why do people dry tumble and not wet tumble?

[plodder]

You can take brass right out of a dry tumbler and load it.

I understand that, but my point is that I have enough brass that I do not need to immediately reload spent brass as soon as I return from the range. I like clean, shiny brass. It doesn't improve accuracy (at least you can't tell it from my shooting), but I just like it.

The OP asked "why", so as one who has experience with multiple types of cleaning brass I provide my input. It is no more or less valid than anyone's.

 

[Rule3]

Technically yes, psychologically maybe not.

Really? You think that because your brass is shiny , mentally you shoot better or is it because the gun "feels better" and has a high self esteem??

Guess that's why guys wear tactical, shirts, pants and boots

 

[Mohave-Tec]

Time to go....

 

[buck460XVR]

Why do people dry tumble and not wet tumble

My process is probably all wrong for some, but it works well for me. Seems to me that's what matters. Don't see any reason to question others that do it differently, when how they do it, works for them.

 

[cfullgraf]

Really? You think that because your brass is shiny , mentally you shoot better...

Yup!

I feel better about my reloads so I shoot better.

 

[Jaymo]

I dry clean with a 1996 Midway vibe polisher.
It works well for me, and I already have the equipment.
The money a wet tumbler would cost me will buy other reloading components.

If anyone else wants to wet tumble, go ahead.
It doesn't bother me.

I'd like to have an ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning gun parts, but not for brass.

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

If you don't like dust just throw in a couple of dryer sheets and when finished tumbling just throw the sheets away. It picks up a lot of the dirt and dust and extends the life of the media,

 

[hartcreek]

I used to wet tumble. The equipment was cheep as I just used a dual drum Thumbler. I just used a bit of laundry soap and my brass cam out nice and shiny but it was a hassle because of the rinse and the drying involved.

I used the same Thumbler for dry tumbling and the tumbling time wound up being the same but with less mess. I gave the Thumbler to my niece when I found a large vibrating unit at the Goodwill for $15 dollars and have been using the vibrating unit with corncob media ever since. I get my corncob media in the pet department isle and rodentr bedding is much cheeper then polishing media.

 

[MoreIsLess]

A couple of weeks ago I was all set to buy a Thumler Tumbler (I already have a Lyman Turbo 1200 tumbler). Then, I watched a video on You Tube demonstrating wet tumbling and that convinced me, I am staying with a dry tumbler.

 

[MoreIsLess]

Nu Finish

Incidentally,how do you put Nu Finish in your dry tumbler, just squirt it in the bowl with the media?

I may have to give that a try.

 

[Warp]

This potential for wet tumbled (and not later dry tumbled with polish) brass to tarnish over time in storage. Does anybody have photos of what this looks like and how long it took to happen?

It hurts nothing other than how pretty the brass is, correct?

So...tarnish isn't actually an issue?

 

[blarby]

Incidentally,how do you put Nu Finish in your dry tumbler, just squirt it in the bowl with the media?

Yep.

 

[cfullgraf]

Incidentally,how do you put Nu Finish in your dry tumbler, just squirt it in the bowl with the media?

I may have to give that a try.

Let it mix a short while to get distributed before dumping in cases.

 

[HOWARD J]

Some people that wet tumble say what a great job it does cleaning the primer pockets---
that sounds like you have already run your cases thru the resizing die ?
Do you run dirty cases thru your die & then wet clean later or do you also clean them before resizing?

 

[jerkface11]

Maybe they use a universal decapper.

 

[cfullgraf]

Do you run dirty cases thru your die & then wet clean later or do you also clean them before resizing?

If I wet tumble, it is after resizing.

Generally, I run fired cases through a dry tumbler before resizing to knock off any loose dirt and mud.

I always clean cases after resizing whether it is dry or wet, whether handgun or rifle.

Just one of my idiosyncrasies.

 

[jcwit]

Some people that wet tumble say what a great job it does cleaning the primer pockets---
that sounds like you have already run your cases thru the resizing die ?
Do you run dirty cases thru your die & then wet clean later or do you also clean them before resizing?

For handgun cases I size then tumble, all my handgun caliber dies are carbide, I have yet to wear a die out doing it this way in 50+ years of reloading, and at the age of 70 its very doubtful if I ever will.

Regarding the original question, I'm all set up to do it using the dry method, and do not wish to invest in another method, will use that money to add another Tag Heuer, or Rolex to my collection.

 

[jerkface11]

Honestly I don't even have a tumbler! I wipe the lube off my cases with a paper towel.

 

[Comrade Mike]

Dry tumbling doesn't require extra washes or drying. It's just quicker and easier for me. Dust has really never been a problem on my end

 

[Captaingyro]

I dry tumbled for years, but the first time I saw the results with wet tumbling, I switched and never looked back. After you've climbed the learning curve of the first few sessions, wet tumbling involves about the same amount of work as dry, with one exception: the rinse stage. Other than that, every step in the process requires about an equal amount of effort. As for drying, unless you haven't been shooting too long and have a limited supply of brass, you rarely need to begin reloading the minute you finish tumbling. The brass pretty much dries itself.

The real reason to choose wet or dry tumbling pretty much boils down to pride of craftsmanship. The one phrase you will routinely hear from dry tumbling holdouts is, "I don't care..." as in, "I don't care if my brass is shiny", or "I don't care if the insides of my cases are clean", or, "I don't care if my primer pockets are clean", or, "I don't care what anyone else thinks of my reloads."

Craftsmanship does mean something to a significant segment of the shooting world, though, and those are the folks who tend to gravitate towards wet tumbling. Who knows if the rounds shoot better, or if the guy at the next bench thinks you're reloads are factory rounds? It doesn't matter: this is our hobby, and pride in our product is it's own reward.

 

[Warp]

Some people that wet tumble say what a great job it does cleaning the primer pockets---
that sounds like you have already run your cases thru the resizing die ?
Do you run dirty cases thru your die & then wet clean later or do you also clean them before resizing?

Universal deprimer/decapper.

Deprime then clean.

 

[Rule3]

I dry tumbled for years, but the first time I saw the results with wet tumbling, I switched and never looked back. After you've climbed the learning curve of the first few sessions, wet tumbling involves about the same amount of work as dry, with one exception: the rinse stage. Other than that, every step in the process requires about an equal amount of effort. As for drying, unless you haven't been shooting too long and have a limited supply of brass, you rarely need to begin reloading the minute you finish tumbling. The brass pretty much dries itself.

The real reason to choose wet or dry tumbling pretty much boils down to pride of craftsmanship. The one phrase you will routinely hear from dry tumbling holdouts is, "I don't care..." as in, "I don't care if my brass is shiny", or "I don't care if the insides of my cases are clean", or, "I don't care if my primer pockets are clean", or, "I don't care what anyone else thinks of my reloads."

Craftsmanship does mean something to a significant segment of the shooting world, though, and those are the folks who tend to gravitate towards wet tumbling. Who knows if the rounds shoot better, or if the guy at the next bench thinks you're reloads are factory rounds? It doesn't matter: this is our hobby, and pride in our product is it's own reward.

Huh? Bright and shiny cases from a dry tumbler are not as shiny as wet tumbled ones? My brass comes out plenty shiny and clean. I could put them in a factory box and you would not know the difference. No I do not clean primer pockets

This whole concept is absurd. Maybe we should switch to Nickel as it is so purty and does not get "dirty" like regular brass.

 

[Potatohead]

Sure you can if it provides a reasonable return on your effort or improves the end result. Wet tumbling with the high intial cost and the other reasons mentioned proved no benefit to me, To others if they like it go for it.

Dirty brass actually shoots as well as clean brass.

Clean brass is clean enough,(so you do not mess up your dies) it does not need to be blinding. With a dry tumbler I can make brass look as good as wet so why bother.? The inside of the case does not need to be cleaned. Heck some rifle shooters use a powered metal brush on the inside??

true

 

[Potatohead]

Really? You think that because your brass is shiny , mentally you shoot better or is it because the gun "feels better" and has a high self esteem??

Guess that's why guys wear tactical, shirts, pants and boots

Maybe the ammo feels better so it flies straighter.


But I would actually think they would go straighter if they didnt get tumbled. Theyd be less dizzy ya know

 

[John3921]

I accumulating parts to build a wet tumbler. I 'm not exactly sure why. The biggest issue I see coming is pistol. I have no intention of doing anything twice with the pistol brass. Currently I dry tumble and then load 'em up. I can't say that having a bit of carbon in the primer pocket causes me any lost sleep. I do not plan on dry tumble - resize/decap - wet tumble - load. It seems excessive.