Nobody gets into handloading for the brass cleaning. Now, RCBS has updated its Vibratory Case Polisher to make this chore a good deal shorter, with much of the time savings arriving after the motor shuts off.
RCBS first brought a vibratory polisher to market in 2017, when Shooting Sports USA previewed the original. This second generation keeps a familiar green bowl on a black base, but the parts reloaders actually handle have been reworked.
Anyone who has dry-tumbled brass knows the tumbling is the easy part. Separating is where it gets messy, from spent corncob lodged in flash holes to the dust that never quite stays in the bowl. RCBS went after that step from two directions. A new quick-detach bowl lifts off the base for emptying, and the lid has been upgraded with a built-in sifter. RCBS put a sifting lid on the 2017 model too, but mentioned that this one separates media faster.
“The Quick-Detach bowl and upgraded sifting lid take the mess out of media separation, and the improved motor chews through big batches without slowing down,” said Joel Hodgdon, director of marketing for RCBS.
That motor has a lot to move. RCBS rates the 1-gallon tank for 11 pounds and translates that into case counts per load: about 1,000 9 mm Luger cases, 650 .40 S&W, 450 .223 Remington or 250 .30-06 Springfield. For pistol competition shooters who police their own brass, that 9 mm figure covers several local matches in a single run. Rifle shooters get less headroom, since longer cases fill the tank quickly, but 450 .223 Rem. cases remains a solid batch size for any High Power competitor.
Cleaning media is sold separately, and RCBS recommends pairing the polisher with its own media to get brass bright enough to go straight to the press.
Two versions are shipping now: a 120-volt model (No. 87062) at $172.99 MSRP and a 240-volt model (No. 87066) at $192.99. Each carries a limited warranty from RCBS.
None of this will make brass cleaning anyone’s favorite part of handloading, but it should make it a shorter one.
For more information, visit rcbs.com.
