possible tumbler media

[landlord]

I have been thinking on different medias, rice, rock salt, table salt, sand, or baking soda. I've been leaning towards trying both salts or sand. What do you all think?

[me26245]

I'd stay away from Salts unless you plan on washing your cases after tumbling.
Salt residue will draw moisture and that in turn will increase the chances of corrosion.
Sand might be OK, but it's heavy and I don't know how well the usual vibratory tumbler would handle it, now a rotary tumbler should work fine with sand I would think.
I use fine corncob media that I buy in 40# bags when I need it. Last time I bought it I purchased 80 lbs. so I'm good right now.

[landlord]

Never though of moister. Corn cob, is that like for pellet stoves?

[me26245]

I believe your thinking of whole corn that's what can be used in heating stoves.

Corn Cob Media is where the cob by-product of Corn production is ground into small pieces.
You can find Corn Cob media in different sizes, I want to say that what I use is ground to .020, it's small enough that it will pass through the flash hole in most boxer primed cases.

[Misssissippi Dave]

20/40 corncob is a very good media to use for brass. It is what I prefer. It also polishes nicely. Using an abrasive that is used on steel can't be good for the chamber of any gun. How do you plan to ensure the sand residue is removed prior to reloading or shooting? I prefer to keep things simple when possible.

I bought a 40 pound bag of 20/40 corncob at Grainger a while back while I was there to pick up some things for work. I'm now down to only about 20 pounds or so left. Okay, its been a few years since I bought the corncob. The cost at that time was $25 so over the course of time the cost isn't much. I have cleaned many thousands of case during this time.

Trying to find an alternative might be fine. Using something that has worked well for a very long time is pretty much a sure bet in my opinion.

[rebs]

I prefer lizzard bedding from Petsmart. It is finely ground english walnut, never plugged a flash hole and does a great job. For a high luster you can add some case polish to it.

[buck460XVR]

Sand is the reason most of us clean our brass.....to get rid of it. Sand will score/scratch dies and brass. Rice would be a better alternative, but commercial corn cob and crushed walnut is still cheaper.

[landlord]

No sand or salt, check. Can corn cob be found at local feed mill? Lizard bedding, walnut is good. Rice might be a try just seen 25# for like $10.

[higgite]

Another vote for crushed walnut from Pet Smart or Petco similar store.

[DennRN]

One question...
Why?
There is a reason reloaders use traditional tumbling media. You want something, low cost, disposable or reusable, not too abrasive, inert/non-corrosive, easy separate from your brass.

If you value your barrel and dies/reloading equipment, I'd stay away from sand and especially salt.

As reloaders, we tumble to REMOVE abrasive materials like dirt and sand... I have have big misgivings about adding it as a part of your reloading process.

Salt is just asking for trouble. Have you considered that just natural salts transferred from your hand is enough to rust your gun, how could it be a good idea to add rock salt to the equation. Corrosion is drastically amplified by pressure and heat so even a trace amount of salt left behind from a good rinse could still eat your barrel up in short order. Not to mention it's hard to avoid transference from say your tumbler to your scale, press, dies, pretty much everything has some sort of ferrous material in it that could be harmed.

I hope you don't take this as me being harsh, I just want to make sure you don't make a mistake trying to save some money and end up wrecking good equipment and potentially hurting yourself. In my humble opinion this would be a perfect example of being penny-wise and pound foolish.

-Dennis

[landlord]

That is why I ask before I do. Thank you

[DennRN]

In contemplating the rest of your possible media choices I overlooked rice. I'd have to say rice is also a no-go. By using it to tumble you would be creating rice dust/flour, which is flammable and can be explosive in the right air/fuel mixture. This effect has been the cause of many flour mill fires/explosions. please look it up on google if you doubt me.

I'd have to say that having any in your handloaded ammo would at the least add an extra variable to making your ammo consistently accurate.

[DennRN]

That is why I ask before I do. Thank you

I respect that and think that many could learn from your example.
+1 kudo