Wanted to ask if the plastic three color brass sorting trays that I see on line work? I ask because I pick up any brass left behind and currently sort by hand...I see they also now make a 9mm/380 sorting tray and would also ask for feedback as to if this also works....Thanks Mark

https://www.shellsorter.com/

They do actually work pretty well for me.I have the basic 3 color and don't have a 9/380.

Thanks Mark - I was just watching some videos where folks have attached their 5 gallon bucket to a brass vibratory cleaner base to allow the person to not have to manually shake..I also saw where a guy cut about 2” off of the tops off of two buckets and mounted these 2” circles to his colored trays to allow more space between each tray thus allowing him to sort more at a time......Mark

My buddies hand shake then starting with the big (obviously). Sure cuts down the handling.

Haven't heard of vibrating them.

I have been using the sorters for years. Just the 3 basic and they work very well. What they will not do is sort the 9mm brass from the 223 brass if you have rifle and pistol mixed. They both end up on the bottom tray. Other than that well worth the money for the time savings.

Thanks guys for taking time to provide feedback.....I will get me a set on order tonight as my Christmas gift from my wife.....Merry Christmas...Mark

Pretty neat. Didn’t know anything like that existed.

Now if they could only have one that sorted out .45 ACP small/large primer, that would be the best

Yeah they work well. Just do a couple three handfuls at a time. I have the .380 plate but don’t bother with it much; I’ve started sorting 9mm for internal stepped brass and crimped primers so it’s easy to cull the .380/Mak then.

Here’s my quick overview with tips etc


https://youtu.be/khkkWUmHDsI

I sort through about 700 - 1000 pieces of brass each week. The sorters save a ton of time for me and I do use the metal .380 plate to stop those buggers from creeping into my 9mm.

If you have the standard 3 stack type. You can drill a hole in the middle of all 3 and bolt it onto a vibatory brass tumbler. Makes for quick work sorting them.

We use those for our action pistol group. They work well until they're overfilled, then the cracks get plugged up.

Real problem is they don't sort out the rubber chunks from the backstop that get swept up.

Guys - Quick update - In the past two days I have successfully sorted 25 gallons of brass that I have picked up from various local ranges over the past three to four years and I did it all thru my sorting trays....

I watched several videos on you tube where folks had taken their vibrating brass cleaners and modified them to create a semi-auto vibrating sorter and man did it work like a charm...I started with a Frankfort Arsenal vibrating cleaner and I used 3 gallon plastic buckets to create my primary bucket that is attached to the machine as well as the spacers between each sort tray to allow more aggressive brass movement...I also cut the bottom out of a 3 gallon bucket and used that bucket for my 380 brass sorting tray since it is an aluminum stand alone tray that can be used with the standard sorting trays or as a stand alone unit....

The best modification was adding an extra small weight to the weight that is attached to the motor shaft to allow the machine to generate even more vibration. The final thing I did was enlarged the base plate so the unit would not turn over...

These sorting trays (including the 380 aluminum tray) are worth their cost....I am ready now to go back out and start picking up brass again....Mark

That’s awesome. I too spent last week sorting all of my brass. I don’t think I hit 25 gallons but it took my quite a few hours. I did it all by hand though with the trays. Do you have any pics or video of your setup?

I do not right now but will get a few photos and possibly some video in the morning and post...I was given about 15 gallons by a local guy that had picked up all types of brass for many years and got out of reloading.....I gave him 1000 rds of 22LR ammo as a swap for the brass..


Pictures and/or videos in the morning.....Mark

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sigarmsp226,

Sorry 1KPerDay (not N-Frame) - Here is my simple redneck set up - that works great....

Started with a $45.00 Frankfort Arsenal Vibrating tumbler I purchased at Academy Sports...Because a 5 gallon bucket bottom is slightly larger than a 3 gallon I went with the 3 gallon because it fits perfectly inside the FA bowl....I used the provided threaded rod and wing nut to attach my bucket to the bowl...You can also see I took a scrap piece of aluminum and made a larger base for the unit so it would not tip in use...I also added a small weight to the already installed weight on the machine (video on you tube shows how to do this) and now this set up can support and vibrate all trays and spacers without any issues or problems...

I stack the entire three tray and two spacer set up on the base bucket and turn on the machine...Five to ten seconds later I start dumping brass and will usually dump 5-6 handfuls - slowly one hand full at a time to allow the sorting process to work as designed with each cycle before removing the trays and dumping the sorted brass...During this process I never turn off the machine nor do I turn it off when I get the black tray out and throw on the 380 bucket and tray....I only turn the machine off after about 5-6 complete cycles to get the 380 brass, trash, 22 hulls, etc out of the bottom of the primary bucket.....






I stack the trays in their respective order and place the cut off top from a 3 gallon bucket between each tray to allow for more space between each tray...These cut off bucket tops are NOT attached to the trays...They are just inserted as I stack the trays on the base bucket.... The pictures show the yellow sorting tray alongside one of the two bucket tops I cut to create the spacers I use between the top tray and the second tray, and between the second tray and the third tray...






This picture is not great but if you look close you will see - from the top down the following set up - yellow tray - bucket top - blue tray - bucket top - black tray - primary bucket that is attached to the vibrating bowl....



Then I cut the bottom out of one 3 gallon bucket to use with my 380 sorting plate that I use after the brass has been sorted down to the “black” tray (380/9mm/223) and when using the 380 tray the set up only has the 380 bucket and tray on the machine... Everything that the black tray caught before now gets slowing dumped into this set up...As I pour in the brass the 22’s and trash go thru as well as the 380’s and the 9mm stay on the top side of the aluminum tray....





This last photo shows the 380 bucket sitting on the primary bucket with the 380 sorting tray installed and the black tray sitting on top of it (just for a reference point to show I only use the 380 aluminum sort bucket and tray with whatever has remained in my black sorting tray).....

N-Frame

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sigarmsp226,

Awesome. Thank you for taking the time!