
    5,562
    So I contacted Southern Shine Media to see if I could order a bag.
    They do only on facebook, so I couldn't do it
    I hate facebook and all the other antisocial sites.
    Anyway, they suggested I go to one of their vendors.
    T&B Bullets.
    Cost $3 more, but I could order it from them on-line.
    Looks like they will work well.
    Just hope it's not to messy.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master
    high standard 40's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    South Louisiana
    Posts
    1,208
    Given the pointed ends and smaller size of the chips, I would think the cleaning action would be more aggressive than pins. I've only ever used pins and am fully satisfied with them.
    Last edited by high standard 40; 05-06-2021 at 07:55 AM.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    JAX, FL
    Posts
    1,228
    the more I see these chips the more I like the way they look. Unfortunately my tumbler is fairly large and I routinely use 10-15 pounds of pins. No way I could justify buying 15 pounds of chips with 15 pounds of pins just sitting around.
    “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan


  13. #33
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    B.C. Canada
    Posts
    2,719
    Quote Originally Posted by oley55 View Post
    the more I see these chips the more I like the way they look. Unfortunately my tumbler is fairly large and I routinely use 10-15 pounds of pins. No way I could justify buying 15 pounds of chips with 15 pounds of pins just sitting around.
    Just buy a second tumbler---problem solved!
    R.D.M.

  14. #34
    Boolit Master


    Omega's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Clarksville, TN
    Posts
    1,318
    Quote Originally Posted by abunaitoo View Post
    I don't do facebook.
    How do I order a bag????
    I emailed and did it that way, I don't do book ok faces either.
    "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."
    ~Pericles~

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check