Wet Tumbling Brass: A Practical Guide for Shooters

You have a pile of dirty range brass and need it clean enough for consistent reloading, but you want to know if wet tumbling is worth the time and gear it takes. This page tells you exactly how wet tumbling works, what you need to start, and when to choose it over other cleaning methods.

Who Wet Tumbling Is For, and When to Skip It

If you fire consistently and reload in batches of 50 to 300 cases, wet tumbling is the most thorough method you can use. It cleans the case neck, the body, the flash hole, and the primer pocket in one pass. It helps to understand rifle brass cleaning liquid before going further.

Skip it if you only clean a few cases a month. The setup and time are best spent when you have a full drum load.

Signs you need the deep clean

• Visible carbon rings inside the case body after firing
• Dull or oxidized exterior that dry media won’t brighten
• Brass that will be resized or necked down multiple times

For a quick once-a-year clean of a handful of cases, a ultrasonic bath or a dish of Lemishine in hot water is faster.

What Makes Wet Tumbling Different From Dry and Ultrasonic Methods

Dry tumbling with corn cob or walnut media knocks off loose debris but leaves carbon and oxidation embedded in the case. It is fast and quiet, but the result is a matte, dusty finish that you will have to hand-polish if you want shine.

Ultrasonic cleaning uses sound waves in a liquid to dislodge dirt. It is excellent for getting into the primer pocket and case head, but it does not polish the exterior. You will still need a separate step to bring the outside to a clean finish.

Wet tumbling combines the interior clean and the exterior polish in one drum. The stainless pins physically scrub every surface while the chemical solution breaks down carbon. The result is a mirror-like finish without any follow-up buffing. Before you buy anything, it is worth looking at dry tumbler vs ultrasonic for cleaning rifle brass.

Method	Exterior	Interior	Time
Dry (corn cob)	Matte, dull	Poor	4-8 hours
Ultrasonic	Poor	Excellent	15-20 min
Wet tumbling	Mirror-like	Excellent	1-2 hours

The Gear You Need to Start Wet Tumbling

You need four things: a tumbler, stainless pins, a chemical solution, and a media separator.

The tumbler

A rotary drum is the standard. The Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series is a common choice for its 7-liter capacity and maintenance-free drive. Smaller vibratory models like the Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ use dry media, so do not confuse the two. For wet tumbling, you want a drum that holds water and pins.

The media

Stainless steel pins, about 1 inch long and 3/32 to 1/8 inch in diameter, are the standard. A common ratio is 1 pound of pins per 100 to 150 cases of .223 brass. Check your tumbler’s manual for the exact fill rate.

The solution

A few drops of dish soap and a pinch of citric acid powder like Lemishine in hot water is the basic recipe. It breaks down carbon and prevents water spots on the brass.

The media separator

This is the one accessory that is not optional if you want to save your sanity. It separates the pins from the brass using water and centrifugal force in about two minutes.

Step-by-Step: How to Wet Tumble Brass

1. Deprime first. Use a universal decapping die or a depriming tool. This lets the solution and pins reach the primer pocket directly and prevents dirty water from being trapped inside the case.
2. Load the drum. Fill it two-thirds to three-quarters full with brass. Add your measured stainless pins. Do not overfill.
3. Add the solution. Pour in hot water until it just covers the brass and media. Add a few squirts of dish soap and a small pinch of citric acid powder. Stir to mix.
4. Run the tumbler. Set the timer for 1 to 2 hours for typical range brass. For very dirty brass, extend to 3 hours. Check your tumbler’s manual for its maximum runtime.
5. Separate and rinse. Dump the contents into the media separator. Run water through it and rotate to wash away the dirty solution. The clean brass collects in the separator basket.
6. Dry completely. Spread the brass on a towel, use a drying rack, or run it in a food dehydrator on low heat for an hour. Do not store or resize wet brass; it will rust.

Once dry, inspect a few cases. Look inside the primer pocket and at the case neck for any remaining carbon. If you see a thin dark ring, the clean was short. Add 30 more minutes on the next run. We cover using nosler load data in a guide of its own.

Common Mistakes That Ruin a Wet Tumble

Not depriming. If the primer stays in, the solution cannot clean the pocket. You will see a dark ring inside the case head after you dry and resize.

Overfilling the drum. More brass does not mean faster. It means less water circulation and a dull, uneven finish. Stick to two-thirds full.

Using cold water. Hot water cuts grease and loosens carbon. Tap water straight from the spigot will make the process slower and less effective.

Skipping the dry step. Even a few drops of water left on the brass will cause water spots and rust within a few days. A food dehydrator on the lowest setting for an hour is a reliable fix.

Mixing media types. Do not add ceramic pellets or dry media to a wet tumbler. They will scratch the brass and contaminate the water. For the detail, see our notes on frankford tumbling media specs.

The bottom line

Frequently asked questions