I'm gonna start getting set up to reload and I thought I may as well start by cleaning all the brass I've been hoarding. So I looked at a Frankfort arsenal quick and easy tumbler today but then noticed a hornady lock and load sonic cleaner as well. Any recommendations between the two and has anyone used the sonic cleaner for cleaning gun parts as well? What parts can not go in the sonic cleaner? Thanks.
Tumbler or sonic
- Thread starter bukwild
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if your willing to deal with the drying of brass, then i would persoanlly opt for a stainless steal setup. http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/ if your handy, you can easily build your own setup, and just get the SS media for roughly $50 for 5 lbs.
i bought a small ultrasonic cleaner for small batches of brass for my 500 S&W and it works pretty good, but not as shiny as tumbling in walnut or stainless steel. you can clean gun parts, but if there is a painted surface it can chip the paint away. i haven't found a solid answer for blued parts though, so i am not putting my 586 in it.
i bought a small ultrasonic cleaner for small batches of brass for my 500 S&W and it works pretty good, but not as shiny as tumbling in walnut or stainless steel. you can clean gun parts, but if there is a painted surface it can chip the paint away. i haven't found a solid answer for blued parts though, so i am not putting my 586 in it.
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I use the sonic cleaner, then a tumbler to dry and polish. SS media, wet tumbling would achieve the same thing but would require a drying step.
I have all three systems, in fact four systems. I have the sonic cleaner, the stainless steel pins and tumbler, the tumbler with walnut shell media and the vibrator tumblers. They all work but hands down the easiest ones to use are the tumbler or vibrating ines with walnut or corn corb media. There is just less hasel.
The sonic cleaner requires a dring cycle of some sort and also different stages of cleaning if you want to do a super job. The stianless steel pin system does a great job but it is messy to clean up and save all the little pins and also requires a drying stage.
The walnut shells or corn corb media requires no drying but a little time cleaning out the flash holes in your brass but there are ways around that as well.
Just my two cents worth.
Graydog
The sonic cleaner requires a dring cycle of some sort and also different stages of cleaning if you want to do a super job. The stianless steel pin system does a great job but it is messy to clean up and save all the little pins and also requires a drying stage.
The walnut shells or corn corb media requires no drying but a little time cleaning out the flash holes in your brass but there are ways around that as well.
Just my two cents worth.
Graydog
I think it depends on how much brass you want to clean. Its the old quality vs quantity......
Vibratory does a fair amount of brass quickly and if you leave the primers in, when you decap the flash holes are cleaned or "unclogged" if you will. You have to constantly replace media, the ongoing cost is a downfall in my opinion.
Stainless Steel does a better job, inside and out of the case and primer pockets. Due to the drying time it takes longer and you have to typically do smaller batches. Expensive to start but then no ongoing cost.
The sonic cleaner i don't have any experience with, I can not imagine it doing a better job then the stainless pins tho, they work awesome.
I wish I had bought the stainless setup right of the start.
One more thing...... may I suggest the lyman 1200 auto flo model, i have one and separating media seems easier then the frankford method. if you happen to choose vibratory that is...
Here is what I am speaking of.....http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tumblers/1200-auto-flo-tumbler.php
Vibratory does a fair amount of brass quickly and if you leave the primers in, when you decap the flash holes are cleaned or "unclogged" if you will. You have to constantly replace media, the ongoing cost is a downfall in my opinion.
Stainless Steel does a better job, inside and out of the case and primer pockets. Due to the drying time it takes longer and you have to typically do smaller batches. Expensive to start but then no ongoing cost.
The sonic cleaner i don't have any experience with, I can not imagine it doing a better job then the stainless pins tho, they work awesome.
I wish I had bought the stainless setup right of the start.
One more thing...... may I suggest the lyman 1200 auto flo model, i have one and separating media seems easier then the frankford method. if you happen to choose vibratory that is...
Here is what I am speaking of.....http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/tumblers/1200-auto-flo-tumbler.php
I find a good way to dry brass, particularly straight walled pistol, is to "Shake & Bake" em with corn cob media. Brass is bone dry in a couple of minutes and the corn cob seems to stay dry too,, "I don't know why but it does".
I use a Frankfort tumbler with walnut shell with some Brasso metal polished mixed in and I get super results. To me cost was the main issue and it works great . If money is no object, the best results I have ever seen come from a wet unit running ss pins, but again you are spending the most for your results.
At AccurateShooter.com the bench rest shooters do not like vibrating case cleaners and abrasive media. These shooters do not like the idea of abrasive material getting in the bore of their expensive custom barrels. I like cleaning with STM tumbler and stainless steel pins and drying is not a problem when using "hot air" from a hair drier.
Feeding two AR15 rifles requires bulk cleaning and processing.
Rinse cycle
Feeding two AR15 rifles requires bulk cleaning and processing.
Rinse cycle
I started doing a 2 stage vibratory tumbler for my **STRAIGHT WALLED BRASS** (.45ACP and .357Mag).
First with some Lyman Tuffnut. Then some treated corn cob media from Frankford arsenal's tumbler kit with the polish it comes with. Cleans them well enough for my liking... If I was shooting rifle loads, I would be Stainless steel media and getting my brass spotless..
First with some Lyman Tuffnut. Then some treated corn cob media from Frankford arsenal's tumbler kit with the polish it comes with. Cleans them well enough for my liking... If I was shooting rifle loads, I would be Stainless steel media and getting my brass spotless..
