Brass cleaning question

[actionflies]

I'm new to reloading and was wondering if people prefer to clean their brasses with or without the spent primer in the tumbler.

My mistake, didn't see the same thread below.

 

[bigcim]

look down the threads little farther for case prep confusion

 

[Sunray]

The primer pocket needs cleaning too. However, not cleaning brass before you resize can, albeit rarely, scratch your sizer die.

 

[RustyFN]

I tumble with the primer in. I don't clean primer pockets on pistol brass.
Rusty

 

[Walkalong]

I tumble with the primer in. I don't clean primer pockets on pistol brass.

Me too, although I will clean them once in a blue moon if I think the buildup has gotten to where it affects seating the primer. If I was target shooting I would do it for piece of mind even though I don't think it makes a difference that will ever show up on target.

 

[JoeHatley]

I always de-cap 1st, then tumble.

Joe

 

[bakert]

I got by for years without a tumbler, just wiping the cases off with an old towel. I have two tumblers now but not being a stickler about pretty ammo, only use them occasionally, still just wiping the cases off with the towel unless they're badly stained. I've alway deprimed after tumbling when I do.

 

[jflimbach]

The only primer pockets I clean are on my .460 brass. Seems to me that revolver brass that goes straight from the cylinder to the bag isn't very likely to pick up stuff that would bother a carbide sizing die. Just the opposite would apprear to hold true for semi-auto handgun brass that winds up on the ground before going in the bag.

 

[gandog56]

I never deprime before tumbling, as I never really saw any difference in the crud build up in the pocker by depriming first, then tumbling. I just put a Lee primer pocket cleaner an my portable cordless drill and clean them out that way after tumbling if they look really bad.