Bullet Polishing, Cleaning, Media, and Machines

                          

At a tool company called Harbor Freight you can buy a relativity inexpensive vibrating polisher for cleaning your brass. (No I am not getting anything for mentioning them) they also sell the polishing media. Photo left above 5 lb capacity $56 and photo right above 18 lb capacity $160 ouch. The smaller one most of us can afford at $56 and meet most of our needs  The goal is to remove fine range dirt and lengthen reloading dye life. Vibrating polishers were at one time very expensive and most of us just did without. For the most part in reloading you do not need one as long as you keep the outside of the brass dusted off so as not to damage your reloading dyes from range dirt. The old burned powder residue in the cases also proposes no problem for reloading and is just ignored. This residue is also no problem for long term storage of the reloaded ammo. In an emergency you do not need to do anything special other than making sure that the outside of the shell casing is clean and that there is nothing in the shell casing. After wiping off the outside push a gun brush in and out of the case a few times and shake it upside down.

 If there was ever a war and shell casings were reloaded many times then even a little range dirt would wear out loading dies in a few days to wakes  Where the shells are very dirty they need to be washed at the very least and made sure they are rinsed well. By filling a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full of brass and covering with hot water add a little electric dish washing detergent and snap on a water tight lid. Remove the wire handle and lay the bucket on its side. With two people setting across from each other using their feet push the bucket back and forth about 1/2 to 3/4 turn for five minutes. Strain off the water and add rinse water and push it back and forth for five minutes again. The brass is laid in the sun and in a few minutes it will be to hot to handle and very dry. On a cloudy or very cold day artificial heat would be needed before reloading heat to no more than 200 degrees.       

 Polishing media is generally of two types. One is compressed corn cob and the other is crushed wall nut shells  Bullet polishing media in a rock tumbling polisher should be stainless steel pins which would last indefinably but corn cob and wall nut shells work as well. But stainless steel pins will not work in a vibrating polisher.

  In a stress situation do not throw away used up polishing media. Tie the dirty media up loosely in a old pillow case and using a five gallon can and normal dish soap wash by hand and rinse several times and pour out on a window screen to dry.

   Emergency Polishing Compound-- buy auto rubbing compound and scrape out into a gallon can (#10) and fill 3/4 full of water stir in tell thoroughly mixed and let set over night pour off of the water and put the paste in a plastic container, add small amounts to the media as needed.
Note Nickle plated brass should be separated and polished for only a few minutes as it will wear out the nickel. Richard W Norman

 If they pass laws against guns then you will either make your supplies at home, salvage or do without. Below 1) Tactics Techniques and Concepts of Anti-armor Warfare historical training manual 2) KFM Fallout Radiation Meter Kit Instructions This is a home made fallout meter developed during the cold war. They knew the public could not get a meter in an emergence so this was designed so anyone could build one with stuff you had around the house.3) US Ammunition Price list from 1912. Not just a neat document but it includes bullet weights and black powder charges for many old cartridges.  To see military e-manuals and gun e-books click here www.firstpatriotpress.com. No waiting, get it now as an E-Book over 70 to chose from!