School me on Ultrasonic vs Tumbler for brass and baffle cleaning

[calebp]

Hey Guys,

Getting a reloading setup going as I have two cans in jail and will be able to shoot significantly more once my stamps come back and was wondering what the better option would be for cleaning dirty brass and suppressor baffles. Waiting on a Spectre 2 with stainless baffles and a Tirant 9 where I believe only the blast baffle is stainless and the rest are aluminum. Unsure, but I don't believe the aluminum baffles are US safe. Also intend to do a reasonably large amount of brass cleaning. Have about 1k deprimed 9mm brass that need to be run through something before being reloaded. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!
Caleb

 

[blazedawg87]

Everything i have read and even contacted Silencerco, Aluminum baffels are NOT ultrasonic safe. I believe stainless is US safe and Dip safe. I have a sparrow in jail right now that is all stainless and it will be taking rides in my US cleaner. Ive been looking into getting a tumbler to clean my warlock baffels because 1( its a pain in the ass and 2( im lazy.

 

[kuduman]

I can't help you with the baffles, but US is the way to go for making precision rifle loads. It also does a great job on BCGs and so forth.

But only 1K 9mm to clean? That's not very much. You can certainly use a US for that, though the drying bit is irritating. Here's the problem: if you don't decap the brass first, you'll have a long wait for the brass to dry. Or you'll have to run it in the oven. Since you've only got 1K to do, that's probably not an issue.

Obviously, you don't want to decap the brass first-- it massively increases your labor, assuming you have a progressive press. Honestly-- get a vibratory if you have a progressive press, and are going to do more than a couple thousand cases a year. You can make do with the US, but if you're doing volume, well-- my little Midway vibratory will do 400-500 9mms in an hour. And they're ready for the press-- and shiny, and it took about two minutes of labor to load and unload the tumbler. Far more efficient than a US-- heating water, loading it, rinsing, drying, etc.

If you buy one of the tiny Hornady USs, it'll take forever to do your brass. Get a larger unit, and think hard about buying one of the "tattoo" grade units you see on the internet. Couple of hundred bucks, but much bigger and much stronger than the cheap units. You'll find you're using it a lot when you have it.

 

[kuduman]

Why would the aluminum baffles not be US safe? Micro-cracks or something?

A proper US will blow holes in Aluminum foil, but shouldn't do that to solid chunks...

Don't ever put anything painted or coated in there though-- if there are any defects in the coating, it'll start chipping away at it. Ate half the plating off a pair of eyeglasses that way... Doh! The lenses were quite clean though.

I'd love to hear an explanation about the baffles. Perhaps it's because the makers realize that most folks don't know how to set up a US, and will let the baffles vibrate against the walls or basket, thus damaging them?

 

[biker_bill]

Well I can't help with respect to the cans either, but I have both on my bench and they have 2 different jobs.

Everything goes in the tumbler first to get shined up.
Only rifle brass makes it way into the US after being resized and deprimed to remove the resizing lubricant.
The US does a good job of cleaning the primer pockets and the inside of the brass.

The US is used for a lot of things, barrels, bolts, pretty much anything that's metal and needs to be cleaned. I've even had small Harley parts in it. It's pretty useful, but a tumbler seems to me to be a must have and the US is just nice to have.

 

[calebp]

Thanks guys! Anybody tumble baffles clean? If so, aluminum and stainless or just stainless?

 

[Laxguy59]

Tumbling is way better

 

[calebp]

Tumbling is way better

Word. Steel pin or corn cob? Both aluminum and steel safe? Corn cob sure is a hell of alot cheaper.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

Tumbling is way better

Agreed. Ultra sonic does a great job of removing carbon, but does nothing for carbonized lead, nor does it get brass anywhere near as clean and shiney as tumbling.

As far as cleaning baffles, the only baffles I clean are my rimfire baffles, and those get the dip. I use my ultrasonic for cleaning gun parts more than anything.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

Word. Steel pin or corn cob? Both aluminum and steel safe? Corn cob sure is a hell of alot cheaper.

Corn cob will do nothing to baffles, works great on brass.