Stuck media in .223 cases

[Gus Chiggins]

I usually do my case prep one casing at a time for my 30.06 but decided to get a vibratory tumbler and start reloading my .45 auto brass. I went to the pet store and bought a bunch of corn cob media for lizard cages. It worked great on the .45 brass so I decided to do a hundred 7.62 x 54 cases. No problems. Then I thought I might as well do some .223. It seemed to be going fine but on closer inspection, the corn cob is filling the cases and doesn't want to come out.
Any ideas on getting it out easily?

 

[Zahn]

You could try to "water" it down with some fine crushed walnut shell media from Harbor Freight. The smaller media results in it coming out easier.

 

[RockRat64]

That's weird, usually it just pours right out. Try giving it a little flick or tap? Is it more corse than standard corn cob media?

 

[Gus Chiggins]

Ya, its pretty chunky. The bigger pieces just fit in the case mouths. Serves me right for being cheap.

 

[AJC1]

I love me some compressed air but it can get messy if you up the pressure. Start low and work up. I have a rubber tip I press in the primer pocket and it all comes right out.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a piece of stiff wire that fits in the flash hole and about 6” long. I can clean out the pimer pocket and flash hole as well as poke out the media from the case mouth.

Also, lots of time you can tap the case on the side of the bowl you are using the catch the media and the media will fall out.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

Unfortunately I don't have a universal decapper and wanted to clean them up a bit before I sized them and decapped at the same time. So the cases aren't decapped. Being cheap again

 

[glaizinman]

Unfortunately I don't have a universal decapper and wanted to clean them up a bit before I sized them and deprimed at the same time. So the cases aren't deprimed. Being cheap again

Chiggins I feel your pain I did the exact same thing! I used the corn cob lizard litter. It worked great for all my pistol brass. Then I decided to dump some 223 in there. The corn cob media shined up the brass great but like you said Gus. The big pieces got stuck in the neck. How in the heck they can get in there is beyond me. Hours later using a eye glass screw driver wiggling it around each case banging it against my tablet I was able to get all of that corn cob out. NEVER AGAIN!!

 

[Ironicaintit]

Out them in a colander and toss them around a bit. It’ll come out, just needs to be agitated

 

[Gus Chiggins]

Chiggins I feel your pain I did the exact same thing! I used the corn cob lizard litter. It worked great for all my pistol brass. Then I decided to dump some 223 in there. The corn cob media shined up the brass great but like you said Gus. The big pieces got stuck in the neck. How in the heck they can get in there is beyond me. Hours later using a eye glass screw driver wiggling it around each case banging it against my tablet I was able to get all of that corn cob out. NEVER AGAIN!!

Lol. If I'd decapped them, I'd prime them and shoot it out.

 

[entropy]

I usually do my case prep one casing at a time for my 30.06 but decided to get a vibratory tumbler and start reloading my .45 auto brass. I went to the pet store and bought a bunch of corn cob media for lizard cages. It worked great on the .45 brass so I decided to do a hundred 7.62 x 54 cases. No problems. Then I thought I might as well do some .223. It seemed to be going fine but on closer inspection, the corn cob is filling the cases and doesn't want to come out.
Any ideas on getting it out easily?

It's not easy, but dental picks work. Then get Zilla from the pet store and never look back at corn cob. That's what I did.

 

[rocirish]

A small screwdriver or something similar with solve your problem, even though it will go pretty slow. I recommend that you get some standard size media. That will be well worth the small extra cost.

 

[Mark_Mark]

Here’s another bad idea, just leave it in there and use it as your range ammo?!?!?! too much?

 

[Gus Chiggins]

Here’s another bad idea, just leave it in there and use it as your range ammo?!?!?! too much?

That'd make the range free lizards happy

 

[Blue68f100]

If you want good media it's not from the pet store. You want blast media with a 20/40 mesh size. This is the smaller size that will flow through the primer pockets. The last time I bought it was like $25 for a 40 lb bag. I have since switched over to the FART, SS wet cleaning.

 

[Laphroaig]

I'm not sure about the size of your media, but the corn cob blast media that I use comes out nicely in a rotary media separator in less than 30 seconds. I have a Dillon, but Hornady and others sell them too. I had a colander type, but still had to shake out every piece by hand. I also tumble before I deprime. The rotary separator is one of the best things I ever bought.

 

[Highland Lofts]

After wet tumbleing I will never go back to dry.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

I'm using an older Lyman 1200.

 

[Mark_Mark]

I'm using an older Lyman 1200 turboView attachment 971529

Looks broken, I’ll save you the trouble and frustration. Go ahead and mail it to:

Mark_Mark
555 Freeloader St.
D.C. 867-5309

 

[Lennyjoe]

I tent to knock a few cases together, mouth facing down, when I’m pulling out of the tumbler filled with media to help remove the stuff. Even using a media separator that rotates Mays still leave a few kernels in the cases so it’s best to make sure as your inspecting before dropping into your storage containers or on the tray for next prep step

 

[ih772]

I see a tiny pair of needle nosed pliers in your future........

I had the same thing happen to me. I ended up putting them back in the vibratory tumbler without any of the media and ran it for about 15 minutes. Most of the corn cob came out by just letting the brass bang together in the tumbler. There were a few pieces that I had to pull the large chunks out of the case mouth and the rest would dump out once he blockage was removed.

 

[Gus Chiggins]

I see a tiny pair of needle nosed pliers in your future........

I had the same thing happen to me. I ended up putting them back in the vibratory tumbler without any of the media and ran it for about 15 minutes. Most of the corn cob came out by just letting the brass bang together in the tumbler. There were a few pieces that I had to pull the large chunks out of the case mouth and the rest would dump out once he blockage was removed.

I just tried a few with a stiff piece of wire and it will come out. I only put a hundred cases in the media so it'll probably take me around an hour to empty them. I will let them rattle around a bit like you suggest. Thanks

 

[rocirish]

Looking at your picture, I've never seen media that course. You definitely need better media.

 

[cfullgraf]

Even using a media separator that rotates

Yes, I also use a rotary media separator. That probably knocks lots of the media loose in a bunch of the cases.

Then I pick the cases out of the separator, check for the flash hole being cleared and use a stiff wire to clean the flash hole out.

 

[Scooter22]

So complicated. Get walnut media from a pet store and don,t look back. I.ve use it in a Midway dry vibratory for 20 years. from .22 Hornet( lots of .223) and everything in between up to .444 Marlin. It works great and doesn't pack. Add a squirt of NU shine car polished thinned with mineral spirits. Cases look new. I.m doing a couple 100 at a time. If your mass cleaning it might be different.