Like most, I've used corncob/walnut for ages in a vibratory tumbler. Works ok, but loud and somewhat dusty. Doesn't do much for the insides or primer pockets.

When I started shooting BPCR, I went to ceramic media in a Thumbler's Tumbler, Model B with the slightly larger motor. Wet process, and uses a teaspoon of soap. Very impressive cleaning inside and out. Downside is fooling with the wet process and drying brass afterwards. Usually need to inspect primer pockets for wedged media. Can't use the ceramic media for bottleneck cases, but there does exist smaller beads for same.

Then the stainless pins appeared. I say appeared, but different media has existed in the industrial market for a long time. The pins are tiny and will clean inside and out just like the ceramic media - but will also work fine in bottleneck cases. It's still a wet process and I use a teaspoon of the recommended soap plus a sprinkle of Lemi-shine. One to two hours, depending on how particular you are about the insides will be a gracious plenty.

Biggest downside to the pins is WEIGHT. They are heavy, and after you add the pins and water to a Thumbler's you are limited to about 70 30-06 cases per batch. These little batches annoy me. Perhaps one day I will build a tumbler or buy a cement mixer.

Different places sell the pins - here's a good place to start reading and looking. Bought my pins from them. Initial entry costs are kinda high, but unlike corncob or walnut, this stuff likely will not wear out in our lifetime.

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Been reading about this. The downfall if there is one......as you say WEIGHT. A friend of mine is in the process of making his own tumbler using 8" PVC tubing. He will use a set of drive roller powered by an electric motor/pulley setup. The tubing will lay on the rollers.

Thank you John for your Post about Stainless steel pins as a Case cleaner, I have heard about this before on the (cast boolets) web site, John Taffin please excuse the way I spelled (Bullets). anyway I want to give this a try , my Question is how much of the Pin`s do I need? I like to clean a least a thousand .45Colt, .45Acp, .223. at a time. I have seen those small cement mixers made with plastic drums, look`s like they would hold a thousand or so case`s. form what I read, it look`s like 2 hours will clean the cases very well. I would sure be thankful for any advice on this subject.

Is it possible to use the "pins" dry?

I use a Thumler "B" and rarely tumble more than 100 straight-wall cases at a time.

Do the "pins" get lodged in the primer flash holes?

:)

First...not concerned with deep cleaning primer pockets. They just seem always to not cause any grief. I quit cleaning primer pockets years ago.

Next...not concerned about looks. Patina actually appealing to me.

I carry an empty bucket of some sort, folger coffee plastic can works well. I dump empties into bucket as I shoot...bucket has water with dawn dishwashing soap. Buckets gets agitatad and rinsed with clear water.
As you pointed out, drylng is a hassle. If lots of brass, use Paco method of pillowcase in washing machine.

After thourougly dry, vibrate clean with cheap corn cob PetSmart rabbit bedding.

I have often wondered about the steel pins. Where do get them? Would you continue using.

I bought the Kit from Brownells.
Model B highspeed tumbler with 5lbs of pins.
Corncob/walnut cleaned fine for me, not looking for new, just clean.
Then I got into F Class and expensive Brass(Lapua) and trying to load the best/most consistant ammo I can.
Doing my homework I decided I need to start annealing my brass. First for consistant neck tension. Second to extend the life of my brass.
So I started studing about annealing and the first thing I learned was carbon resist heat, so all the carbon must be removed from the case neck to get consistant annealing.

So now along with an annealing machine I bought the SS tumbling setup.
They work as advertised. I normally run about 200 case at a time, not sure about the weight.
When I have cleaned large amounts of brass for a friend I run them in batches using a Folgers plastic coffee can(1lb 13oz size) as my gauge.

I use a shot of Dawn DW liquid and 1/2 tsp of Lemon shine DW cleaner(powder) and hot water.
It is a little messy if not careful.
I take the finished tumbler to the kitchen sink, pick out the brass 2-3 at a time and give them a shake to get any pins out that are inside then drop them in a bucket of warm water. Never had a problem with the pins sticking in the flash hole.

Rinse a few times then pour them out on a towel on the bench under a ceiling fan.
Usually they are dry the next day.
Spotless inside and out including the primer pockets.

Without them, it just seems the contents would sit in the bottom while the container turned.

I know the standard package of pins is five pounds. I don't know how many would be required in a big tumbler (25lbs?) - but I agree with you, if I could tumble at least a thousand at a time I would be much happier using the pins.

Have never attempted to use them dry... but I do know they will not wedge in the cases. At least I have never seen them do that; however, the small fragments from broken ceramic media invariably end up wedged in the primer pockets - a decided advantage to the pins.

I like them, but I don't use them for most of my brass - just the precision stuff and occasionally on other cases when I need to anneal - bright clean brass anneals better. Otherwise, it is just easier to use treated corncob.

Several suppliers sell them, I bought mine from

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/

Barry, that sounds just about like my process, except I use the RCBS rotary separator to separate the pins from the brass. It does speed the process up. If your wife has a downdraft vent on her stovetop, it will speed the drying time considerably. LOL!

Which annealing machine? I bought a Bench-Source and have been quite happy. Though I would like to build a case feeder for it one day as it will put me to sleep running it for any length of time...

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. . . and I have no problem with the contents not tumbling properly, but I'm using crushed walnut hulls, dry.

I can see how a liquid slurry might be "slick" enough to just lay there and not actually tumble without some sort of paddles . . . particularly when you consider how relatively heavy the pins are.

Edited to add that John K. points out in the above thread that the Thumler drum is hexagonal instead of cylindrical, and this apparently is enough to insure tumbling without internal paddles.

I have the Bench Source also. All the reviews I've read it was the best.

No wife here..............
I can do whatever I want :^)