Graf case tumbler

by John Robinson
Australian & New Zealand Handgun 2

At last count, I reload no less that five different cartridges for my target pistols on a fairly regular basis. For the many years that I have been target pistol shooting, I stock up with about 500 cases of whatever cartridge I have a pistol for, load them up with my target loads and work my way through the reloads until there are enough empties to justify having a loading session on the progressive press.

Because all the loads use cast bullets, most get fairly greasy and soiled quickly and running them through a case tumbler to clean them has become standard procedure. For many years, I have used a tumbler-type case cleaner, which rotates like a concrete mixer.

Vibratory tumblers have been around for a while and have largely replaced the older barrel types. I was recently given the opportunity to update and acquired a Graf tumbler through RK Projectiles, based in Launceston, Tasmania.

I found out about the Graf tumbler from Rodney Hall who owns RK Projectiles, while I was checking out some of the excellent cast bullets produced by his family operation in our southernmost state.

The greater capacity of the Graf Vibratory Tumbler appealed, as I often needed to put several hundred cases through the system. These tumblers retail for about $145, which also attracted me to the product.

The unit was shipped and on unpacking it, I found it had a US plug (still 240 Volt) and needed an adapter (Tandy Electronics, $12.95) to convert it to a standard Aussie three-point plug.

I had a tin of crushed walnut media, so I dumped it in the large purple bowl of the Graf along with 350 grimy .38 Special cases. The bowl of the Graf is 280mm in diameter and it easily accommodated the load of .38 cases. It has no on-off switch or timer, so it needs to be turned on and off at the plug.

I use dry media and do not add any cleaning chemicals, although this will speed up the case cleaning process. The first batch of cases were run for about four hours and produced a very satisfactory result, with all but the most oxidised examples coming up bright and shiny.

The main advantage of the Graf Vibratory Tumbler, compared to my barrel-type unit, was its low noise level. There was no clattering of cases as they are gently rolled through the vibrating media and not tumbled together.

The Graf unit has a clear plastic lid, secured by a large wing nut, although operating the Graf without the cover did not result in any spillage.

The Graf Vibratory Tumbler is very stable in operation. I left it on my loading bench through the period of operation and it did not move off its original position.

I put a second large batch (about 400) of 7.62 Nagant cartridges through the Graf. None of these cartridge cases had ever seen the inside of a case cleaner. Again, about four hours of operation restored them to near-new looking condition.

One rule to remember when using case tumblers of any type is to leave the spent primers in the cases. Empty primer pockets will frequently become clogged with cleaning media and will cause problems with reloading as a result.

For more information on the Graf Vibratory Tumbler, contact RK Projectiles, 29 Bonella St, Launceston, 7250. Ph/fax: (03) 6339 4248, or email [email protected]