Case Cleaning with Dillon's Vibratory Cleaner & Media Separator (CV-2001 and CM-2000) in BULK!

[@josephjulian2503]

You don’t need a Dillon tumbler for all that brass. You need a small Harbor Freight cement mixer. Use wet or dry. Done in no time!

[@nocturnalspecialties642]

Thats what we used for 50bmg years ago

[@nocturnalspecialties642]

Thats what we used for 50bmg years ago

[@A-a-ron480]

That really works? Now I must see.

[@michaelmilen9032]

Harbor Fright didn't sponsor this video. 😂

[@nocturnalspecialties642]

@@A-a-ron480 yep. It uses a bunch of media tho

[@cmichaelallen1138]

I've been using a Dillon CV-500 for the past 30 years and their media separator. Great products, still going strong.

[@shadowcastre]

I gave up on dry media tumbling a long time ago.... Rotary wet tumbling is far superior.... faster, cleaner, and way less hassle over all.

[@raymondpierce957]

I totally agree.

[@phlydude]

I run a used dryer anti-static sheet in there with the brass. Absorbs some of the crud and allows you to keep the media a little longer. I also run my brass longer and it comes out shiny. I don't do huge volumes and I don't want to use cookie sheets to oven or sun dry my brass after I clean it so this method works for me in the garage for a day or so (and its ready to process as soon as it comes out or can be put into storage for use later on).

[@copperandbrass]

The mess I would not want in my shop! I’ve been using my wet tumbler for years now and would never go back. So much cleaner, so much faster and a better than new finish! Cleaning around 10.000 cases each year to make keychains from them.

[@pevelyhomeowner327]

I add the polish to the media and tumble until well incorporated into media. That’s often the recommended instructions. Once I had a 45 acp brass with a ball of lube/media in it. 😱 That could have been a bad day if not detected. Great videos and content. 🙏

[@fordvg]

Had the smaller vibrational Tumbler for 21 years before the motor died. Then tried a cheaper HF tumbler that would only last 6 months before it died. At the time the 2000 model was only 30 dollars more so I bought it and I have had it for 12 years now. I use Brasso and rubbing alcohol mixed for over 30 plus years now with walnut and I let it run overnight and my brass comes out clean and looking like brand new brass. The 2000 model is great for cleaning 250 pieces of 338LM brass at a time.

[@DocJustinT]

As a few other folks mentioned, for that much brass you should look into a cement mixer. That's what Jerry Miculek uses and I think he knows a thing or two. 😁

[@Llandari]

Had the equvivalent from Frankford Arsenal, but gave it to my local gun club (they wanted one for their members to use) since I wasn't happy with the results. Been wet tumbling ever since, which makes the brass look brand new.

[@SigmaBallistics]

sparkling clean brass is over rated. rice only 90% of the time for me. it it needs a clean up, then it goes in treated corncob with flitz for a while

[@badbutton5869]

Nah, I used to have to clean my dies after about 1500-2000 rounds annually, since wet tumbling, about 10k rounds and they are still fine. Also, primers seat a whole lot better with them getting cleaned with wet tumbling and ss pins. (Deprimed prior to cleaning) Sparking clean brass may be over rated, but the over all results is not.

[@renehernandez9207]

Nothing like wet tumbling….

[@ericsalazar2337]

All great words of wisdom, to each their own and for certain circumstances god bless you all and keep sharing knowledge

[@bradbarley6639]

Use the smaller two... Never had any kind of issues, but I find that when I use corn cob media that already has the polish integrated with it, it seems to do a more even job... Just remember when the media starts to really get dark, it's time to change it.

[@Greenjeans2020]

I have the large Dillon tumbler and case separator. A few years ago I started wet tumbling. Night and day difference. I now only use dry tumbling to remove the case lube.

[@chrisgunsandguitars1403]

I have both the large and small Dillion vibratory case cleaners and have always used corn cob media because it’s cheaper. I’ve found 1.5 hrs is about minimum, and 2hrs gives you really shiny brass (if that’s what you want). Your brass was clean, but not shiny. It was adequate and that’s fine. I use a plugin wall outlet timer (Amazon) so I can do other things and not have to remember to turn it off. Dillon media polish works just fine. I put on a pair of Mickey Mouse ears when rotating the media separator because I find it too noisy for me. I have a wet tumbler and quite frankly I’ve never used it. Many sing praises of wet tumbling, but it seems like a pain to me. I have it because it came included with an all or nothing buy out of a reloader that passed away. It was a very good deal. For the amount of brass you have to clean, you may want to modify a 50gal drum into a polisher!

[@RimfireAddicted70]

I've used that tumbler and sifter for longer than I can remember. They will last forever. You're going to want to get a box of dryer sheets from the dollar store and add one to each load to control static and keep dust down. I've used them and NuShine over the years for better results vs the Dillion polish. You can also try adding 15-20% rice Nishiki brand to the mix. It's pretty amazing what it does on carbon.

[@A-a-ron480]

Thank you I will try that.

[@larryblair4765]

I've been reading alot about using rice as media. I've read that you don't necessarily want the brass to shine like wet tumbled, you want it to have some carbon in the necks for a lubricant in bullet seating pressure? Any info you have on that would be appreciated.

[@RimfireAddicted70]

@@larryblair4765 That topic has been discussed and some channels with AMP bullet seater have done measurement videos showing force results with different methods. It comes down to how important is neck tension to you, how many steps are you willing to do in your reloading process. In the end if the number of steps doesn't matter to you personally then yes wet tumbling will strip more carbon from the brass vs rice and you can just lube the necks before sizing as a separate step. If it doesn't matter and you just factory like new clean brass each time, wet tumbling is the way to go. I find pistil pistol brass has no benefit from wet tumbling so into the dillion it goes with some media and rice. Rifle cases i wet tumble but I also replace some of the pins with ceramic media. Pins last a lot longer and tumbling time is cut by maybe 20-25%. Just keep the media larger than the case mouth so nothing gets stuck.

[@larryblair4765]

@@RimfireAddicted70 I think I will definitely try the rice, I have no way to actually see if it changes seating force, but find it very interesting. I should be able to see right away if it makes for more consistent/ accurate ammo. And that will be my whole agenda is just working out as many variables as possible. I am not a competitor or anything, I just like to try to make accurate ammo and shoot my rifles . Thank you for the reply and insight into how you go about the process. Have a great night.

[@A-a-ron480]

@larryblair4765 I also try to make my ammo more accurate than what I can do. I like doing batch testing to see if what I have done makes a difference. If it didn't make it worse, I usually keep doing it.

[@moushunter]

I'm using a large Lyman tumbler, a small Lyman tumbler, and 2 Midway tumblers. Depends on how much I plan on cleaning. I use lizard litter which I get at the pet store...they often have good deals on the pet store web sites offering buy 2 get 1 free and free shipping. I use my tumblers 2-3 times a week. I think I use a 30lb bag of walnut a year in 3 tumblers. I recommend you treat the media with a couple cap fulls of NuFinish polish and a half cup of odor free mineral spirits and let it run a while with no brass in the tumbler. The polish can get inside the cases and turn the media into a cement if you do it the way you did in the video. A tumbler full of media lasts for quite a while. I keep a small jar of new media on the shelf so I can compare grit size to judge the wear. I use the small Lyman tumbler with treated corn cob to polish loaded ammo. Treat the corn cob with NuFinish car polish. Wet tumblers are fine if you have water and a drain where you reload. I don't. My large Lyman tumbler holds 1100 223 cases, 1500 9mm cases. Running a tumbler for just a small handful of cases is ineffective. The more brass (to a limit) the better and faster they clean. The weight of the brass presses the walnut against the cases cleaning faster.

[@frankw7266]

I've got the CV-2001, and it's a beast... probably more than most people need. I do occasionally process large quantities, so it's nice to have, but it does feel weird just tossing 50 or 100 brass into that cavernous bowl.

[@matthewbender]

Tumbler I have is a Dillion cv 2001 I bought at an auction it's almost to big for the amount of brass I usually have to clean but the capacity has come in handy a few times

[@jhnstuhlmiller]

Gavin, you prefer dry tumbling? That surprises me because that brass still looks terrible after being run. a bit of dawn and a cement mixer and water those cases would shine like new. my process is to clean with no media, dawn. Then decapp, rollsize then clean with media and dawn. looks new everything is clean and no gunk in machinery

[@jeffprewitt7207]

Son and I use SS pins and brass comes out looking just like new. Of course, I understand you have a much larger quantity and may not wish to have brass squeaky clean, but the pins do clean up primer pockets as well as inside cases. Used shake process for years until we discovered the pins.

[@garysnyder6020]

Wet tumble with pins is the only way to go (my opinion). For that quantity see Harbor freight cement mixer. Jerry Misheck method.

[@Jason-tk6ff]

without pins for the first intial clean of range brass, then with pins onces its been decappedand prepped is how I do it

[@JamesAsh-ve7bi]

I’m still using an original Dillon “Magnum FL-2000” my father purchased around 40 years ago. It’s still going strong and I will certainly replace or augment it with the CV-2001 should I need another. I typically use corncob media with Flitz brass case cleaning fluid and get great results.

[@Ramdodge582]

yup, not sure the model but it's been around for over 20 years now. got it with the 550

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

Yes. Good. Prefer multiple stages cleaning then polishing lustrous. Pill bottles with molybdenum, steel ball bearings, and copper jacket bullets go in there too.

[@rosseckstein4183]

I have the smaller unit. Love it! But I want to get the big one in the future.

[@michaeldunn150]

No, I have and use FA dry and wet tumblers.... and separator bucket kit...

[@11C1P]

I guess they aren't a sponsor but you should really try Mighty Armory dies. I've been very impressed with the dies I've tried so far.

[@gregrburnett3400]

Wish I had a 5 gallon bucket of that brass.

[@JacksonMalcolm]

As others have said, cement mixer would be ideal.

[@chrismclean2989]

Couldn’t believe how large it was when I replaced my old Lyman cleaner… these ar3 massive by comparison 😁

[@Yoda052]

For 20 years, I used a Dillon vibratory case cleaner along with their media and rapid polish. Dillon changed their media (but claimed they didn’t) to where it suddenly always got stuck in the primer flash hole. So I switched to wet tumbling. No comparison, wet tumbling is much, much better. I still used the vibratory tumbling to remove the lube from freshly sized rifle cartridges.

[@waynebrown2546]

I have moved to Rice and Flitz metal polish. I have yet to do range brass, but just cleaning my own brass only takes a half hour and with rice there is ZERO dust

[@SigmaBallistics]

switch to rice only, you'll be glad you did

[@larryblair4765]

​@@SigmaBallisticsI would love some more info on switching to rice. I have heard the gentleman at Primalrights talk about just using rice and was hoping to find some more info and maybe understand more of the benefits. My understanding is that it leaves some carbon in the neck area that acts like natural lube for bullet seating pressure/resistance? Any info would be appreciated.

[@hardball107]

I used vibratory tumblers for 40 years, was OK but could never get that carbon out of the primer pockets and the brass looked so so, especially when the media needed changing and they are not giving that stuff away for free. The dust and changing media if you were shooting any substantial amount like when I was shooting IPSC or National Match was a total PITA but to each his own. Vibratory tumblers are great if your only doing a couple hundred cases a month or less, I started wet tumbling 6 years ago and wouldn't do it any other way now unless I was doing a small batch, the brass comes out looking better than new and no carbon anywhere. There are a lot of misconceptions about wet tumbling and I am now doing a video on the process and just how easy it can be in the same amount of time as dry.

[@calculusentropy]

Like your enthusiasm. I’ve been using a 750 since 2007. 1) always wear a respirator and sift outdoors. Lead styphnate from primers gets airborne with that stupid uncovered sifter. 2) go 75-80% corncob. Polishes way faster and better. The walnut cleans but burnishes not polishes. 3) maybe dilute the case polish or NuFinish wax with mineral spirits. 4) add cut up used dryer sheets when media gets really grotty.

[@philgarcia2097]

Affordable is the key

[@trevorkolmatycki4042]

Case tumbling media is nothing more than blasting media re packaged and marked up. You can get walnut and corn cob media from blast media suppliers in various size grades for a fraction of the price… in 50lb bags. Readily available. Just sayin… Where do you think Lyman and Hornady get their media from? Hint: it’s not from the corn field out back.

[@Freefallpilot65]

Harbor Freight. Less than 1/2 the cost. You still have to empty every 223 case of nutshell by hand.

[@A-a-ron480]

How do you stop the dust, i love dry tumbling, but HATE the dust from it.

[@guyminer3168]

Can move the whole process outdoors, that helps I've found.

[@A-a-ron480]

It's too cold some times -20 for a while.

[@andywulff4272]

I am very surprised you did not decap first the primer pocket should also have been cleaned,

[@chrismuncey3861]

What do you think of dry media vs tumbling with stainless pins?. From what i've seen the pins leave a much cleaner and polished finish.

[@colin8601]

Yes, wet tumbling will always leave a cleaner finish inside and out. Dry is just good for an initial cleaning generally, or if you dont care

[@SigmaBallistics]

unless your cases are heavily tarnished, rotary tumbling for 1-3 hours with neshiki medium grain rice is all you need

[@ZhuJo99]

I do wet tumbling without pins. Stopped using them as they are hard to remove and reduce capacity. I have two self made wet tumblers with capacity of about 1000 9 mm cases each. After wet tumbling, drying and reloading I toss them into wall nut media dry tumbler (whole rounds) for polishing and separate on that big Dillon separator, which works great too to remove water after wet tumbling. I dry tumble whole rounds progressively as I reload on Dillon XL650, after about each 500 rounds. It works really fast as I have all feeders on that dillon so in time I do 500 pieces (half an hour) I have nicely polished 500 rounds I reloaded before.

[@SigmaBallistics]

@@ZhuJo99 ditch the dusty dry media, switch to medium grain neshiki brand rice instead

[@ZhuJo99]

@@SigmaBallistics I just use it for final polishing of reloaded rounds. Don't know what neshiki rice is, in my country and supermarkets here we have plenty of types of rice (arborio, jasmine, long grain, round grain etc) but no neshiki. But it really doesn't matter I guess.

[@707Sportschuetze]

I use a LEM wet Tumbler mit stainless Steel pins.

[@tonyrebo9862]

I would wet tumble that much brass in a modified cement mixer...hard rubber to cover bowl interior and paddles. Sun and wind would dry 'em or in one of your ovens!

[@stihl888]

Epic project mate!

[@davidnuttall-y7l]

Hornady Sonic Cleaner & One Shot with Lemi-Shine . 3 - 30 min. cycles and out they come nice and clean. oh and very very quiet with no dust. No. 1 problem is volume at one time :)

[@Sqwan2]

yeah, and eventhough the results are good, they are not as good as in a wet tumbler

[@davidnuttall-y7l]

@@Sqwan2 true but so far my bullets have not complained and they are easier to get ready for powder after just air drying.

[@wildcat_reloading]

Why just 1 tumbler?

[@chrishappysofar2090]

A harbor freight cement mixer is the best tool for cleaning brass. Dawn, lemmy shine, SS pins and aqua, 2 hours makes easy process of lots of brass.

[@lenzadlberger]

Too much Dust for me i quit on dry Tumbling 3 Years ago and never looked back, Cheap Chinese 1 Gallon (5Liter) Rotary Tumbler from Amazon / Steel Pins, Hot Water, a bit of Dishsoap and 1 Teespoon Citric Acid, 30 Minutes Later run them to a Media Seperator and you have 300 223 Cases Look like new, then put the wet Cases for 30 Minutes in a Food Dehydrator and they are dry. In the same Time your next Batch is ready ... so in the Time you did around 500Cases in the Walnut i do 900 Cases 223 in a Wet Tumbler and they are as Clean as it gets including Primerpockets cause i decap before Tumbling

[@vdsgw52]

Gave up on dry media long ago. To much dust and dull sheen. With that much brass, like the other 2 comments Harbor Freight plastic cement mixer, water, Dawn, Lemi Shine or Vinegar. Lay in sun on a towel allow to dry and now its new and shiny. I always decap before cleaning.

[@Win52D]

Nice video though with the quantity you have wet tumbling makes more sense. Use a new Harbor Freight Cement mixer ($269) with steel pins and solution would be a more cost and time effective solution. Before cleaning run your brass thru the auto loader with a Lee universal depriming die. That way even the primer pockets get cleaned.

[@Alan.livingston]

The whole series is just an infomercial for Dillon and that other mob, so I imagine he’d use a bucket of water and a stick if they had a Dillon sticker on them.

[@larryblair4765]

​@Alan.livingston that is a fact! Just like all the fancy presses and powder dispensers ..... must be nice.

[@Alan.livingston]

@@larryblair4765 haha. Indeed. In his defence though, I’m sure he’s put in the leg work to bring the sponsors in so I probably shouldn’t be so jaded about it all.

[@larryblair4765]

@@Alan.livingston I get that for sure, and he is definitely a talented guy,but they all show this fancy equipment and push having to have it, and I will never have that ability. So some jealousy! Lol

[@chethaynes5802]

Thank you

[@Sqwan2]

No, these were very bad results. Put it in an Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler for an hour with some dish soap and a bit of citrus acid and you will habe realy good results.

[@lastinline000]

Nice, expensive. I use a 3 gallon bucket and a plastic colander. Also use raw short grain rice for media and liquid auto polish in my vibrating cleaner. The set up is cheap and effective

[@jwsystems]

I do both wet and dry, can't beat dry for volume of brass and ease. PLEASE wear respiratory protection when dry tumbling a n95 or higher, all the lead from primers and bullets will become aerosolized in the media. Lead is cationic - positive charge, human skin is anionic, negative charged so lead is naturally attracted to human skin, and lungs. So you are a walking dryer lint trap for lead dust. Lead settles in your bones and destroys your nervous system, the treatment is pretty rough, side effects are awful. Please wash your hands, wear a proper fitting respirator and tumble outside. Sorry to be a safety Sally, but I had a fellow shooter suffer from lead poisoning, he was a reloader and shooter, it was terrible to watch him suffer the effects of treatment.

[@davidbeck305]

People like what they like. That being said I have found wet tumbling to be way quicker and with far better results. Not to mention I could not imagine picking media out of 40,000 223 cases. 😂

[@FullSendPrecision]

For that amount of brass; you need a concrete mixer.

[@DF-DefendFREEDOM]

It is not the smartest to give away your dry tumbling from Dillon or Franklin, as after resizing the best solution to clean the goup off the cases is to dry tumble with squirts of Isopropyl Alcohol to slightly moisturize the media (Well Vented) to quickly clean lanolin off cases. Then wet tumbling can be more effective with Lemi Shine and Dawn soap along with distilled water. The results can be new shine to your cases.

[@Philip223RD]

Great video. You need to try the IOSSO case polish. IMO it is better than the Dillon polish.

[@jaretmoskal5558]

I pity the intern who has to do the rest

[@mtnshooter2487]

Your far from done. Got to get media out of the flash holes. I use a thumbler's tumbler, 150-200 223 cases. 2-3 capes of paint thinner ( 6.5 guys) Go for quality not quantity. ( granted , small operation).

[@johnhermsen6456]

I take copper brass cleaner first 2 ours cleaning them 15 minuts in clean walnut media. But always first at copper brass cleaner in only walnut media which some big bolts and rotat it just them at the brass

[@kuronyan3006Ackley]

😃😄😀✌️👍‼️

[@HowManyLegsItHas]

Someone got a haircut.

[@la8bloomer509]

Cleaner polish. Every thing else is far more expensive for cheaper products that provide the same results.

[@boltactoinbarney]

Should have just got a cement mixer🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@kennygates1756]

Only wet tumbling for me. How about a can cleaning video?

[@ShawnShannon-r8r]

No ! ...If you are going to media tumble, use walnut media only. The media will scrub the soot onto it. Never add polish to the media on the the first cycle, or the polish will transfer the soot back onto the cases (note how dirty the so-called "clean" cases were). After only a few cycles. The walnut media will be so dirty that you have to either toss it out and replace it...or detergent wash it, rinse it, dry it and sift it to separate any remaining dust/dirt using a window screen for a filter. Only after the walnut media only is used, add polish to a corn cob media to polish. But...eventually, that media gets dirty and you are back to replacing it or going through the lengthy process of cleaning the media. WANT A SIMPLER METHOD? Buy a wet tumbler and stainless steel pins. Fill the tumbler with brass and a pound of pins and warm water. Add 2 teaspoons of Dawn and 2 tablespoons of Lemi-shine. Run it for three 90 minute cycles (replacing the filthy liquid with clean warm water, detergent, Lemi-shine). After the final cycle, the brass will look new. If you own a "media" separately, use it to separate the brass from the pins by filling the basin with water, loading the clean brass and pins into the basket. And spinning the basket in the water to remove the pins. Once dry, if you choose to polish the like-new looking brass, media-tumble it in clean, corn cob media/polish at that point.