View Full Version : Pulling bullets and bulk brass cleaning.
JohnnyEgo
01-19-2020, 22:05
Three related questions. My preferred provider of bulk 10mm recently changed their bullet profile, and it doesn't play well with my 1911 magazines. The bullet profile has very little ogive and a broad meplat, and binds on the curved sides of the 1911 mag something fierce. Will chamber, fire, and extract just fine if it gets to the chamber, but having to pull the magazine three times in a load of 10 is not something I'd care to do repeatedly. Got 2000 rounds of the stuff and can't return it. So considering options.
They are all in spec in terms of OAL, but all at the outer limit. One thought was to see if I could reseat them a little deeper with my press. This is not something I've ever tried before, and often those are the things that end up either really awesome or hand-trauma clinic poorly. So would welcome any thought on the subject.
Option 2 is to pull all the bullets and replace them with ones I know will feed. The advantage of this solution is that it costs me nothing, because I already have the components gathering dust on the shelf. The downside is the idea of pulling 2,000 rounds one at a time with a bullet hammer seems like epic tedium. But open to ideas there as well.
Third issue is that I have 10,000+ rounds of 10mm brass that I should probably clean before the next millineum. Was considering renting one of those small cement mixers from Home Depot and the like, and running them through with bulk media. Am also willing to outsource if there is a company that processes brass. Very open to suggestions on any or all of these.
Thanks!
Great-Kazoo
01-19-2020, 22:40
I'd check to see what the difference is in OAL between old and new rounds. Safest way is to pull the bullet. I wouldn't run my brass in anything that has something abrasive like concrete in it. You can buy a plastic tub mixer for around $300. Or a HF unit for less
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200660229_200660229
https://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-quarter-cubic-ft-compact-cement-mixer-91907.html?cid=paid_bing|*PLA+-+All+Products+-+Higher+Sales+Items|New+Products+-+%286%29+Price+%24100-150|91907&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&mkwid=477PnV6N|pcrid||pkw||pmt|be|pdv|c|slid||prod uct|91907|pgrid||ptaid||&pgrid=1166582131267835&ptaid=pla-4576510995832982&pcid=368003290&msclkid=80336019941c15881a423e3cbaf82cda
As for brass processing pm Hoser. If he's not available here's a place to get an idea of cost for it. Looks like $250 for 10K not incl s&h.
https://blueridgebrass.com/brass-processing/
OR in between your work and home projects here's plan b
https://www.dillonprecision.com/cp-2000-case-processing-machine_8_8_26778.html
Options:
A. Buy a couple of different brand magazines to see if they feed better.
B. Hammer type pullers SUCK...Hornady press mounted, cam operated puller is the way to go for bulk pulling.
C. Rounds probably have a taper crimp...just pushing the bullet further in a few thousands is probably not an option, bur I would try a couple first.
D. Get yourself a wet tumbling setup and process your 10,000 in batches of 500?
If you want to sell any of it I could use some 10mm either brass or ammo.
Might be easier.
Deprime your brass first! I've been using a cement mixer for years, but I recently bought a Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler kit and that's one brass cleanin' sumbitch! Supposed to handle 1000 .223 cases, so it might handle that many 10mm's. I get best results with the drum 1/2 full though. Using Lemishine crystals and Armor All wash 'n wax. You'll need a media separator too. Good stuff to have if you're a reloader.
JohnnyEgo
01-19-2020, 23:29
I'd spring for the HF version on an experimental basis, if nothing else. Got any thoughts on proportioning? The HF mixer states it holds 1.25 cubic feet, and mixes about half that. A five gallon bucket is about .67 cubic feet, and I have three of them. So I am thinking half a bucket of brass (.33 cubic feet) to about 25 pounds of fine walnut shells (another .33 cubic feet). Looks like I could do the experiment for about $200 bucks all in. I don't really have any qualms with the Blue Ridge pricing, but I bet shipping would be a deal-killer.
I realize I may have to grit my teeth and pull the bullets. The alternative may just be to accept that I now have a lifetime supply of 10mm dedicated to the Glock. My biggest gripe is that I loved the old profile Privi, and I haven't found anything with my preferred profile at the bulk price-point I'd want to pay.
Considering I just bought an $1,800 bandsaw, might be a bit before I can spring for that Dillon case prepper.
JohnnyEgo
01-19-2020, 23:48
Lot of posts between mine and Jim's. Appreciate the thoughts! Not terribly interested in selling the brass at this time. I shoot a lot of 10mm, and I like having it on hand in the theory that I am going to pull the cover off my Dillon some time between now and when I retire. If the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler can get 1000 cases at a time, that might be a viable alternative over 10 days. How loud is it? Could you leave it running for 3 hours at night in the garage and not piss off your neighbors or spouse?
Great-Kazoo
01-19-2020, 23:50
I'd spring for the HF version on an experimental basis, if nothing else. Got any thoughts on proportioning? The HF mixer states it holds 1.25 cubic feet, and mixes about half that. A five gallon bucket is about .67 cubic feet, and I have three of them. So I am thinking half a bucket of brass (.33 cubic feet) to about 25 pounds of fine walnut shells (another .33 cubic feet). Looks like I could do the experiment for about $200 bucks all in. I don't really have any qualms with the Blue Ridge pricing, but I bet shipping would be a deal-killer.
I realize I may have to grit my teeth and pull the bullets. The alternative may just be to accept that I now have a lifetime supply of 10mm dedicated to the Glock. My biggest gripe is that I loved the old profile Privi, and I haven't found anything with my preferred profile at the bulk price-point I'd want to pay.
Considering I just bought an $1,800 bandsaw, might be a bit before I can spring for that Dillon case prepper.
I'm not a fan of walnut shells. Here's an option.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/ALC-50-lbs-Corn-Cob-Blasting-Abrasive-4012510/206941121
or
https://www.zoro.com/zoro-select-blast-media-corn-cob-14-to-20-grit-crn2-40/i/G1695775/
As far as the brass, I?d say wet tumbling is definitely the way to go. I have the same kit mentioned above that is supposed to do 1K pieces of 223 so I figured it should handle around 1500 pieces or maybe even 2,000 pieces of handgun brass at a time. I think my kit was on sale for about $100 or $125 so cheaper than the cement mixer if you don?t mind running several smaller batches.
If the Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler can get 1000 cases at a time, that might be a viable alternative over 10 days. How loud is it? Could you leave it running for 3 hours at night in the garage and not piss off your neighbors or spouse?
Quieter than my vibratory tumblers...It has a timer built in...I run mine in the basement. You really only need 1.5 - 2 hours per batch depending on how dirty the brass is.
jreifsch80
01-20-2020, 12:23
I have a cement mixer at my eaton warehouse that is perfectly clean with no cement residue let me know if you want to use it
Great-Kazoo
01-20-2020, 20:19
I have a cement mixer at my eaton warehouse that is perfectly clean with no cement residue let me know if you want to use it
Problem meet solution.
Any updates/details on this? What media did you use, how long did it take? Results?
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