Coarse/fineness of walnut media in tumbler

GunsNotPuns

GunsNotPuns

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I'm just wondering if anyone has experimented different coarseness of walnut media in their tumblers.

I have Princess Auto 5 lb. tumbler which works fine and it comes with a few pounds of W12 crushed walnut media. When it comes to .223 it does a superlative job on the outside body of the cases, but it has the usual issue of jamming material up in the primer pocket, leading to less than complete cleaning there. Also, inside the case the media seems to have the tendency to fill it up and then not do much of anything.

In larger body cases, let's say .30-06, those issues aren't quite as pronounced but I notice the same things to a lesser degree.

Anyway, long way to ask the question: Has anyone tried the W24 media they sell and what are their results with the finer crushed walnut?
 
All I have ever used, rarely a problem.

zilla-zilla-bedding-ground-walnut-shell.jpg
 
Like the above I use lizard litter without the added scented powder.
Some big companies used crushed walnut (sand) blasting media bought in a 50lb bag.
My last lizard litter 18kg bag is working great in a small cement mixer, with 2kg of walnut doing 3000 9mm at a time. A little Meguiar's car polish every 6 months and it is still working after 3 years.
My cement mixer brass polisher. It goes on sale for $149.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/concrete-mixer-46-l-0603794p.html
 
Princess Auto also sells 50 lb bags like these. About $45. Squirt some polish or mineral spirits in and it's not so dusty. I use it for 223 and a bunch of other rifle cases and never get plugged flasholes.

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To remove 90% of the dust just drop it from one bucket to another in a 5mph wind and the dust is gone. Then cling free sheets will take care of the rest.
 
I use the coarse grind walnut for most cases except .223. I use the fine ground stuff for that as the coarse gets stuck in the case neck. I see no discernable difference in the effectiveness to clean the brass from one grind to the next.
 
I think it was Richard Lee that said it wasn't worth worrying about cleaning brass at all, let alone inside cases and primer pockets. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

But if you really want to get them shiny inside and out, then I think walnut media in a vibratory tumbler is the least effective available method.
 
I use fine oilfield walnut; no dust and it doesn't plug flash-holes.

As for cleaning the primer pockets and inside cases; walnut doesn't do much of anything. If you want that clean look into stainless steel pins.
 
alpining said:
I think it was Richard Lee that said it wasn't worth worrying about cleaning brass at all, let alone inside cases and primer pockets. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong...

But if you really want to get them shiny inside and out, then I think walnut media in a vibratory tumbler is the least effective available method.
Click to expand...

Maybe only because Lee didn't make a brass tumbler / cleaning system???
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