Clean before or after sizing

My dies are too precious to me to run dirty brass through them.

Don

Call me extreme, but I do both. SO the answer is "yes".

I tumble after sizing. Using Imperial sizing die wax you remove most debris on the exterior of the case before it enters the die anyway. I've not had any problems wearing out dies doing this. Infact I'd worry abrasive walnut dust inside the neck or outside the body would hurt a die too.

I clean before sizing and then a short cleaning of the loaded round.

This is my procedure for Rifle Brass

1. Deprime with universal depriming die.
2. Tumble brass
3. Wipe off brass with rag then lube/size and prime
4. Add powder, boolit and seat.
5. Box up and complete label

Note - I only use a RCBS single stage rock chucker.

The Dove

@rangerphil - Tumbling loaded rounds? A lot of folks new to reloading here (myself included). I don't think that would be a good habit to get into!

I sometime tumble loaded rounds. No problem with me.

The Dove

I tumble, size, then tumble again just long enough to remove any lube from the case.

StandingTall said:

@rangerphil - Tumbling loaded rounds? A lot of folks new to reloading here (myself included). I don't think that would be a good habit to get into!

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Why would that not be a good habit to get into?

Both. When I get home form the range the brass gets a session in the vibratory cleaner. For pistol brass that's enough.

For rifle, I lube, size, and deprime. Then the brass makes a second trip to the vibratory cleaner.

For handgun brass I clean after resizing. All my dies for handguns are carbide and what little dirt is missed will not harm carbide anyway. I do usually somewhat clean range P/U brass, washing off with water or some such.

Rifle brass is a different story as it is tumbled/cleaned first then sized. Rifle dies are hardened steel and dirt will affect them.

This has worked well for me for decades, I'm now 67 and have no worries about wearing out my dies. Other major things to concern myself with.

I tumble before sizing for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it allows me to see the case condition before starting the loading process. Also - I shoot at an outdoor range and used brass tends to get mud/dirt on it that really needs to be washed or tumbled off before sizing.

Rifle cases get tumbled twice - once (for cleanliness) before resizing, and again after resizing and trimming but before loading (to remove the sizing lube).

Dirty brass gets washed, dried, and tumbled. I then tumble rifle brass a second time after resizing to clean off the Imperial Sizing Wax.

I tumble before resizing/depriming and then tumble again afterward. Regarding the media dust, I'm a little excessive in that I use an air chuck to blow the media dust out of and off of the brass before I tumble, and then again after the final tumble. With my bottle neck cases I use an acetone rinse after the final tumble, just because I like the inside of my brass free of any possible packed media dust around the web or primer pocket area that may interfere with the density of the powder charge or disrupt the primer flash. After the round has been completed I use a small cotton cloth and acetone to remove any film left by the lube or anything that may prevent a good solid case sieze when it's discharged in the chamber. This last wipe down is especially important to me with my bottle necks.

I tumble them first. I don't want dirty brass running through my sizer dies and ain't gonna go to the trouble of wiping them off first. That's silly.

Clean?

I load, put it in the tray, & go to the range. I take it out of the try, put it in the rifle, shoot, & put it back into the tray.

The only time I tumble is new to me brass. I may wash it before tumbling or just tumble depending on how dirty it is. Then I FL size it & tumble again to get the excess lube off.

My dies are very hard & while they can be ground down I don't see it happening by hand with dust on a case as your abrasive.

I tumble/clean all brass BEFORE sizing. If I tumble afterwards random cases tend to get cleaning media stuck in the flash holes. I don't feel like checking and clearing every one of them, so I tumble before, and if there's anything caught in there the decapper clears it.

kingmt said:

Clean?.

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I like your style. A little powder residue never hurt anyone.

I guess this is where you start to see who reloads to shoot and who shoots to reload. At least for handgun loads. Rifle is a different animal.

Handgun.
I both wash and tumble before sizing and depriming.

PROs: Case inspection is easier.
Tumbling media doesn't get "dusty". and stays clean much longer.
Cases are polished and waxed in the tumbler so cases are "lubed" before hitting the dies.
Dies stay cleaner and get no sand/stone damage.

CONs: Case drying time.
Adds a step to case prep.
Some cleaning solution costs, but almost insignificant

Tumbling loaded rounds? A lot of folks new to reloading here (myself included). I don't think that would be a good habit to get into!

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Why not? Ammo manufacturers do it all the time.

I always clean my brass before I run it through my dies. I agree my dies are too precious to me to run dirty brass through them. (but if you feel differently do as you please)

I tumble before resizing to clean off range grime. Minimizes the garbage thecdie sees, I then clean after resizing to clean and polish the brasss.

This applies to both pistol and rifle brass.

Rifle brass gets trimmed, if required, and the lubricant get cleaned off. Pistol brass just gets cleaned/polished after resizing.

I do not trust the press mounted priming systems. I have both a Hornady L-L-L and Dillon SBD. I have removed the priming systems from both presses and hand prime. One primer not seated correctly in 100 negates any advantage of priming on the press.

Also, I would rather handle clean brass when I am loading them.

But, to each his own!