Brass prep...

[AJC1]

Everyone has their own process and the reasons they use that process. My goal is aways to build the best ammunition possible. My most often loaded case by an order of magnitude is 357, and second is 38. Between me and my son we still shoot 300 ish a month, despite the current shortages. I loaded double that or more before. The process is 1. Size 2.trim if longer loan 1.281 or discard if shorter than 1.275. 3.chamfer/debur. 4. Debur flash hole inside case, done only once ever. 5 expand 6.prime 7.load.
I don't see any value in uniforming primer pockets, nor do I have any crazy made up process like chamfering the primer pocket hole. It seems like most want to handle the brass as little as possible and crank ammo out on a progressive(that is an observation not a derogatory comment). Am I wrong do these other cool tools make a significant difference. Maybe shooting offhand rifle and pistol makes those process just unreasonable.... thoughts.

 

[WestKentucky]

I have done both speedy and sporty. Realistically there are a bazillion ways to successfully assemble ammo. The differences typically are tolerances for group size, time spent for volume, and how you learned for order of operation although multipurpose does kinda dictate order of operations if you let it. The last thing is shiny, and that’s a factor all in and of itself.

What I have found though is that consistency is as important as everything else. Your rifle rounds don’t have to be identical right down to the hand counted number of granules of powder, get it close to an accuracy node and it’s gonna be accurate. Get handgun rounds to hit at XYZ distance and even if your consistency isn’t great, it’s still stinkin close to that number so you’re gonna do well enough. All of this is because you have taken the window and placed it where YOU want it based upon YOUR criteria. Not Federals criteria, or winchesters, or whatever brand you have on hand.

 

[Seedy Character]

Depends on what your final goal is.
Utmost in accuracy vs high volume combat.

I shoot Cowboy Action. 8" gongs @ 10 yards.
Point, shoot, go fast. I shot for groups, one time, several years ago, working up load. 2" @ 10 yard will do what I need.
I use a universal decapping die. I decap everything and dump in tumbler. When I get home.
Inspect and sort. Usually the next day or two.
Resize, when I start, I will size about everything.
Prime, when the mood hits me. I hand prime and will prime everything.

Load, as I need it.

Brass is sorted into plastic jugs and status marked. (Unsized, sized, ready)

Doing 1 operation keeps my mind on the task and eliminates mistakes.

 

[AJC1]

Depends on what your final goal is.
Utmost in accuracy vs high volume combat.

I shoot Cowboy Action. 8" gongs @ 10 yards.
Point, shoot, go fast. I shot for groups, one time, several years ago, working up load. 2" @ 10 yard will do what I need.
I use a universal decapping die. I decap everything and dump in tumbler. When I get home.
Inspect and sort. Usually the next day or two.
Resize, when I start, I will size about everything.
Prime, when the mood hits me. I hand prime and will prime everything.

Load, as I need it.

Brass is sorted into plastic jugs and status marked. (Unsized, sized, ready)

Doing 1 operation keeps my mind on the task and eliminates mistakes.

View attachment 1132235 View attachment 1132236

I definitely get down with your square containers. If I don't cradle to grave a group of brass I put a sticky in the container with current status. Writing on the container means you have no idea if this batch or the last...

 

[Targa]

For straight wall ammunition my brass handling is as simple as I can keep it. Tumble for no more than an hour to clean and then get to work reloading.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Everyone has their own process and the reasons they use that process. My goal is aways to build the best ammunition possible. My most often loaded case by an order of magnitude is 357, and second is 38. Between me and my son we still shoot 300 ish a month, despite the current shortages. I loaded double that or more before. The process is 1. Size 2.trim if longer loan 1.281 or discard if shorter than 1.275. 3.chamfer/debur. 4. Debur flash hole inside case, done only once ever. 5 expand 6.prime 7.load.
I don't see any value in uniforming primer pockets, nor do I have any crazy made up process like chamfering the primer pocket hole. It seems like most want to handle the brass as little as possible and crank ammo out on a progressive(that is an observation not a derogatory comment). Am I wrong do these other cool tools make a significant difference. Maybe shooting offhand rifle and pistol makes those process just unreasonable.... thoughts.

First thought: stop watching UToob.
As my dad (the rocket scientist, literally) would say, this isn’t brain surgery. The case is a seal. Simple. Make sure it holds a seal and you’re golden. The case is also a launch platform. Make sure it’s reasonably straight and true, keeping in mind the throat, chamber and leade play the largest role in a successful launch, and you remain golden. It’s really just that simple.

 

[AJC1]

First thought: stop watching UToob.

Well besides seeing how insane people are like that replicating Buffalo bore ammo, I do find some good bits. The guy that made this video has lots of good material. I just don't buy his flash hole improvment....

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Well besides seeing how insane people are like that replicating Buffalo bore ammo, I do find some good bits. The guy that made this video has lots of good material. I just don't buy his flash hole improvment....

Sorry man, I got called away before I finished and had to edit. Had more to say. Think about the role the case plays in a very long range, very accurate muzzle loading rifle.

 

[WestKentucky]

Sorry man, I got called away before I finished and had to edit. Had more to say. Think about the role the case plays in a very long range, very accurate muzzle loading rifle.

Man that sure is something to have one so accurate that at long range it’s accurate enough to load cases with. Here I am with my standard accuracy guns and like a dummy I’m just loading cases by fumbling around with my fingers and such. Ever take the ram up and mash a finger? I have. I like this long range idea. Now I need a $8000 muzzleloader to load 9mm. Do I use a really thick sabot or do I need to find a 9mm muzzleloader?

 

[Stefan A]

Based on one of my threads, I decided to trim, chamfer, debur, and clean primer pockets of all of my 357 brass. I like the uniform size and consistency of the crimp. Not 100% sure I’ll keep up with it, but I don’t feel I wasted my time.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I might try this with long range and target rifle ammo but I can't shoot my pistol ammo accurate enough to tell the difference for that much work.
I like the idea of primer pocket uniforming and have purchased the bit to try it next time I prep brass something that will be done once like swageing the primer pockets on military rounds.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Man that sure is something to have one so accurate that at long range it’s accurate enough to load cases with. Here I am with my standard accuracy guns and like a dummy I’m just loading cases by fumbling around with my fingers and such. Ever take the ram up and mash a finger? I have. I like this long range idea. Now I need a $8000 muzzleloader to load 9mm. Do I use a really thick sabot or do I need to find a 9mm muzzleloader?

Well, I guess that point went way over your head. Let’s try again: the case is only there to seal in the gases and keep the components held together. Long before the cartridge casing was invented people were seeking and achieving high levels of accuracy with handguns and rifles. Don’t overlook or overthink the role the cartridge case plays. Keep it simple.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I like my ammo to look like jewelry inside and out. Uniform pockets, debured & chamfered flash holes, chamfered case mouth, wet tumbled then hand polished. Not necessary but do it anyway.

Assembled to exact COL measuring each round, exact hand measured charge in each round. One by one by one. Not necessary but do it anyway.

Shoot up to 500 rounds/month. Meticulously clean firearms after each range visit if so much as one round was fired. Not necessary but do it anyway.

It’s a hobby and I do hobbies like I used to do work.

 

[Walkalong]

I trim all revolver cases, chamfer/deburr, but I don't clean primer pockets on handgun rounds, it's self limiting how much crud builds up in them. Should I? Well, it's better to do so, but it's never caused an issue and I'm lazy I guess.

I do uniform and clean all match rifle ammo. Does it matter? Good question, but I do it. I also hand prime match rifle on single feed hand primer tools, which is slow. Yep, I touch every single primer I load in match ammo, and that includes when I shot Benchrest.

We all have our little idiosyncrasies in loading.

 

[Skgreen]

I have been blessed with a STRONG case of CSTD ('cant-shoot-the-difference' )

Once I realized I had CSTD, it made a lot of my reloading more enjoyable as there's a whoooooooooooooole lotta stuff in these forums that's not applicable to me or others like myself.

That being said, it's still fun to 'go through the motions' sometimes.

 

[barnfrog]

I might try this with long range and target rifle ammo but I can't shoot my pistol ammo accurate enough to tell the difference for that much work.

I'm pretty much in this camp. I take somewhat more care with rifle brass than revolver brass.

BUT

I have been blessed with a STRONG case of CSTD ('cant-shoot-the-difference'

I also have the same condition, but even though I'll never completely cure it, I'd like to mitigate the symptoms. My best group from a handgun shot from a rest is somewhere around 6 MOA, but a more realistic average is probably 8 or 10. Shooting offhand, 20 to 25 MOA is probably where I'm at right now. The better the quality and consistency of the ammo I assemble, the more those numbers are attributable to my errors and faults, and the more useful my practice targets are in assessing my progress in improving my marksmanship.

I don't foresee a primer pocket uniforming bit in my future, but I clean my brass pretty well, including the primer pockets. Trimming is a bigger deal for rifle brass, but I do check the length on revolver brass to make sure crimping is consistent.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I'm pretty much in this camp. I take somewhat more care with rifle brass than revolver brass.

BUT


I also have the same condition, but even though I'll never completely cure it, I'd like to mitigate the symptoms. My best group from a handgun shot from a rest is somewhere around 6 MOA, but a more realistic average is probably 8 or 10. Shooting offhand, 20 to 25 MOA is probably where I'm at right now. The better the quality and consistency of the ammo I assemble, the more those numbers are attributable to my errors and faults, and the more useful my practice targets are in assessing my progress in improving my marksmanship.

I don't foresee a primer pocket uniforming bit in my future, but I clean my brass pretty well, including the primer pockets. Trimming is a bigger deal for rifle brass, but I do check the length on revolver brass to make sure crimping is consistent.

The “Big Wake-up Call” for me was when I bought a T/C Contender and then added a .357 Magnum barrel. I thought my Blackhawk was pretty accurate for a revolver and I was a fair hand with it. Nope. The T/C put the lie to the accuracy of a 4-5/8” barreled single action revolver. As for my handloads, the T/C was just as much more accurate with its better sights and trigger, solid lockup, unvented chamber and longer barrel with the plinking .38’s I put together as with my carefully crafted hunting hand loads.
The gun makes a huge difference.

 

[tominboise]

How are you guys trimming straight wall pistol brass. I used to trim pistol brass years ago but got tired of cranking the handle. I use Lee case length gage and cutter powered by a drill for my rifle brass.

 

[Walkalong]

RCBS and Forster hand trimmers, do a little at a time, lightly loaded cases are one and done for life.

 

[lightman]

How are you guys trimming straight wall pistol brass. I used to trim pistol brass years ago but got tired of cranking the handle. I use Lee case length gage and cutter powered by a drill for my rifle brass.

I use a Lyman trimmer with the universal chuck and it has the carbide cutter.

 

[lightman]

I have pretty much always deburred the flash hole inside of the case and uniformed the primer pocket. I've never deburred the flash hole on the outside and don't plan to. Enough is enough! I don't know if I can shoot the difference but it makes me sleep better!

 

[CQB45ACP]

I have pretty much always deburred the flash hole inside of the case and uniformed the primer pocket. I've never deburred the flash hole on the outside and don't plan to. Enough is enough! I don't know if I can shoot the difference but it makes me sleep better!

Oh my gosh, there’s a possible reason (however small) to debur the OUTSIDE of the flash hole? Sorry, have to go, have lots of deburring to do.

 

[Varminterror]

I’ve never seen an FC45 video I thought deserved an audience.

I thoroughly cringed at the way he was cutting massive gouges into the sides of his pockets by tipping so dramatically onto the uniformer cutter, and then cringed even worse when he showed the magnified view of those gouges while attempting to show off the uniform corner of his pocket.

I’ve done a lot with 44mag, and reach out past 200yrds with a couple of my 44mag revolvers - doing THAT to my primer pockets isn’t a priority. I don’t even uniform my PRS match ammo, and only do so for the most extreme precision demand applications, which I just don’t do any longer, with the exception of this new adventure into ELR. I’ve uniformed a lot of cases in the past - and I’ll certainly debur flash holes - but I don’t typically uniform pockets, and even when I do, I’m not gouging my pockets by misusing a powered device like that. Statistical probability has blessed me far more often than has pocket uniforming.

 

[Rule3]

Other than the shear enjoyment and joy of doing all hose steps to handgun brass, what is the end result in accuracy?
The only pistol rounds I ever trimmed was some 38 special for a SW M52 wad cutter pistol

 

[Charlie98]

but I don't clean primer pockets on handgun rounds, it's self limiting how much crud builds up in them. Should I? Well, it's better to do so, but it's never caused an issue and I'm lazy I guess.

Every once in a while, a problem will rear it's ugly head...

I've had issues seating primers in my .41MAG brass. The brass is from a single lot of RP brass I bought many years ago, so it's only with this brass, and only when loaded on the ProJector. Even taking the RCBS Universal hand primer and trying to mash the already seated primers in to at least flush was problematic. To that end, I used my powdered Lyman case prep machine and whacked all the primer pockets with the uniformer. In reality... looking at the pile of moon rock it cut, there is not a lot of brass shavings in there... it's just mostly fouling. Putting 2 and 2 together, the primer seating issue popped up about the same time I started to shoot big quantities of IMR4227 in the Marlin... so I can only assume it's a result of that. The newly cleaned primer pockets seated primers at or below flush, just like when the brass was new, although the big test will be when I run them on the ProJector... which does not have a lot of leverage at the primer seat (very likely intentional.)



Having said that... I don't normally find a need to clean primer pockets... rifle or pistol.

As far as involved prep... I do as little as possible. I've never trimmed a straight-wall pistol case... and I'm not likely to. Back Home, Years Ago, when I was Mr Perfection (...which also coincided with when I was young, single, and had time on my hands...) I tried uniforming flash holes... but gave that up as an entire waste of time.

These days, and with one exception, I handload to have something to shoot, not necessarily squeeze out every bit of accuracy potential. Any time I waste beyond the loading process on, say, .45ACP brass, is just wasted effort... I cannot shoot the difference in a .45 pistol. Again, thinking of my end goals and abilities... I don't do a whole lot with my rifle cartridges beyond trimming them down if needed. The one exception is rounds for my Savage bolt gun, which is the only rifle I have that is worthy of more involved case prep simply because it has the potential to benefit from it. I'm still learning to shoot it well enough to where it would actually make a difference if I went further down the bunny hole... but that will probably be the next barrel, anyway.