The RCBS case/media separator is a good and worthwhile tool for the hand
loader that processes a lot of cases. It quickly, reliably, and safely
separates media from straight wall cases and even from small-caliber
bottleneck cases. Cost is about $25 at shooting supply mail order
houses. Other commercially made separators are available, but generally they are
more expensive. For example, Dillon Precision makes another model that is
better built.
Lead dust and laziness prompted me to look for a better way of separating
my brass from my case cleaning media. Case cleaning media accumulates lead
dust over time, presumably from the residue of lead compounds in the
priming mix. My old method of dumping the cases in a tray of hardware cloth and
shaking it was a good way of getting this toxic dust into my body.
Laziness became a factor when I started cleaning hundreds of 45ACP cases
at a time. It took too much handling of individual cases to get all of the
walnut media out of them. Processing small caliber bottle-neck cases was
troublesome also because each case needed to be individually handled to
shake the media out of them.
With the RCBS case/media separator you just dump your tumbled cases and
media into a plastic basket that closes reliably with cleverly designed,
simple, locking tabs. Put the lid on, and crank the handle for about 30
seconds. Then let it sit for a while to let the dust settle. Open it up
and pour the media back in your tumbler. The cases are then completely
devoid of any media inside them. You can turn the crank in either
direction and the basket will remain reliably closed.
The only "defect" I see is that hinges are cast into the outside plastic
box that the basket rotates in. The hinges do not work very well, so I just
put the top half of the box down on the bottom half, push down on the top
half with my left hand and turn the crank with my right hand. This is no big
deal. Occasionally a bit of media will cling to the side of the box and
fall on the floor when I open the box, but the quantity is very small and
is no trouble to clean up.
I recommend this tool. I have used it often for several months. It makes
hand loading more enjoyable to me. The quality of the tool is typical of
RCBS products: it will last for many years, and probably decades.
Visit the RCBS Precisioneered® Reloading Equipment web site
by clicking on the name.
Call RCBS Customer Service at 1-800-533-5000 or
1-530-533-5191 Monday through Friday 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM PST.
605 Oro Damn Road
Oroville, CA 95965