conan32120
Member
Still trying to decide if I should use pins or not. They do seem to do a good job on the hard to reach places but they can make it a pita to get them all out of the brass sometimes. So just wondering what y'all do.
Pins or no pins wet tumbling?
- Thread starter conan32120
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CQB45ACP
Member
Another interesting poll. I always use pins but not too long ago tried a batch of clean brass with no media. Awful result--brass looked dullish (if that's a word) and dinged up. I've never done it again.
GeoDudeFlorida
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My father in law used pins a couple of times then decided it wasn’t worth the hassle.
Chuck R.
Member
I use pins and honestly never have a problem getting them out, even with the .223 sized case necks.
I just use something similar to this:
and ensure the liquid reaches up into the basket. When rinsing the brass I have large and small magnets. Something like this, protects my drain:
Really not a hassle and IMHO worth it to get the necks and PPs clean.
I just use something similar to this:
and ensure the liquid reaches up into the basket. When rinsing the brass I have large and small magnets. Something like this, protects my drain:
Really not a hassle and IMHO worth it to get the necks and PPs clean.
JohnMc
Member
I selected always, though that's really for full cleaning post decapping in a Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler.
I got a gift card with enough to get a Frankford Arsenal media separator, it works well for pins and dry media (separately of couse). The pins come off and out of cases nicely as long as there's enough water in it. You just have to spin it enough times. Otherwise I might have rethought the pins.
I have soaked and swished in a bucket for grotty range pickups and just tumbled with soap and hot water to get off sizing lube.
I got a gift card with enough to get a Frankford Arsenal media separator, it works well for pins and dry media (separately of couse). The pins come off and out of cases nicely as long as there's enough water in it. You just have to spin it enough times. Otherwise I might have rethought the pins.
I have soaked and swished in a bucket for grotty range pickups and just tumbled with soap and hot water to get off sizing lube.
CQB45ACP
Member
Removing pins? Piece of cake. I use this--strainer and big bucket. Dump clean cases/water into strainer. Cases stay, pins fall. Simple stuff for a simple guy.
red rick
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I like that , I am using a 5 gallon bucket and a paint strainer cloth now . Where did you get it ?
CQB45ACP
Member
I like your way too--those Virginians!
CQB45ACP
Member
Strainer? Cabelas but some reloading brand whose name I don't recall. Bucket? Swiped it from my neighbor.
Varminterror
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I used pins for a while - still have them if I need them - then switched to magnetic stainless chips - still have them if I need them - but the last few years, I've just tumbled without pins.
So I couldn't vote - I know what pins are, but I don't use them.
So I couldn't vote - I know what pins are, but I don't use them.
Pins work better. I've tried without pins and the cases don't come out as clean.
I use this to separate pins from cases and it works great, even for .223.
RCBS media separator
I use this to separate pins from cases and it works great, even for .223.
RCBS media separator
Highland Lofts
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The tumbler came with pins so why not use them.
I tumble a lot of range brass so I have two of the larger Frankford Arsenal tumblers and the smaller one with only one cap on the drum.
I did buy a American Metlic wet tumbler, and it is a piece of junk.
I tumble a lot of range brass so I have two of the larger Frankford Arsenal tumblers and the smaller one with only one cap on the drum.
I did buy a American Metlic wet tumbler, and it is a piece of junk.
Click_Here
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- 138
Other than cleaner insides and pockets. Where I personally see a difference is if im tumbling a small amount of brass. Having pins to take up some volume helps tumble the lesser amount of brass a little better than it just riding on the bottom of the drum.
I use them as needed!
If something its grungy and heavily tarnished range pickups? Pins for sure, rifle or pistol. Tumble for 4 hours as I want it as clean as I can get it on the first pass before I rotate them into my brass.
Pistol brass that pretty clean, generally picked up the day I shot it, no pins. Tumble for about 2 hours.
Rifle brass is everytime because I want the case mouths deburred. AR brass gets 2 hours, bolt gun brass gets 1 hour.
I dont care about clean primer pockets or cleaning the interior of the cases to perfection as Ive never seen any reliable testing proving it helps.
If something its grungy and heavily tarnished range pickups? Pins for sure, rifle or pistol. Tumble for 4 hours as I want it as clean as I can get it on the first pass before I rotate them into my brass.
Pistol brass that pretty clean, generally picked up the day I shot it, no pins. Tumble for about 2 hours.
Rifle brass is everytime because I want the case mouths deburred. AR brass gets 2 hours, bolt gun brass gets 1 hour.
I dont care about clean primer pockets or cleaning the interior of the cases to perfection as Ive never seen any reliable testing proving it helps.
As long as the brass is not heavily tarnished I won't use the SS pins. I used to use them all the time but after seeing some drop out on my reloading bench & finding them inside the FCG pocket of my AR I stopped using them for anything but the heavy tarnished brass.
I can get brass clean enough to reload it doesn't have to be perfect. I'm not trying to pass them off as being new.
I can get brass clean enough to reload it doesn't have to be perfect. I'm not trying to pass them off as being new.
Blue68f100
Member
Pins work best if you have deprimed the brass ahead of time. As for pins sticking and hard to get out is normally caused by not getting the soap rinsed off good. I anneal brass after cleaning so I get to handle them prior to loading. I have yet to find any pins stuck inside my brass after I culled the short ones. Short pins can and will wedge in primer pockets, pins get discarded.
Varminterror
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Bingo.
Simple skin tension adhesion with clean water can stick a pin in a case, and I don't have much interest in firing them down the bore at 3000fps. I run 45min in a FART with a 1.5-2oz cap full of their tumbling solution, the brass comes out clean inside and out, without chewing up necks, and is clean enough in the pockets for what anyone needs to do. And for what it's worth, I can brush pockets on a power unit as fast as I can check every case for pins, so I just don't waste my time with pins or chips. If I'm polishing brass, I tumble overnight in dry tumbler in media and polishing compound - they're the better tool for polishing. If I'm cleaning brass, I let the chemistry do the work.
I'm sure it works well. I've tried similar but ended up losing pins. The separator that Chuck R linked to works better. With a full FART pins will separate in 10-15 seconds. But you have to have enough water in the lower half to submerge the brass. When done I pick out the pins with one of these:
Frankford Arsenal Media Transfer Magnet SS Media
Frankford Arsenal Media Transfer Magnet The Transfer Magnet is ideal for handling stainless media pins. It effectively gathers and then releases pins...
www.midwayusa.com
OP
OP
conan32120
Member
Finding them in my FCG as AKHunter said is a fear of mine, it's even got me second guessing myself if I truly got them all out of ammo I've already loaded. I have been using them since that extra cleanliness is why I got the FART but leaving a pin in a case is now in the back of my mind and I worry it could lodge in my barrel and cause a kaboom
Highland Lofts
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I 100%wet tumble with pins and don't lose no sleep over pins in my cases.
JEBruns
Member
That's the way I do it also. I always tumble with pins. I don't see the sense of not using pins if I'm going to have to go through the drying process anyway. Plus pins do a much better job of cleaning inside the case and the primer pocket. I'd just use my old dry media tumbler if I didn't use pins.
Last edited:
bfalcon00
Member
This is exactly what I do in my 5 gal wet tumbler and I always use pins. Never had any problems with pins making it into loaded cases or firearms.
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