Reloading question

[93marshooter]

I have gotten a brass tumbler. Do you size and de-prime before or after tumbling brass?

[J Miller]

I have gotten a brass tumbler. Do you size and de-prime before or after tumbling brass?

Sometimes I size and decap before I tumble.
And sometimes I just toss the fired cases in the tumbler.
Then size and decap later.
Then again sometimes I tumble them first, size and decap them, then tumble them again to remove all traces of case lube.

Just all depends.

Joe

[Chuck 100 yd]

Like Joe said, It depends. Time is another thing, If I don`t have a lot of time and want to get the process started I sometimes will tumble first but usually I size and clean primer pockets first.

Hornady makes a very good simple primer pocket cleaning tool.
I prefer it to all the other brands I have tried.

Also, I expand/flair the mouth after I tumble the brass. I think it comes out better. Just me I guess??

[Ben_Rumson]

Tumbling media winds up in the stuck in the flash hole often enough that I have to check every case anyway even if they're not deprimed...It's easier to remove media if they're deprimed before tumbling. Also during the inspection you can look for foreign objects (gravel, 22 cases etc.) or clumped media.

[HEAD0001]

I run my brass through a Sinclair de-priming die. Then I tumble the brass. Then I size the brass and then tumble again. Tom.

[pokey]

Tumbling media winds up in the stuck in the flash hole often enough that I have to check every case anyway even if they're not deprimed...It's easier to remove media if they're deprimed before tumbling. Also during the inspection you can look for foreign objects (gravel, 22 cases etc.) or clumped media.

same here, universal deprime no size before tumbling.
grit and grime are hard on dies.

[Old Time Hunter]

Deprime first, then soak in a vinegar/soap and salt brine twenty minutes, dry 'em overnight...then tumble them.

[M. M. Wright]

What Old Time Hunter said. But then I use mostly ffg. Suspect he does too.

[damienph]

Tumbling media winds up in the stuck in the flash hole often enough that I have to check every case anyway even if they're not deprimed...It's easier to remove media if they're deprimed before tumbling. Also during the inspection you can look for foreign objects (gravel, 22 cases etc.) or clumped media.

same here, universal deprime no size before tumbling.
grit and grime are hard on dies.

Here too, Lee universal deprime then tumble. I don't tumble a second time after sizing.

[AJMD429]

Tumbling media winds up in the stuck in the flash hole often enough that I have to check every case anyway even if they're not deprimed.

Wouldn't de-priming them pretty much clear any media from the flash hole...?

[jlchucker]

I have gotten a brass tumbler. Do you size and de-prime before or after tumbling brass?

Sometimes I size and decap before I tumble.
And sometimes I just toss the fired cases in the tumbler.
Then size and decap later.
Then again sometimes I tumble them first, size and decap them, then tumble them again to remove all traces of case lube.

Just all depends.

Joe

I do like Joe does. All depends on how crummy the fired cases look before I start. I always use a primer pocket cleaning tool before putting in new primers, too.

[Old Savage]

I tumble first to avoid any possibility of a piece of media in the flash hole.

[Stan in SC]

I do not like getting small pieces of tumbling media out of flash holes so I tumble before I do anything else.

Stan in SC

[Griff]

Smokeless rounds get tumbled, then deprimed & sized.

Black powder rounds get deprimed w/universal decapper, rinsed, dried, then tumbled and sized.

NOTHING but clean brass goes thru my sizing dies!

[stretch]

Deprime, tumble, size, load.

OR

Tumble, size, load.

Like Griff, I only let CLEAN brass go through the
dies.

-Stretch

[fordwannabe]

As usual I agree with Griff always tumble first cause I only want clean cases in my dies. I have had to replace sizing dies that were scratching the cases BADLY, before I took to this policy.

[COSteve]

Tumbling media winds up in the stuck in the flash hole often enough that I have to check every case anyway even if they're not deprimed...It's easier to remove media if they're deprimed before tumbling. Also during the inspection you can look for foreign objects (gravel, 22 cases etc.) or clumped media.

I tumble first, then deprime and resize, then tumble again to remove the case lube. The media won't hurt the depriming pin when you're knocking out the primer so that's not an issue, however, tumbling off the case lube after resizing tends to leave a piece of media stuck in the flash hole. The simple way to deal with it on a progressive press is to add a universal depriming die in station 1 of your toolhead so the flash hole is cleared immediately before you prime, add powder, bullet and seat. Your depriming/resizing die from your set is on your case prep toolhead so you have an empty station 1 anyway so it's a cheap $10 insurance step.

[Ben_Rumson]

AJMD429 said:

Wouldn't de-priming them pretty much clear any media from the flash hole...?

Yes, for sure. Every once in a while you might run across a case with media clumped in the bottom though... no big deal... might throw a little hitch in the job...
I’m not a high volume loader..... Like others I deprime and reprime outside of the press... Nothing but clean primed brass goes into the press... It really cuts down on the abrasive grime ..(I can’t stand seeing the lube on the press ram carrying all that abrasive grime up and down)
With deprimed & tumbled brass instead of poking a deprime rod into the flash channel I hit the pockets with the RCBS primer pocket brush to start with... I pick up a case, spin the brush in the pocket and more often than not any media that may be stuck in the flash hole gets pushed in and fall out of the case mouth... Boom, clean pocket and flash channel...You still need a paper clip handy though for the ones that aint with the program... I know primer pocket cleaning isn’t supposed to be necessary but for me the few extra seconds involved allows a thorough overall inspection of my brass after its been tumbled and any problems arising with priming isn't from dirty pockets....As I said, I’m not a fast high volume handloader.. I batch load...As for removing case lube... I mostly neck size.. I’ve found that by the time I’ve loaded/ handled the rounds in the process there’s not much lube left on them, but will spin the odd one that does have too much left between my fingers in a paper towel...

[Old Time Hunter]

What Old Time Hunter said. But then I use mostly ffg. Suspect he does too.

Yep!

[AJMD429]

As others have implied, using a 'generic' all-caliber depriming die helps be sure your cases don't get scratched more, or worse yet, that your dies don't get scratched, regardless of what step you do your depriming.

I tend to de-prime and inspect brass with a Lee 'Hand' press, when watching television (preferably a western ); it's about the only reloading activity you can do when 'relaxed', and since it is one of the slower steps, the 'movie' makes it bearable and less boring.

[kimwcook]

Smokeless rounds get tumbled, then deprimed & sized.

Black powder rounds get deprimed w/universal decapper, rinsed, dried, then tumbled and sized.

NOTHING but clean brass goes thru my sizing dies!

What the man said.

[Ysabel Kid]

Like others, I prefer to clean my cases before doing any of the reloading operations. I don't really care if the primer pocket is dirty. I suppose it may eventually get dirty enough to prevent proper primer seating, but I don't think it is likely. I have had to inspect every primer pocket when I tumbled them after depriming to knock out tumbling media that gets caught there. This can be a PITA. Clean cases are easier on reloading dies.

Deprime first, then soak in a vinegar/soap and salt brine twenty minutes, dry 'em overnight...then tumble them.

What ratio do you use OTH?

[El Chivo]

I thought the whole reason for tumbling in the first place was to remove grit that might scratch your dies. So I do it first.

I leave the primers in there for tumbling; at first I didn't and had media stuck in the hole about 10% of the time. So after tumbling I deprime and clean the primer pocket with a quick turn of the Lee tool. You'd be surprised how much ash you can get out of 50 primer pockets.

The bit about tumbling again to remove lube is a new one for me; very conscientious. I'm not going to go that far, although I have taken to wiping off the finished round with a napkin to remove nearly all the lube. I take it easy on lube anyway.

[Borregos]

NOTHING but clean brass goes thru my sizing dies!

+1 and tumble again to remove case lube.

[alnitak]

I tend to de-prime and inspect brass with a Lee 'Hand' press, when watching television (preferably a western ); it's about the only reloading activity you can do when 'relaxed', and since it is one of the slower steps, the 'movie' makes it bearable and less boring.

I do that as well, Doc.

I always clean my brass before depriming. And then, depending upon mood and brass condition, either run them through the tumbler again for a couple of hours or use a hand pocket primer cleaning tool. So far, I've only loaded for .45-70 in rifle that needed lube, and for those I just wiped off what little was left after handling during the reload process. For those that run the cases back through the tumbler, do you find the lube mucks up the media?

[93marshooter]

Thanks, I think I will wash the brass first with vinegar dishwashing detergent bath dry then tumble. A foot wash basin and a cat litter scoop and a rinse basin.