Anyone Else NOT Tumble Rifle Brass?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi Folks,

Recently I found a few split necks on some of my older .30 caliber brass. I realized it had been a while since I annealed it, so I've just begun annealing each time I handload. This is not so much for precision as it is to extend brass life. I neck/partial resize, and I've not had one case head separation. I've had a few where I thought I was beginning to feel a groove and tossed them just-in-case, but they'd been loaded well over 10 times and in all honesty were probably OK. I cut a couple open and saw nothing that would indicate incipient case head separation.

Anyway, I hold the case with my bare fingers so I know if the bottom starts getting warm. I rotate the case 180 degrees and back, and by that time the flame just starts to change color and I toss the case into water. (Some say a flame that changes color is too much, but I tend to think that's when folks run the flame a few seconds after the color change. Others like to heat the brass to cherry red, but I'm not comfortable with getting the base that hot.)

After the water I wipe down the outside and toss them into the oven at 150 degrees or so for about an hour. I pull them, neck size them, trim them, brush the insides, etc.

I can't find a reason or even a time to tumble these!

The handgun brass still gets tumbled, of course... but I'm wondering if anyone else does anything similar to what I'm doing?

Thanks,

Josh

 

[gamestalker]

No, I tumble all my brass after each firing so I can spot incipient head separations before thay develope into a serious problem, such as a head separtion that may possibly damage my firearms. Personally, I would suggest either tumbling, or at the very least use something to inspect the internals of the case for thinning around the web region. A paper clip, or something along that line will help you feel bad spots inside.

Given the fact that I average between 12-15 loadings off my high powered rifle brass, 7mm RM, .270 win, and 30-06 to name the most common ones I load, I don't feel it is necessary to anneal. In fact, I rarely if ever experience a split neck. Initial failure most commonly shows up at the opposit end of the case at some point in time, and long before it results in hot gases escaping and destroying my chamber, and or, bolt face. I neck size, and I maintain my head space closely to minimize over working the brass. After tumbling I closely inspect my brass, inside and out.

GS
I can certainly understand the reasoning behind annealing, I just don't personally find it necessary.

GS

 

[stubbicatt]

I prefer the molten lead form of annealing if I am going to do it. Leaves a neat color around the neck/shoulder junction, and no open flame to worry about.

But I only tumble brass that is dirty, and typically my Lapua shot in bolt actioned rifles rarely gets dirty other than maybe a smudge of powder fouling on the neck which is easily removed with a paper towel with a squirt of Mpro7 on it.

 

[jcwit]

I can't find a reason or even a time to tumble these!

I spend no "time" tumbling any thing. Its done while I sleep.

I might add I have .223 cases that have now been reloaded over 70 times and still going with no problems. Never annealing either.

 

[EddieNFL]

Lots of bench rest shooters.

 

[merrill]

Other than pretty brass, I don't see the reason to tumble. I shoot .270W and have been reloading for over 30 years. BTW neither does Richard Lee.

 

[jcwit]

Other than pretty brass, I don't see the reason to tumble.

Way deep down you're probably right, but Pride of ownership enters into it also. Same reason I wax my car, or go even into WalMart NOT looking like the average WalMart shopper.

Its possible 8 years in the service helped to make me feel this way. To this day I check my gig line before leaving the house, and I'm now 69.

 

[musicman10_1]

I use some fine steel wool and spin the case from a shell holder chucked in my drill. I don't own a tumbler yet and so far this method has worked well enough for me that I might not ever buy a tumbler.

 

[jcwit]

I use some fine steel wool and spin the case from a shell holder chucked in my drill. I don't own a tumbler yet and so far this method has worked well enough for me that I might not ever buy a tumbler.

Wait till you have five 5 gal buckets of brass to polish. hehehe

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

as the OP and musicman.
most of them get tumbled - but sometimes I'm experimenting w/loads for say a dozen or so cases
and when trim-to-length you gotta chuck them up anyways.

 

[FROGO207]

If I am going to put the rounds away for any length of time I will clean the brass just to make them shine in the ammo box. Otherwise if I am developing a load or loading for use within the next week or so I do not bother to clean it at all if the brass is anywhere near OK looking. Read as not so tarnished/corroded/muddy that I would be afraid it would stick in the firearm when shot.

 

[EddieNFL]

To this day I check my gig line before leaving the house, and I'm now 69.

I thought I was the only one.

I tumble to keep the sand, mud, pebbles, etc., out of my guns.

 

[beatledog7]

Yep, check the gig line, tuck the shirt Naval aviation style, and clip off IPs.

I occasionally skip tumbling if I'm just dealing with a few rounds that never hit the ground. But I always clean the outside of the cases in some way before running through the resizing die, just to avoid having a clingy piece of debris scratch the die wall.

 

[joneb]

I tumble all brass, there might be a better way ? With bottle cases the cleaning will help with the powder residue build up inside the case that can go unnoticed.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I will not send brass through my dies without cleaning it. I clean my brass not for looks but function.

You said you don't have time to tumble your brass but you do have time to anneal after each firing? Really? Skip the waste of time annealing after each firing and you will have plenty of time to tumble your brass. Stretch the annealing out to every 5th or more firings and you will be just fine.

 

[hentown]

I can find a lot more reasons for tumbling than I can for annealing necks every time I load!!

 

[_N4Z_]

My rifle brass gets washed in the dishwasher, and then air dry. No tumbling. Works fine.

 

[jcwit]

My rifle brass gets washed in the dishwasher, and then air dry. No tumbling. Works fine.

NOT A GOOD IDEA AT ALL. Washing brass in a dishwasher that you wash dishes in that you and your family eats off of. Brass has lead residue from priming compound on them and how do you know for certain their isn't some left after final rinse.

Do you have any young children? Really bad news.

 

[MtnCreek]

Tumble before sizing. Tumble after sizing. Tumble after loading.

 

[Duckdog]

Steel wool and a zip tim or drill work fine on rifle brass. Takes about 10 seconds a cartridge. Pistol brass never gets cleaned other than washing them and air drying.

 

[gfanikf]

Too lazy/too cheap. Then again I'm in the learning step faces. I could see myself getting one eventually.

 

[Bush Pilot]

NOT A GOOD IDEA AT ALL. Washing brass in a dishwasher that you wash dishes in that you and your family eats off of. Brass has lead residue from priming compound on them and how do you know for certain their isn't some left after final rinse.

Do you have any young children? Really bad news.

What's bad news, having children or using your dishwasher to clean brass?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Other than pretty brass, I don't see the reason to tumble.

That's a very good reason in itself.

To this day I check my gig line before leaving the house, and I'm now 69.

I had to use Google to see what a gig line was.

 

[Hondo 60]

Everything gets tumbled when I come in from the range.

And I too check my gig line.


US Army 1978-1982

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

See, when I wasn't annealing every time, I would always do the following:

1. Come in and dump brass in tumbler for a couple hours.

2. Pull brass out, lube and resize. Chuck in drill, trim, deburr, spin while wiping with paper towel. If I was planning to use it in a picture, I'd run some 0000 steel wool over it before the cotton cloth.

3. Clean primer pockets and throw back in the tumbler for a half-hour for good measure.

4. Pull, check for case head separation with a bent piece of brass rod (steel scratches), wipe off rice or corn cob dust, prime, reload.

I'm a fan of the Lee resizing system.

When I anneal, I wipe each piece of brass off before it goes into the oven at 150 degrees (preheated, then turned off) to dry. I figure wiping the outside of the brass off cleans it well enough to not scratch up my die.

Am I missing anything here?

Thanks,

Josh