Tumbling black powder brass with smokeless brass.

chasep255 · February 3, 2018, 08:45 PM

My usual procedure for dealing with black powder brass is to de-prime it and then shake it in a jug of hot water. Rinse a few times and then bring in inside and soak it in some more hot water in the sink. After this I throw the wet brass into my tumbler for more cleaning / drying. I have been using the same corn husk media for the last few months, and I use it for both my smokeless and black powder brass. What kind of worries me about this would be contaminating my smokeless guns with black powder fowling via my smokeless brass. I am kind of hoping that rinsing the BP brass in water would remove the corrosive salts, and prevent it from getting in my tumbling media. After rinsing my brass it no longer smells like sulfur which I take as a sign that the water removed the fowling. Does anyone else use the same tumbling media for both black and smokeless brass? Any issues with what I am doing?

Oliver Sudden · February 3, 2018, 09:05 PM

You're good with just what you're doing. The water is cutting the salts as you figured and the tumbling cleans the carbon. I've done much the same for over forty years and with no issues.

Hawg · February 3, 2018, 09:38 PM

I usually drop the fired brass in a jug of Windex right after firing. From there it goes straight into the tumbler. I use both corn cob and walnut shells and I use them both for bp and smokeless.

Old Stony · February 4, 2018, 04:28 AM

Shooting bp cartridge matches years ago, I always kept a bottle of plain old water next to me and would just drop them in after firing. When I got home, I'd give the bottle a small dose of dish soap and shake it up, after which I'd drop them in a tumbler. Never did see any problems with the tumbler media.

noelf2 · February 4, 2018, 09:47 AM

I don't bother with immediate immersion. I just soak shake them in water when I get home, and tumble them when they're dry. My black powder brass stays a little tarnished, and that doesn't bother me.

zipspyder · February 4, 2018, 09:58 AM

Other than washing black powder brass do any of you find it useful to wash your smokeless brass before tumbling them? I normally don't.

Hawg · February 4, 2018, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Other than washing black powder brass do any of you find it useful to wash your smokeless brass before tumbling them? I normally don't.

Never have, there's no reason to.

February 3, 2018, 08:45 PM	#1
chasep255 Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2009 Location: NJ Posts: 727	Tumbling black powder brass with smokeless brass. My usual procedure for dealing with black powder brass is to de-prime it and then shake it in a jug of hot water. Rinse a few times and then bring in inside and soak it in some more hot water in the sink. After this I throw the wet brass into my tumbler for more cleaning / drying. I have been using the same corn husk media for the last few months, and I use it for both my smokeless and black powder brass. What kind of worries me about this would be contaminating my smokeless guns with black powder fowling via my smokeless brass. I am kind of hoping that rinsing the BP brass in water would remove the corrosive salts, and prevent it from getting in my tumbling media. After rinsing my brass it no longer smells like sulfur which I take as a sign that the water removed the fowling. Does anyone else use the same tumbling media for both black and smokeless brass? Any issues with what I am doing?

February 4, 2018, 09:47 AM	#5
noelf2 Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: Stuart, VA Posts: 2,473	I don't bother with immediate immersion. I just soak shake them in water when I get home, and tumble them when they're dry. My black powder brass stays a little tarnished, and that doesn't bother me. __________________ Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

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February 3, 2018, 09:05 PM	#2
Oliver Sudden Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 272	You're good with just what you're doing. The water is cutting the salts as you figured and the tumbling cleans the carbon. I've done much the same for over forty years and with no issues.

February 3, 2018, 09:38 PM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I usually drop the fired brass in a jug of Windex right after firing. From there it goes straight into the tumbler. I use both corn cob and walnut shells and I use them both for bp and smokeless.

February 4, 2018, 04:28 AM	#4
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	Shooting bp cartridge matches years ago, I always kept a bottle of plain old water next to me and would just drop them in after firing. When I got home, I'd give the bottle a small dose of dish soap and shake it up, after which I'd drop them in a tumbler. Never did see any problems with the tumbler media.

February 4, 2018, 09:58 AM	#6
zipspyder Junior member Join Date: June 13, 2017 Posts: 429	Other than washing black powder brass do any of you find it useful to wash your smokeless brass before tumbling them? I normally don't.