Corn cob stuck in .223 cases?

[greg11]

Damn it, I totally did not think about the granule size of my media before I began tumbling today.

Now every piece of brass has corn cob lodged into it.

How the hell do I get all of it out? Is there a quick way? Or is it just plain old time consuming, going one by one?

 

[blaser.306]

Easy answer! SHOOT BIGGER GUNS! Aside from that it will either be one at a time or you may get lucky with a media separator and get it loose and out that way.

 

[Canuck223]

What size did you use? 1420 is what I have always used.

 

[Bearcat]

that is the very reason I deprime my brass AFTER I polish it , no media gets stuck in the flashholes !!

 

[rnbra-shooter]

Are your cases jam-packed full of corncob, or are there just a few granules plugging up the flash hole and/or the primer pocket?

For the latter, a decapping die in your press will clear it out just fine, immediately prior to your priming station (if you're using a progressive).

If your case is full:
1 - hopefully you didn't add any liquids (e.g. varsol) immediately prior to tumbling; this will make each granule swell a bit, and really jam things up tightly
2 - if it's just lightly jammed into the case, bumping them around will loosen it up. E.g. if you have a media separator, crank it around in there and it ought to eventually work free

It is important to make sure you don't have appreciable amounts of media left in your cases, they take up volume and will increase chamber pressures

If the media seems quite tight and can't be dislodged, try drying it out really (e.g. put the jam-packed brass over a heat register or on top of a radiator for several days). If you can get the corncob bone-dry, it'll shrink a bit and might loosen up enough to allow you success on your next try.

 

[Barry F]

I use a Lee case trim pilot to knock the little piece of media out of the flash hole. It takes about all of 3 or 4 minutes to do 100 pieces.

 

[paperslayer]

i just used to use a push pin back when i thought tumbling was a good idea

 

[greg11]

The tumbling media seems to range in size from .200 to .260 in diameter. It appears that some pieces of cob are just barely bigger than the case mouth. Flash holes aren't an issue because the cases haven't been deprimed yet.

The trouble really is that the pieces of corn cob are very light, which means I can't "Smack" them free since the pieces don't develop enough momentum to work themselves free.

Stupid me. This is totally a learning moment for me.

Luckily, we're only talking 80 pieces of brass.

I'll try to dry them out Dan, and if that doesn't work, I'll have to go fishing with a paper clip!!!

 

[Cleftwynd]

Try running a small punch in them to break up the cob bits, or even a decapping die.

 

[greg11]

Good idea.

 

[burnt_servo]

how would a can of compresed air work ( ie the ones used to clean computers ) .... assuming you don't have a air compressor ....

 

[greg11]

Another good idea.

Okay guys, enough. You're making me look stupid.

 

[Longshot]

I just put mine upside down in the case and poke any media out with a dentist tool or anything else sharpish.

 

[deadeyes40]

i also use a dentist tool to pick corn cob out of my 222 cases. you can also use a small twist drill to loosen up the corn cob.

 

[7mmlefty]

I just use the hand held flash hole deburring tool. It comes with a hole drill attached.. and pokes out any media.

 

[Silvertip13]

I may be a little anal when it comes to case prep, but I use compressed air from a rubber tipped blowgun to blow each case out after tumbling to make sure there is not any media or dust left in there.

 

[Whopperman]

wooden skewer sticks work well..

And then you can BBQ after..

 

[rnbra-shooter]

The tumbling media seems to range in size from .200 to .260 in diameter. It appears that some pieces of cob are just barely bigger than the case mouth. Flash holes aren't an issue because the cases haven't been deprimed yet.

Hmmm, that sounds like unusually large pieces.

Corncob comes in different sizes. The stuff used for cleaning brass has kernels perhaps a third or a quarter of the diameter of a small rifle primer pocket. If you're in Fredericton again, drop by to visit and I can give you a batch worth of corncob media,

 

[kasper.]

A ball point pen works like a damn too, haha.

 

[RVG_Don]

I use a Lee case trim pilot to knock the little piece of media out of the flash hole. It takes about all of 3 or 4 minutes to do 100 pieces.

X2 I just make it part of the process that every case goes through. I don't even look to see if the flash hole is plugged or not. I have found that doing it this way eliminates the possibility that I may have missed a blocked or partially blocked flash hole and any worry that may go along with that possibility.