Do you know what 'Silica' sand is? White 'Sandblasting' sand?
I wouldn't use Silica sand in a machine, since it actually cuts into the brass,
But for a 'Hand Powered' cleaner, you will tire out before the sand does damage...
Remove the primers, drop brass into a container that WILL NOT break, plastic or metal,
That has a screw on lid.
1/4 full brass, 1/4 full sand, 1/2 empty.
You can roll the container around the yard, Shake it, whatever, just keep it moving.
Sharp silica sand will clean in a reasonable amount of time,
But rounded construction or beach sand will take FOREVER, and your brass won't come out 'Shiny'...
Don't forget to wash the brass in HOT water/soap when it's cleaned,
You don't want that silica in the primer pocket or neck when you load.
------------------
I have several types/sizes of cleaners, and by far the stainless steel pins are the easiest and give the best results.
You will be happy with that tumbler for YEARS to come, probably decades.
I'm using a pressure canner, liquid seal in the lid, VERY large volume, I can clean 2,000 to 2,500 brass at a time and still have plenty of room...
Weight becomes an issue before volume of brass does.
The SS pins do a GREAT job, and they do it FAST.
If you don't mind, I would suggest one thing to any newbie...
Buy a CASE GAUGE!
Short/Fat round, especially .45 ACP, like a STRIGHT, SMOOTH case for feeding.
A case gauge will tell you when you have the case the correct size (SAAMI Specification),
So you KNOW your brass/loaded rounds are correct to the last detail...
Gauge the brass before it's loaded to make sure the dies are set EXACTLY correctly,
Use the gauge again on loaded rounds to ensure there weren't any anomalies when they loaded.
If they fit the case gauge, they should feed/chamber/cycle.
If they don't, you KNOW it's the firearm and NOT your reloads...
Some guys say if it's fired, and it's going back into the same firearm, you don't need to use a gauge...
OK, That's a LOT of "IF's",
And once you use the gauge to get your dies set up and tuned, use the gauge to monitor progress, making sure something didn't move or change, there are no "IF's" in the process.
Case gauges run $15 to $25 and will keep you cranking out highest quality rounds for years to come!
Last edited by JeepHammer; 10-25-2015 at 12:04 PM.
|