How essential is a tumbler/vibrator/polisher?

[B yond]

I'm brand-spanking-new to reloading and in the process of researching and purchasing equipment. Do I need a tumbler/vibrator/polisher right away, or could I make do with giving each casing a few twists in a handful of scotch-brite?

Is it for removing scratches or just cleaning/polishing brass? Does it really matter if the inside of the casing is dirty as long as the outside is clean?

I'm going to start with .45 acp and .223 remington if that makes a difference.

Thanks,
B

 

[NuJudge]

Tumblers address a multitude of evils

Corrosion, dirt, but most commonly lube removal. If you are firing pretty brass, you can get away with using pieces of old bed sheet to wipe off brass before and after resizing. It gets old in a hurry.

CDD

 

[joneb]

Sooner or later you will buy a case tumble, sooner is better than later. I did with out one far too long, now all is as it should be

 

[jeepmor]

It is a necessity to insure the longevity of your sizing dies. And it's about the only process you don't have to do via manual labor.

 

[Shoney]

Are tumblers a necessity? NO!
Is clean brass essential? YES!
Is shiny brass required? NO!

I loaded tens of thousands of cartridges from 1960 to the early 1990's without the use of a tumbler or mechanical cleaning devise. When I began competitive pistol shooting, it almost became a necessity.

The question is, "How many cartridges do you load a week - month - year???????" Just how many you need to reload to justify a tumbler is arbitrary. If it's 500 straight wall pistol a month, then probably not. If it's 500 pistol and 250 rifle a month, then you are in the realm of "needing" a tumbler, IMHO.

 

[Walkalong]

How much time do you want to spend cleaning brass? That's about it.

I am like many. I went without one for a while, about 3 years if memory serves. When I got one, used, I wondered how I made it without one and will never be without one again.

 

[30Cal]

Nobody used one up till the mid-1980's.

Ty

 

[Bula]

I think whaen it comes down to 'bang for your buck' they are absolutely worth every penny. In fact, it was the first reloading item I purchased. I know reloading is a hobby, but there are about 8 million things I'd rather be doing before I hand clean/dry/polish brass. I'm always left scratching my head when I hear the things some people do instead of tumbling brass in a tumbler. I hear about dishwashers, washing machines, hand shaken tumblers and so on. I figure it this way, ANY person that can afford to buy a firearm, can afford to buy a cheapy tumbler. I think my lyman pro was $40 at Sportsmans Warehouse. Last night I cleaned/polished about 350 .357/.38 cases while I cooked with my wife and ate dinner with my family. Just buy one and forget about it, trust me.

 

[RustyFN]

I agree with the rest. I cleaned 500 cases last night and while they were in the tumbler doing their thing I was trimming 500 other cases and doing some other things. It takes 5 minutes to load the tumbler and 5 to unload, I can be doing something productive during that time instead of wasting time cleaning them by hand.
Rusty

 

[NavyLCDR]

Same story. Did the hand cleaning for a few months. The tumbler is much easier, does a much better job and saves tons of time. I would recommend a tumbler to anyone who reloads for anything more than a single, bolt action rifle. I tumble before sizing for cleanliness to help protect the dies and after sizing to remove the lube and for a nice polish.

Your second question - inside the case cleanliness does not matter, so long as there is nothing there that will deactivate the powder or primer such as oil or moisture.

 

[Steve C]

A tumbler is one of the last things you need to get. Ammo with tarnished or dull brass shoots as good as the ones in bright shiny cases. I've been reloading for 34 years and only started using a tumbler after getting one for Christmas 20 or so years ago. Always thought one might be handy but there where just more important things to spend my money on.

 

[RobZ71LM7]

Get a tumbler and spend more time on the other more important aspects of reloading. It'll only cost you $29.99 at Midway right now.

 

[PRE 64 JOE]

Well being brillant as I am I made my tumbler from a one gallon gas can with a barbeque shaft run through it and a barbeque motor resting on 2 ladders with some grease so the square shaft would turn on the wood ladder rungs a little easier, I put walnut media in the can and about 20 300 h&h cases in the gas can and watched and listened to it rotating as a good barbeque motor should and in about 20 minutes the motor burned out so since I had another barbeque motor no problem, then in about 15 minutes the other motor burned out, by the way the brass was just as cleen as it was when I started this charade, BUY A TUMBLER, unles you want to get rid of all your barbeque motors. Semper Fi.

 

[oneeyesnipe]

Well Im getting one I just resized 3500 223 rounds and wiped them all off and my finger tips were brutal when I was done so for what its worth Im in