Tumbler media disappointment

[Fubanator]

Have always used crushed corn cobb as my tumbler media. Very pleased thus far with the results. Heard that crushed walnut was the best so I bought some Lymans "Tufnut". The container says it is treated with rouge. Tumbled a couple hundered 223 cases for twelve hours. Used a generous amount of Dillan rapid polish 290. The results were dissappointing. The cases were dull in appearance. Does anyone know if these results are typical. Also is appears as though the flash holes on many cases are clogged with media particals.

 

[Yeah]

I couldn't possibly know what a case tumbled for 12 hours would look like.

Is that how long you run them in corn cobb?

 

[Fubanator]

Normally I let them run for about 4 hours. Left them in overnight to see if it made a difference.

 

[I Love Bourbon]

Apples and Oranges...
Crushed walnut media is much better at cleaning brass and corncob does a better job of polishing.
Try this, if you have really dirty brass start off with walnut then when it's clean switch over to corncob for the shine.

Both medias have their merits and uses, use them to your advantage.

 

[ckcollins2003]

I use the Lymans walnut hull and with a little bit of Flitz my brass always comes out with a mirror-like shine after about 2-3 hours. Did you wipe the brass off with a cloth after taking it out of the walnut? If not then that is why they still look dirty. The red residue makes it look dull until wiped off.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Shiny brass is for Mall Ninjas

 

[45-70]

What you described sounds normal for rouged walnut and as far as the flash holes go, the decapper pin will take care of that issue.

 

[Broom_jm]

Combine the comments from Mouse and U.S. Patriot, and you've got my final answer!

Your gun likes CLEAN ammo...could care less if it's shiny. Truth be told, both corn and walnut clean cases well enough. If sparkly things fascinate you, corn is the right media for you. I accidentally left some brass to tumble overnight one time. Funny thing...the groups weren't any tighter from those cases.

 

[Aszerigan]

I'm in the same camp as the OP. If my brass doesn't look new, it's not acceptable.

I don't like Tufnut at all. I've even had it die some cases red. I stay away from the stuff. Corncob is the way to go for shine. Add a little carwax and it'll really clean up nicely.

When I have the time, I put my brass in the dry tumbler for 12-15 hours. (that's after a two step wet wash too.)

 

[Broom_jm]

Wow, Aszerigan...you're the first experienced reloader I've ever heard of who still worries about cases being shiny and polished. When most guys realize that it just doesn't make a difference, one way or the other, they stop obsessing over primer pockets and gleaming brass cases. Is there a particular reason, aside from aesthetics, that you still like to get yours so sparkly?

 

[Aszerigan]

Is there a particular reason, aside from aesthetics, that you still like to get yours so sparkly?

Yep, there are two reasons. First, I like shooting shiny ammo. Call me OCD. Also, with the volume of brass that I run through my dies, if I didn't clean them well, I'd start running into issues with dirty (read:buildup, out of spec) dies. It's just a time-saving step.

Second, when a customer pays to have his brass reloaded, he doesn't want dull, 'kinda-shiny' ammo in return.

I might be in the minority in my thinking, but when people can't tell whether its new or used brass by looking at, feeling, or inspecting the rounds... I've done my job.

 

[onesurveyor]

I'm with you on the clean brass for the dies. I use corn cob with a dash of Liquid Glass.

 

[Rob377]

Yep, there are two reasons. First, I like shooting shiny ammo. Call me OCD. Also, with the volume of brass that I run through my dies, if I didn't clean them well, I'd start running into issues with dirty (read:buildup, out of spec) dies. It's just a time-saving step.

Second, when a customer pays to have his brass reloaded, he doesn't want dull, 'kinda-shiny' ammo in return.

I might be in the minority in my thinking, but when people can't tell whether its new or used brass by looking at, feeling, or inspecting the rounds... I've done my job.

+1
I'm not a commercial reloader, but I like my brass to be nice and shiny as well. It may not make any difference in the way the ammo works, and I probably won't wear out my carbide dies in my lifetime either way, but nasty looking brass BUGS me.
I do find clean brass easier to inspect. I'm a brass rat, and pick up abandoned brass whenever possible, so the added ease of spotting imperfections or signs it was used as 9mm Major brass is no small thing.

Corn cob does a great job polishing. Takes a little longer to clean, but leaves the brass with a nice shine. I don't really worry about the extra time, because I usually just let the tumbler run overnight.

 

[jdhaines]

For all the reasons above, I chose the thumler's and stainless route. 4 hours and it looks like you could put it in a box and give it to the wife for Valentine's day. Inside, primer pockets, outside, are all brilliantly shiny. 5 minutes to dump them, rinse, and spin in my separator...overnight to dry or 10 minutes with a hair dryer. I like pretty brass. I just got in 2500 once fired dirty 223 brass, and I'm having fun making 500-600 a night turn into brand new sparkling again.

 

[Classic]

I try to make mine look like new as well for the following reasons:
1. Easier to find shiny brass on the ground
2. Eliminates unnecessary wear and tear on the die
3. Reduce microscopic particles embedded in the brass that can rough up the chamber
4. I am looking for accuracy which is partly driven by consistency. Having extra carbon and dirt in and on the cartridge case just add extra variables

 

[Broom_jm]

One thing I will confess to doing is polishing shoulders/necks, particularly in concert with annealing. I will typically chuck the brass up in a Lee case trimmer head and spin them with a cordless drill while squeezing the neck with fine steel wool to clean and polish. I also do this when forming wildcat cartridges with steep neck angles, like the 6.5JDJ or 358GNR. As a previous poster said, this makes it easier to spot any defects.

 

[Hiker1911]

Not sure what town you live in, or around? Forget the expensive Walnut media. Get over to Petsmart, or Petco for another product. Visit the lizard department, and buy the ground walnut media (and corn cob media), pet store versions are no different in my experience. It's sooo much cheaper, and all natural.

Don't throw your money away on bags of stuff in catalogs-when it's sold in larger pet stores for kid's critters.

 

[Fubanator]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Indy574]

For all the reasons above, I chose the thumler's and stainless route. 4 hours and it looks like you could put it in a box and give it to the wife for Valentine's day. Inside, primer pockets, outside, are all brilliantly shiny. 5 minutes to dump them, rinse, and spin in my separator...overnight to dry or 10 minutes with a hair dryer. I like pretty brass. I just got in 2500 once fired dirty 223 brass, and I'm having fun making 500-600 a night turn into brand new sparkling again.

Some day when I have some extra coin to burn I definitely want to give that a try.

 

[gopwins]

Visit the lizard department, and buy the ground walnut media (and corn cob media), pet store versions are no different in my experience. It's sooo much cheaper, and all natural.

I tried the pet store walnut media and I was not impressed. I dumped it out of my tumbler after two batches and returned to using corn cob media.