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Thread: Cracked corn for casecleaning ?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Dom's Avatar
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    Cracked corn for casecleaning ?

    Not sure exactly where to post this question.. But , has any one ever used cracked corn , as in chicken feed, to tumble or vibrate their brass? Since it is readily available here for $7.63 per 50 lb bag. Are there any negatives about using this for case cleaning?

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Just because nobody has tried it doesn’t mean it won’t work… if you already have chickens, you might try it, but whether it works well or not, I wouldn’t feed it to the chickens after using it on brass.

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    A lot of supply stores have ground corn cob for blasting around the same price. I believe you want the 20-20 grit. 50 lbs of ground corn cob lasts a long time.

  4. #4
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    Dom:

    1. Interesting question using cracked corn. I quit using it for feeding the horses, chickens and game birds because of large wastage. Using whole corn for all except the 0 to 12 week old game birds that get a game bird feed. Bottom line is I no longer have any cracked corn to give it a try.

    2. Where are you getting grain at $7.50 to $8.00 per 50 lb bag? Around Kalispell it's $14.00 to $19.00 per 50 lb bag - even at some of the farms that sell to the public.
    Mustang

    "In the beginning... the patriot is a scarce man, and brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    grain dust is explosive, not sure how explosive corn dust is but wheat dust is extremely explosive.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy Dom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MUSTANG View Post
    Dom:

    1. Interesting question using cracked corn. I quit using it for feeding the horses, chickens and game birds because of large wastage. Using whole corn for all except the 0 to 12 week old game birds that get a game bird feed. Bottom line is I no longer have any cracked corn to give it a try.

    2. Where are you getting grain at $7.50 to $8.00 per 50 lb bag? Around Kalispell it's $14.00 to $19.00 per 50 lb bag - even at some of the farms that sell to the public.
    I have been getting mine from the Walmart in Missoula.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    It has been a common effort to use inexpensive grains as case cleaning material. Sometimes you will find crushed stone in your media which does no harm to fowl, but not what you want rattling around in your brass cases. Some like to use rice, but with high humidity, it can leave a buildup on the cases. Of course any starches in the grain (think sugar) can leave a nasty residue on cases if left in the media.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Depending on what you were tumbling with this cracked corn, I would think you would end up with a lot of mid size pieces inside your case that won’t come out without picking it out. Corn cob media is small enough to just pour out.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    As slow as I use up media I'll stick with the stuff I know that works. I would be worried that you may end up with a lot of brass to pick stuck corn from and any "savings" will be consumed by time spent.

    I usually buy the walnut shells at the pet store for lizard bedding, lasts a long time at my usage rate.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    What we tumble cases with sure isn't critical, I'm sure cracked corn would work on the brass. But, between getting packed kernels inside the cases and the attraction insects and mice have for animal feeds, the modest cost of ground cob or nut media looks like a much better path to me.

    I found, tried and immediately came to love the ground cob that's sold to "sandblast" log homes clean. It's a fine grit (20/40) that doesn't get clogged and works as well as any coarser stuff.

    I'm cheap. By the pound, my fine grit cob blasting media was quite a bit less expensive and works better than the stuff labeled and sold for our purposes. I've been using the same 20# bag I bought from a log home maintenance company for so long I don't remember how much it actually cost me.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
    toallmy's Avatar
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    A few years ago as recommended ,I tried the lizard bedding material from pet smart , and have been very happy with it . I have even stopped checking the flash holes for stuck bits .

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
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    Cracked corn contains finely powdered "flour" which will fill cases and compact into a solid mass. You won't get it out. Go to the pet store and get crushed walnut hulls and save the cracked corn for the hogs.
    To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    The fine and sticky powder from cracked corn may coat or gum up the cases, high humidity, any dirt or moisture, case lube could/would all cause the corn dust to turn into glue.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MostlyLeverGuns View Post
    The fine and sticky powder from cracked corn may coat or gum up the cases, high humidity, any dirt or moisture, case lube could/would all cause the corn dust to turn into glue.
    This would be my concern, that the starch in corn would gum up the cases.

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy Dom's Avatar
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    I notice that the cracked corn cleans out the chickens & turkeys quite well. Was hoping to do as well with brass ..

  16. #16
    Boolit Mold
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    Walnut shells from pet store with tablespoon of Nu finish car polish added.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Crushed cob and nut shells do a very good job for not much. There is no benefit to adding any polish except for a little eye candy and I grew out of that a few decades ago.

    Walmart's lizard litter straight out of the bag is the right tumbling media for me.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    I'm wet washing but still have some dry.

    I agree with sticky compacting. What about rice?

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dom View Post
    I notice that the cracked corn cleans out the chickens & turkeys quite well. Was hoping to do as well with brass ..
    Sticks in the flash holes and primer pockets.

  20. #20
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by scratcherky View Post
    Walnut shells from pet store with tablespoon of Nu finish car polish added.
    That's what I use and it works great. My brass comes out looking like jewelry. (It's easier to find later when it's nice and shiny like that)

    Scotty

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