Sand as tumbling media

[dunsho]

won't sand make a better tumbling media compared to corn or walnut cause it's harder therefor a better scrubbing action?

[dc dalton]

won't sand make a better tumbling media compared to corn or walnut cause it's harder therefor a better scrubbing action?

Just my opinion but it is too fine (not aggressive enough) and it holds moisture something fierce. We just threw out a lot of super fine corncob because it wouldn't take off the carbon blowback on revolver ammo.

[richbug]

You would ruin your dies and guns in no time flat were you to use sand. Silica will imbed in your brass, every case would act as a piece of sand paper. You would be scratching your dies and chamber every time you ran a case in and out.

The goal of tumbling brass is to clean it. What part of adding sand to the tumbler is cleaning?

[max384]

You would ruin your dies and guns in no time flat were you to use sand. Silica will imbed in your brass, every case would act as a piece of sand paper. You would be scratching your dies and chamber every time you ran a case in and out.

The goal of tumbling brass is to clean it. What part of adding sand to the tumbler is cleaning?

^^^This^^^

I use a mix of white rice and corncob media and a capful of polishing agent and my brass comes out great.

[FUNDAMENTALS]

I have been using "Rice" for over 30 years. Buy a bag of Hard Grain, 5lb
bag. Try it and you will use nothing else. Just be sure to tumble your brass
before depriming the shell cases. A grain of rice can become lodged in the
flash hole. The hard grain rice I have been using has gone from white in
color to gray in color in the past year, no big deal, still cleans the brass to
where it still looks like new. Try it, you will like it.

[dunsho]

I been using walnut and it gets dusty, I'll give rice a try.

[palabman]

I have been using "Rice" for over 30 years. Buy a bag of Hard Grain, 5lb
bag. Try it and you will use nothing else. Just be sure to tumble your brass
before depriming the shell cases. A grain of rice can become lodged in the
flash hole. The hard grain rice I have been using has gone from white in
color to gray in color in the past year, no big deal, still cleans the brass to
where it still looks like new. Try it, you will like it.

Do you use a non ammonia brass polish with the rice?

[rawiron1]

I guess you don't have kids. You buy silica and quartz free playbox sand that has been filtered and baked so kids won't get sick when they put in mouths or throw it at each other. Silica is a lung irritant and quartz can hold radio active gas (radon).

That's why you buy children's playbox sand that is "silica free".

http://www.eichild.com//moreinfo.cfm...roduct_ID=6316

http://www.woodwardsace.com/safe_play_sand.htm

And I don't care what type of media you use you should wipe your brass off after it is tumbled. I don't want to put any dust or dirt in my guns or dies with the exception of my decapping die but even then I wipe the cases off and brush them out before decapping. I like to tumble with the primers out. And in the 20 years that I have been reloading I have yet to wear any dies out. No need to tumble 50 times during the reloading process. Wipe off, brush out, lube if necessary, decap, then tumble. All my loaded rounds have the primers sealed and are wiped down with a silicone rag which keeps the brass from tarnishing.

Jason

[dunsho]

I'll give it a try once i get a hold of some sand.

didn't see richbug's post. i guess i won't be giving it a try.

[Grumpa72]

I am sure that the folks who have been reloading forever have tried every product out there. Why re-invent the wheel? Corn cob and walnut work very well and are "just abrasive enough". Your goal is to gently clean them, not sand blast them.

It is a bit funny that you asked for advice; two folks give advice against trying it and then you say "I'll give it a try". Not trying to be overly critical but why bother asking in the first place?