For many competitive shooters and serious handloaders, the chore of cleaning spent brass is a necessary but often cumbersome step in ammunition preparation. RCBS has addressed this with an updated Vibratory Case Polisher, aiming to significantly shorten the process, particularly the often-messy post-tumbling separation.
Building upon its original vibratory polisher introduced in 2017, this second-generation unit retains the familiar green bowl atop a black base. However, the crucial improvements lie in the components reloaders interact with directly, specifically targeting the common frustrations of dry tumbling.
Anyone who has spent time at the reloading bench knows that while the tumbling itself is straightforward, the real challenge often begins when it’s time to separate the clean brass from the spent media. Issues such as corncob lodged in flash holes and escaping dust are common pain points. RCBS has tackled these head-on with two significant design changes: a new quick-detach bowl and an upgraded sifting lid. The quick-detach bowl allows for easy removal from the base for emptying, directly reducing spillage and handling mess. The upgraded lid features a built-in sifter, which RCBS reports separates media faster than previous iterations.
Joel Hodgdon, director of marketing for RCBS, emphasized these improvements, stating that the "Quick-Detach bowl and upgraded sifting lid take the mess out of media separation," alongside an improved motor designed to handle substantial batches without performance degradation.
This improved motor powers a 1-gallon tank rated for 11 pounds of media and brass. Translated into case counts, this equates to approximately 1,000 9mm Luger cases, 650 .40 S&W, 450 .223 Remington, or 250 .30-06 Springfield per load. For high-volume pistol competitors who manage their own brass supply, the 9mm capacity can cover several local matches in a single run. Precision rifle shooters, while typically processing fewer cases per caliber due to larger cartridge size, will still find 450 .223 Remington cases a robust batch size for consistent, clean brass, benefiting those in disciplines such as High Power or high-volume practice.
RCBS offers cleaning media separately and recommends pairing the polisher with its proprietary media to achieve brass bright enough for direct loading. The updated Vibratory Case Polisher is now shipping in two versions: a 120-volt model (No. 87062) with an MSRP of $172.99, and a 240-volt model (No. 87066) priced at $192.99 MSRP. Both units include a limited warranty from RCBS.
While brass cleaning may never become a reloader's favorite task, these updates from RCBS aim to make it a significantly shorter and cleaner component of the handloading process.
