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Welcome everyone to the TFB Armorer’s Bench! As mentioned in the little blurb, this series will focus on a lot of home armorer and gunsmith activities. In this article sponsored by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal, I decided to take a closer look at the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite. Recently I have been preparing to work with a few of Frankford Arsenal’s products in order to reload some ammunition for one of my rifles. I have always wondered about and been interested in wet tumbling for cleaning fired brass and other uses. That being said, let’s dive right into it and see what wet tumbling has in store with the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite!
TFB Armorer’s Bench: Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite
Welcome to our recurring series of Armorer’s Bench which is made possible and brought to you by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal who are our sponsors. Here, we at TFB hope to inform, entertain, and even inspire any would-be gunsmith or armorer out there. Ideally, with the information I provide and with the help of our sponsors, you can have some useful knowledge pertaining to the conservation and improvement of firearms technology while at the same time sharing experiences and teaching each other new tips and tricks along the way in the comments. Digging deep into what it is to be an armorer or gunsmith has significance but what is important is what those people do to show they’ve earned that title. I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge and hope it is informative!
Make your personal safety a priority:
- Practice proper gun safety. Always make sure before the firearm hits your bench that it is unloaded and safe to be handled.
- Wear the proper safety equipment. The main one would be safety glasses (decent ones) since parts are often under spring tension and you may work with high RPM tools. Other honorable mentions would be latex gloves or a respirator when working with potentially harmful solvents and oils. Also hearing protection when working with loud machinery or test-firing firearms.
- Modifications, alterations, and customizations will void your firearm’s warranty 9.5 times out of 10. Please take that into consideration before attempting any at-home gunsmithing.
- If you are unsure about proper safety practices, disassembly procedures, or warranty standards, stop, put down the tools, and consult a competent gunsmith.
Brief Overview: Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite
The Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite is one of the newest tumblers that they catalog. It is one of two “wet tumblers” that they manufacture. It is marketed as the more benchtop of the two models in that it is a smaller, more simplified setup. It comes with the cylinder, cap, cylinder seal, and rotary base. The cylinder seal piece has a built-in window so you can view your progress as you go. The compact design allows for as many as 300 pieces of .223 Remington brass in its 3.3-liter capacity. I personally worked with 266 pieces of .30 Carbine brass and 5 pounds of magnetic stainless steel pins on my first run-through without any issues in terms of its operating capacity.
If you do not know what wet tumblers are, allow me to try my best to elaborate. Wet tumblers are usually cylindrical vessels filled with empty brass cartridges, water, and stainless steel pins that are rotated for certain amounts of time in order for the brass to be polished and cleaned. Wet tumbling is arguably superior to dry tumbling in that its media is reusable. However, there are many downsides that even things out a bit. All of which I plan to hash out in a follow-up article where I talk more in-depth about the use of the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite.
Stainless Steel Media Not Included
Specifications and Highlights: Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite
The Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite comes stock with the tumbling cylinder, a window cap with a removable seal, and the benchtop rotary mechanism. Included is a manual with detailed steps, precautions, and troubleshooting options. It should be mentioned that much of the manual focuses on Frankford Arsenal’s accompanying products rather than other optional ways if some supplies may not be available. This is understandable from a business standpoint but can be frustrating because in a way it adds a vagueness to the whole process. The current MSRP of the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite sits at $144.99.
- Smaller, more compact design that holds up to 300 cases of .223 brass
- Easy on/Off function
- Works great with stainless steel pins
- Easy twist cap with clear window to view tumbling and leak-proof cap design
- 3.3l capacity
- Standard 110 volt
The Frankford Arsenal® Rotary Case Tumbler Lite is the compact version of the Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler. This tumbler can hold up to 300 pieces of .223 brass. The Rotary Tumbler Lite is especially great for reloading specialty cartridges and lower volume. One of the best features is its maintenance free, direct drive electric motor. The leak proof cap is clear to allow you to check up on the tumbling action while keeping your reloading area clean and dry. Frankford Arsenal®’s proprietary Rotary Tumbler Lite delivers unmatched accuracy at the bench and in the field.
Closing Thoughts: Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler Lite
I have a lot of opinions to unpack in a future article that will hash out my experience with this product. Not a negative experience by any means, in fact, this product really impressed me but I ended up having to figure a lot of things out on my own. Beyond that little glimpse into the future, I think this is a valuable and more appealing tool for cleaning brass than a dry tumbler (even though they are a bit simpler). It is easy to use once you get the sequence of events and measurements down. It is a bit spendy but considering it probably will last a very long time, that appeals to me. I never felt like I was working with a cheap setup by any means. I am curious if anyone else out there has one of these or another and what their opinion of them is! I look forward to detailing my experience further in the future. Until next time, stay safe out there!
As always, thank you for reading TFB! Be safe out there, have fun while shooting, and we will see you next time for the TFB Armorer’s Bench brought to you by Wheeler, Tipton, Caldwell, and Frankford Arsenal! Also, let us know what you think in the comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
Caldwell Pro Range Glasses, Clear
The Caldwell® Pro Range Glasses feature a stylish wrap-around design and are a great choice for all shooters. They feature an adjustable nose piece and temples for all day comfort. The scratch resistant lens meets ANSI Z87.1 standards and offers 99.9% UV protection.
Frankford Arsenal® Rotary Case Tumbler Lite
The Frankford Arsenal® Rotary Case Tumbler Lite is the compact version of the Platinum Series Rotary Tumbler. This tumbler can hold up to 300 pieces of .223 brass. The Rotary Tumbler Lite is especially great for reloading specialty cartridges and lower volume. One of the best features is its maintenance free, direct drive electric motor. The leak proof cap is clear to allow you to check up on the tumbling action while keeping your reloading area clean and dry. Frankford Arsenal®’s proprietary Rotary Tumbler Lite delivers unmatched accuracy at the bench and in the field.
Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Wet/Dry Media Separator
The Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Wet/Dry Media Separator is perfect for separating the stainless steel pins from your brass after rotary tumbling.
Wheeler Universal Bench Block
Made of non-marring urethane, the Universal Pistol Bench Block is perfect for use on M1911 pistols as well as other firearms such as 10/22s.
STAINLESS STEEL TUMBLING MEDIA
The Magnetic Stainless Steel Tumbling Pins are designed to clean brass cases giving a “like new” look. Unlike other media like corn cob or walnut, stainless steel doesn’t create dust and also cleans the inside of cases, primer pockets, and flash holes. Stainless steel also doesn’t damage brass and lasts for multiple uses.
Tipton POWER SWABS – PISTOL CLEANING KIT, 500 COUNT
Tipton’s new Power Swabs are an essential part of your cleaning kit. They’re disposable, fast, and easy to use, plus they provide no-mess cleaning with all your favorite solvents and oils. They also fit lands and grooves better than a patch for maximum cleaning.
