Easy question
- Thread starter Ex
- Start date
- Status
jcwit
member
Its entirely up to you, some do some don't. Myself, I do, also I size before tumbling as tumbling takes the sizing marks off. No!, I'm not speaking of scratching just the marking from the die. I like my brass shiney, but thats just me.
shooter_from_show-me
Member
You could but it's not anymore benificial if you do, your primer pockets won't get any cleaner using a vibratory tumbler. Plus you have the chance of plugging up your flash holes with media too unless your using strickly crushed walnut for you media.
gamestalker
member
I like to tumble a little before sizing to knck off an grit that might scratch the case. I then resize, trim, ream & chamfer, and then tumble until ice and pretty.
WoW! Love this site!
Great answers guys...just went out to setup tumbler and fill (with crushed walnut only) (btw, coarse or fine recommended? I bought fine) and already answers!
What's consensus, coarse or fine?
Hope I can give back what I've already gotten!
Great answers guys...just went out to setup tumbler and fill (with crushed walnut only) (btw, coarse or fine recommended? I bought fine) and already answers!
What's consensus, coarse or fine?
Hope I can give back what I've already gotten!
Damon555
Member
No....digging media out of primer pockets is no fun.
Wolfman Bill
Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2010
- Messages
- 37
Evening EX
Try it both ways, you’ll figure out which way YOU like best. Personally for me I use a mixture of coarse and fine tumbling media so on straight wall pistol cases I leave the primers in but on small neck rifle like 223 or 22-250 I de-prime first so I can use compressed air to blow the media out of the inside of the cases through the primer hole. Otherwise it’s a real pain to get the coarse media out of that small neck cases.
Try it both ways, you’ll figure out which way YOU like best. Personally for me I use a mixture of coarse and fine tumbling media so on straight wall pistol cases I leave the primers in but on small neck rifle like 223 or 22-250 I de-prime first so I can use compressed air to blow the media out of the inside of the cases through the primer hole. Otherwise it’s a real pain to get the coarse media out of that small neck cases.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6362785&postcount=4
I have the 14/20 and it gets stuck in some of the flash holes. The 20/40 should fall right through.
I do most of my tumbling prior to sizing with the spent primers still in, but not all of it. Mixing grits or mixing walnut and corncob is a waste of time IMHO. Lots of folks like doing it though.
I have the 14/20 and it gets stuck in some of the flash holes. The 20/40 should fall right through.
I do most of my tumbling prior to sizing with the spent primers still in, but not all of it. Mixing grits or mixing walnut and corncob is a waste of time IMHO. Lots of folks like doing it though.
Bag of my 9mm has been in tumbler now for about 25 mins.
Outsides are bright and all traces of carbon are gone. Insides are still a little funky. Turned it back on and check again in about 20 mins.
I've read that about an hour is usually appropriate.
This Dillon 550 I bought came from a friend in NM. Have just a couple pieces I think I need. Tues night at the local range, a bunch of guys from Dillon meet.
I'll be up there with the press and a parts list for them to circle what I need.
Is that cheating?
Outsides are bright and all traces of carbon are gone. Insides are still a little funky. Turned it back on and check again in about 20 mins.
I've read that about an hour is usually appropriate.
This Dillon 550 I bought came from a friend in NM. Have just a couple pieces I think I need. Tues night at the local range, a bunch of guys from Dillon meet.
I'll be up there with the press and a parts list for them to circle what I need.
Is that cheating?
Bmac1949
Member
if I tumble before sizing I just leave the brass in long enough to get the grit off of it so that the dies don't get scratched and after sizing and trimming I leave them in the tumbler long enough to get the lube off and polish them up real nice. I'm only reloading 50 to 100 cases at a time so cleaning out the flash holes is not that big a deal.
This press came with no papers. It has Dillon 550 forged into the side. Anyone know the dif between 550 and 550B if any?
I've downloaded the current 550B stuff from Dillon, but am so green to this that I'm still not sure what all I'm looking at.
I've downloaded the current 550B stuff from Dillon, but am so green to this that I'm still not sure what all I'm looking at.
I tend to tumble before depriming and again after sizing to help clean some of the extra lube off as well as the primer pockets. Keeps gunk from getting into the dies and prevents unwanted scratches and dings in the cases.
Once the cases are nice and shiny I'll take them the rest of the way from primed to seated.
Once the cases are nice and shiny I'll take them the rest of the way from primed to seated.
Snowbandit
Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Messages
- 314
No, the dirt on your cases will do more damage to the sizing die than the clean primer pockets are worth.
Hondo 60
Member
For rifle, I tumble, deprime/resize, trim, chamfer & tumble again, prime, charge, etc, etc
For pistola/revólver, I tumble just once, size, prime, charge, etc, etc.
For pistola/revólver, I tumble just once, size, prime, charge, etc, etc.
I tumble before resizing to clean off range grime, then after to finis cleaning and polishing.
I have a piece of stiff wire to clean out the flash holes. Takes no time at all. Also, it gives me another quick inspection of the brass. I find failed cases at times during the flash hole cleaning process. Smaller media helps minimize/eliminate flash hole plugging.
I have a piece of stiff wire to clean out the flash holes. Takes no time at all. Also, it gives me another quick inspection of the brass. I find failed cases at times during the flash hole cleaning process. Smaller media helps minimize/eliminate flash hole plugging.
ranger335v
Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2006
- Messages
- 3,797
"Should I de-prime my cases before tumbling?"
You should do what the rest of us do; the way we wish. Either way, it ain't gonna blow anything up.
You should do what the rest of us do; the way we wish. Either way, it ain't gonna blow anything up.
Truly, a veritable wealth of experience here and I thank all of you
for your input.
Been tumbling different rounds all night (and bagging into correct calibers).
Tuesday off to the range to meet with the Dillon folks.
I'll start a new thread to report on what I learn there
Thank you all!
Ex
for your input.
Been tumbling different rounds all night (and bagging into correct calibers).
Tuesday off to the range to meet with the Dillon folks.
I'll start a new thread to report on what I learn there
Thank you all!
Ex
ironhead7544
Member
Tumble first for pistol. Size first for rifle. I hate wiping case lube. Check each primer hole for media when sizing first.
DANNY-L
Member
I do if the brass is clean but if it's dirty I'll use a decapping die then put it in the vibrator for about an hour,then I resize and finish with the vibrator until polished clean.
snuffy
Member
Yes that's cheating!
I have to order from Brian Enos, then wait 5 days for the mules to deliver dillon stuff.As for the time involved, that depends on how tarnished the brass is. I always tumble before sizing, never tumble after sizing, but I sometimes tumble after loading to remove sizing lube. That's only when loading rifle on my 650 that goes through the complete cycle, from case feeder to finished bin.
Getting the range grit off the cases is the main reason to tumble. Other reasons are case inspection, it's easier to see defects. The shine is another reason, some say it makes the cases slicker, so feeding is more positive.
As far as primer pocket cleaning, I don't bother on most loading. I may do it for long range match rifle or loading for hunting. Never for auto pistol.
LiveLife
Member
Not sure if anyone mentioned this.
I use NuFinish polish with my walnut media (I prefer fine grit 20-24/40 over coarse 12-14/20) before I deprime/resize. The media works better/faster with polish. For my Lee carbide pistol dies, I resize them without lube and the residual polish on case surface makes it easier to resize. Tossing in cut up used dryer sheets help collect black fouling and extend the life of media.
For rifle, I use a Universal decapping die to remove the primers (without resizing) and I remove the military crimp (if any) and clean the primer pockets before tumbling in walnut with polish.
I use NuFinish polish with my walnut media (I prefer fine grit 20-24/40 over coarse 12-14/20) before I deprime/resize. The media works better/faster with polish. For my Lee carbide pistol dies, I resize them without lube and the residual polish on case surface makes it easier to resize. Tossing in cut up used dryer sheets help collect black fouling and extend the life of media.
For rifle, I use a Universal decapping die to remove the primers (without resizing) and I remove the military crimp (if any) and clean the primer pockets before tumbling in walnut with polish.
jcwit
member
If we are talking about handgun brass and using carbide dies dirt is not going to harm them unless you're dropping the cases in diamond dust. Still "clean" hurts nothing.
Update, and many thanks to all those that posted!!!!
Have now done a BUNCH of 9mm (started with that because it was recommend by the folks at Dillon to be a relatively safe load to start with) and shot a bunch of it. Light loads, hot loads and everything in between.
Even though all my dies for the 550b are carbide (not needing lube) and all are pistola loads, I am using just a "smidge" of Mothers mag wheel polish in the crushed walnut media. Really brightens them up in a short time. Using the equivalent of 1/4 of a pat of butter, tumbled without cases for 10 mins to mix. Very good results so far.
Have now purchased bullets and primers for .40 and 10mm, but haven't done any loads yet because of lack of time. .40 will be next.
Am using Hogdons "TiteGroup" powder for the 9mm but have read that due to the speed of this powder, it can have pressure spikes in the larger calibers/hotter loads.
Any consensus on a good clean powder for the .40/10mm? TiteGroup OK? Something else recommended?
Thanks as always guys! This site has the best, most experienced group I've found... wish I had more time to participate!
Ex
Have now done a BUNCH of 9mm (started with that because it was recommend by the folks at Dillon to be a relatively safe load to start with) and shot a bunch of it. Light loads, hot loads and everything in between.
Even though all my dies for the 550b are carbide (not needing lube) and all are pistola loads, I am using just a "smidge" of Mothers mag wheel polish in the crushed walnut media. Really brightens them up in a short time. Using the equivalent of 1/4 of a pat of butter, tumbled without cases for 10 mins to mix. Very good results so far.
Have now purchased bullets and primers for .40 and 10mm, but haven't done any loads yet because of lack of time. .40 will be next.
Am using Hogdons "TiteGroup" powder for the 9mm but have read that due to the speed of this powder, it can have pressure spikes in the larger calibers/hotter loads.
Any consensus on a good clean powder for the .40/10mm? TiteGroup OK? Something else recommended?
Thanks as always guys! This site has the best, most experienced group I've found... wish I had more time to participate!
Ex
- Status
