[Dom]

I just tumbled my first load of brass in my CV500. I used corn cob media from the pet store (40lbs = $20.00). The brass is very clean after 2hrs of tumbling.

My question is in regards to polishing the brass. Right now my brass is very clean but also very dull / chalky looking. I am ok with it's appearance as long as it does not hurt performance / reliability. Do polishing agents serv any purpose other than making the brass look pretty? Can I load my brass in the condition stated above?

Dom

 

[drs305]

The chalky look is probably from the corn cob dust. Some reloaders use pieces of paper towel or clothes dryer anit-static sheets to trap some of that dust and residue. The dust will diminish over time. With walnut, some add a bit of baby oil, mineral spirits, etc to help cut down the dust.

Polishing agents also help reduce the dust, make the cases a little more slippery which reduces the stress on the dies a little, and may keep the brass from losing its luster quite as quickly. I use NuFinish car polish instead of the more costly products made specifically for reloaders.

 

[BerKim]

I think the polish is just for show, but it does feel slicker too, so who knows.

There's 2 'grits' of corn cob, course and fine (at least where I go). The course is better for cleaning, the fine better for polishing.

If you got it as 'cat litter' it's probably the finer, it you bought it as
bedding' it's probably course.

You have to see both to compare.

Editted>
I should have added:

2Hrs seems like a lot. If yuo have the course, and the media is clean, 45 minutes should do it.

I do 45m course (although I use Walnut shells), then 1hr fine with polish - factory new looking

 

[hipowr]

I tumbled my brass for years with plain ole corn cob. It does look a little duller but works exactly the same. I have since tried some Lyman polish and it does shine the brass a little bit more, and makes it a tiny bit easier to find at the range sometimes. My main concern though is that the brass be clean. Shiny isn't a big deal.

later,
AJ

 

[Dom]

Thanks for the feedback. I may try the car polish but the dull look wont kill me.

Dom

 

[Sheldon]

If you add a little polish to the media it will cut down on the dust that forms from the breakdown of the media and the crud it wipes off the cases. The polish might help to protect the brass from corrosion if it is stored long term as well versus no polish at all.

 

[El Viejo]

Although I have carbide dies for my pistol calibers, I find that using a little bit of Dillon's spray lube makes them load a lot faster in my 550b.

The downside is that the lube dulls the brass a little.

Today, I tried a tip I read about on this forum, and tumbled loaded rounds in walnut media, (bought at the pet store also) with a couple of capfulls of NuFinish in it. After about 20 minutes, the rounds came out shining brightly. I plan to polish all of my loads this way in the future.

Ps. they were also slippery and were easier to extract from the case gage, 99% of them just fell out when I turned the gage over.

 

[SiG Lady]

Dry and Simple...

--35 to 40 minutes in walnut media (lizard litter from Petco)
--35 to 40 minutes in a combo of corn-cob bedding (coarse) media and ultra-fine corn-cob polishing media.

...Walnut removes the thick stuff; coarse corn-cob removes the rest of the 'stuff'; the fine grit corn-cob does the polishing. Casings come out remarkably smooth and slippery... but dry. No solvents involved, no slimy polishing residue, no lingering chemicals of any kind. No problem reloading; no failures thru the gun.

Works for me.

 

[DOGGORLOADER]

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62391

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