depriming & cleaning rifle brass

[flexible]

Hi everyone, flexible here and I have a question about depriming & cleaning brass.

I’ve been a handgun loader for decades but just started rifle shooting last year and began setting up for 6.5 Creedmoor loading.

I got a Redding T7 for rifle only. Have the Sinclair Mandral with expander and Redding Type S Competition dies. I got two neck sizing dies and put the .0287 bushing in one for Hornady brass & .0289 for Lapua brass.

When prepping pistol brass I would first use my Lee universal deprimer die and then clean the brass in my STM tumbler.

I took the depriming stem out of the Hornady die but left it in the die set up for Lapua.

QUESTION(s)

1. Should I continue to use the universal Lee die for rifle brass, the STM tumbler really cleans the primer pockets too?

2. Should I remove the depriming pin from the die for Lapua?

Thanks

Flexible

 

[cfullgraf]

With rifle cases, I generally clean them after sizing to remove the lubricant used during the resizing process. Sometimes, if they are real dirty from laying on the ground, I'll clean them before sizing as well so that my dies do not get damaged.

Also, I leave the decapping pin installed in the rifle sizing die, but I'm more likely to decap during the sizing of the case. Besides, if you clean the cases before sizing but after decapping, the decapping pin in the sizing die insures the flash hole is cleared on your cases. But, your choice.

 

[rkittine]

I deprime with a hand tool while watching TV etc. I then clean them. I tumble my non-match brass, but use a commercial ultraonic unit for my match brass as not to bang them up in the tumbler. Then I full length resize and wipe the case lube off with a rag with some alcohol on it.

Bob

 

[Blue68f100]

It appears your using a SS wet tumbler for cleaning. If so, I would deprime so it cleans the pocket and does not trap water, saves a step down the line. As use a universal deprimer die for all. I've removed the pin from all my rifle dies since I deprime before cleaning with the SS media (FART). I'm not sure you have the correct bushings but you will find out soon enough. I ended up with 8 before I decided to turn the necks.

 

[JFrank]

Hi everyone, flexible here and I have a question about depriming & cleaning brass.

I’ve been a handgun loader for decades but just started rifle shooting last year and began setting up for 6.5 Creedmoor loading.


I got a Redding T7 for rifle only. Have the Sinclair Mandral with expander and Redding Type S Competition dies. I got two neck sizing dies and put the .0287 bushing in one for Hornady brass & .0289 for Lapua brass.

When prepping pistol brass I would first use my Lee universal deprimer die and then clean the brass in my STM tumbler.

I took the depriming stem out of the Hornady die but left it in the die set up for Lapua.

QUESTION(s)

1. Should I continue to use the universal Lee die for rifle brass, the STM tumbler really cleans the primer pockets too?

2. Should I remove the depriming pin from the die for Lapua?

Thanks

Flexible

Question- if you have a Redding type S bushing die why use the neck sizing die ? That doesn't make sense to me

 

[flexible]

Redding Type S - Match die set. came with: Neck - bushing style die, body die, seating die

 

[JFrank]

Ah ' came with the gun , ok thanks now I know

 

[westernrover]

Lapua brass has primer flash holes drilled with ID of 1.5mm.
Lee Universal decapping pin is 1.65mm.
You can either turn it down on a lathe or see if Lee will send you the right size pin.

 

[BreechFace]

1. Deprime with Frankford Arsenal hand deprimer, easy to do after kids are in bed and watching the tube with my bride.
2. Run through the FART
3. Dry on a towel outside in the sun (spring, summer, fall) or inside with a fan blowing over (winter)
4. Anneal (if needed) then lube, full length resize, trim, chamfer, debur
5. Run through corncob
6. Reload

 

[AJC1]

Everyone has their own sizing plan just like their own cleaning plan. Bushings will do the job and some really like that approach. I like a standard full length sizing die with the expander ball removed and then set neck tension with an expander mandrel. With the dies you have already I would add a lee collet neck die and use that for neck s

 

[westernrover]

Frankford deprimer pin is also too big. Will ruin Lapua brass. The Redding dies will do it correctly without modification.

 

[Archerforkids]

You can take a standard depriming pin and chuck it up in a drill press, set on medium speed and take a file to it. Have a piece of lapua brass handy to verify when desired diameter is achieved.

 

[JFrank]

Lapua brass has primer flash holes drilled with ID of 1.5mm.
Lee Universal decapping pin is 1.65mm.
You can either turn it down on a lathe or see if Lee will send you the right size pin.

Are we talking srp or lrp flashole ? I didn't see where the Op mentioned that

 

[JFrank]

Hi everyone, flexible here and I have a question about depriming & cleaning brass.

I’ve been a handgun loader for decades but just started rifle shooting last year and began setting up for 6.5 Creedmoor loading.

I got a Redding T7 for rifle only. Have the Sinclair Mandral with expander and Redding Type S Competition dies. I got two neck sizing dies and put the .0287 bushing in one for Hornady brass & .0289 for Lapua brass.

When prepping pistol brass I would first use my Lee universal deprimer die and then clean the brass in my STM tumbler.

I took the depriming stem out of the Hornady die but left it in the die set up for Lapua.

QUESTION(s)

1. Should I continue to use the universal Lee die for rifle brass, the STM tumbler really cleans the primer pockets too?

2. Should I remove the depriming pin from the die for Lapua?

Thanks

Flexible

 

[Whiterook808]

I use a Harvey Deprimer and they do offer a stem for the Lapua brass. It's kind of fun to use! I decap first, then dry tumble before resizing. I leave the decap pin in the sizing die to insure it is not clogged with a grain of walnut shell.

 

[flexible]

Contacted Redding and got this reply:


Hi John,


If you get the small decap die you’ll want to get the 17&20 cal rod as well as it has the small pin. Having said that, I usually recommend decapping as part of the resizing process if possible. So long as the cases don’t have dirt/debris on them, the tarnish on cases actually helps them size more easily.


Thank you.


Aubrey (A.J.) Ferris
Engineer

Redding Reloading Equipment
1089 Starr Road
Cortland, NY 13045

 

[Average Joe]

I use the Lee universal decapper, works for me.