order of 'prep'...

[Arbo]

Got my press today, I have loads of brass that I have tumbled in walnut shells just to get 'clean'. I set that aside.

I'm wondering the steps others go through next. I was thinking deprime, then run in corn media to get the pockets cleaned out, then lube and size and prime at the same time. This is .223 btw.

But I notice with the setup you could tumble, then lube, and size and de-prime and re-prime all in one stroke.

Do others de-prime then clean pockets or just de then re all in one?

 

[rcmodel]

Tumbling in corn cob will not clean primer pockets.

Media packs inside the case & flash hole, so there is no vibration going on to clean there.

I size & deprime, then clean primer pockets with a tool while inspecting the brass for defects.

rc

 

[Arbo]

Ok, just trying to figure out the best step by step way without duplicating work.

Do you re-tumble after it is sized and primed to polish it up and remove case lube, or just one tumble?

 

[dtalley]

I do t retumble. Clean them, deprime and size, (bell if pistol), prime, powder and bullet. I do any where from 100 to 500 in a stage. I use a single stage press. Rifle brass gets a little more attention that plinking pistol brass

 

[James2]

I lube, size and de-prime, then clean primer pockets with a tool. Since I use grease for lube, I wipe them off with a rag as I go. Inspect brass, measure length and trim if necessary. De-burr after trimming. Then prime using a hand-priming system. Now it is ready for loading. I use a single stage press. You will soon work up a procedure that works well for you with your equipment.

The steps are a little different with pistol brass.

 

[Pacsd]

one of the first things my trainer made me do is make a check list listing each step from start to finish.

 

[rcmodel]

I tumble for a bit to get the grit off.
Then size & deprime, swage crimp if necessary, clean primer pockets, inspect, trim if necessary, chamfer & debur, then reload.

Then tumble the loaded rounds 30 minutes or so to get case lube & finger prints off.

rc

 

[ElPasoCounty]

Size & De-Prime then tumble...add a cap full of Nu-Finish car wax to walnut media.

 

[45lcshooter]

Tumble, size/decapp, clean pockets with brush and reamer, trim, chamfer and deurr, prime, (expand if it is a cartridge that needs it, powder, bullet. Magazine or clip or chamber, fire, repeat process.

 

[beatledog7]

Handgun and straight wall rifle brass: Tumble, lube if not using a carbide die, FL size and decap, clean primer pockets and chamfer inside of mouth (outside as well for revolver brass), decrimp as required, store until I decide what bullet they get. Flare only if needed for that bullet. Prime, charge, seat bullets.

Bottleneck rifle brass: Decap with universal, tumble, clean primer pockets, neck size, trim and debur if needed, chamfer inside of necks, chamber check a sample, store until needed. (When the shoulders need setting back, I'll FL size instead of neck size.) Prime, charge, seat bullets.

.357 Sig: Tumble, lube, decap and FL size or skip the lube and use carbide .40S&W die then bump shoulders back and size necks with .357 Sig die, then as any other handgun brass.

Doing all of this allows multiple inspections and keeps the pace reasonable. I load low volumes on a SS press. I'll deviate occasionally when warranted.

Two things I will never do: skip inspections, run dirty brass through a sizing die.

 

[mljdeckard]

Yeah, if I clean primer pockets, I do it with a tool.

 

[jim243]

For 223 Brass

A. Tumble cases 1 to 2 hours
B. Inspect cases
C. Lube cases
D. Resize & Decap cases
E. Inspect case neck
F. Trim cases to length
G. Inspect cases again
H. Clean primer pockets with case prep center
I. Re-tumble cases 15 min
J. Clean/clear flash hole with reamer
K. Prime case
L. Inspect primed case
M. Measure and add powder
N. Seat bullet
O. Crimp
P. Inspect finished cartrage
Q. Package cartrage

Jim

 

[callenlee]

My process is:
1. Wet tumble with some lemishine & dishsoap
2. Dry tumble in corn cob (you can get this cheap at wal mart in the port section or at a power store) with some nu-finish in it. Not really necessary, but I can be a bit ocd and I don't sit and watch the tumbler so I polish my brass.
3. De-prime/resize a batch, checking each case for any problems.
4. Clean primer pockets if needed and I'm motivated (i know...weird that I'm not ocd about the primer pockets) and prime a batch.
5. Charge the cases. Initially I checked every charge to make sure my powder thrower was consistent. After about 400 rounds I'm comfortable with my powder thrower's consistency so I check every ten to fifteen rounds.
6. Seat the bullets.

Glad I got into reloading. Ammo is cheaper (and available to me because I can make it). It gives me another readon hit the range (i took the time to make the ammo...i have to shoot it) which then gives me a reason to reload more (i shot my ammo, now I need more).

Whatever your process, just minimize/eliminate distractions, follow your steps consistently, and if something doesn't look our feel right take the round apart and start over...better safe than sorry.

 

[Captaingyro]

Using the correct grit of ground corncob you can clean primer pockets very well. The most popular source seems to be Drillspot:

http://www.drillspot.com/products/499763/econoline_526020g-40_40_lbs_blast_media

Read the comments on the Drillspot website to see how highly reloaders regard this stuff. It will generally not pack into the primer pockets; it will occasionally plug a flash hole, but if you're using primers that can't overpower a flake of ground corncob, you'd be well advised to switch brands. Just the same, I generally keep a short lenght of #12 copper wire on the bench, and use it to poke out any debris from the flash holes during my normal inspection step.

If you're willing to make a one-time investment of under $200, get into wet tumbling with stainless steel pins. You can Google any number of testimonials on the amazing results of this process, but I (and many others here on THR) can tell you that the results are nearly unbelievable. Even the cruddiest, filthy, oxydized brass comes out looking brand new, including the interior of the case and the primer pocket. Until you see the results for yourself, you think others are exaggerating (I know I did).

I still keep the corncob around for removing lube and adding a little protectant to deter oxydation during long-term storage, but for cleaning prior to reloading, wet tumbling is the way to go.

 

[USSR]

Agree with rcmodel; don't expect tumbling to clean primer pockets. I use a primer pocket uniformer for that.

Don

 

[FallAirFever]

I have only been loading for a year and only for rifle, but I do like shiny brass.

1. Tumble in corn cob media for an hour or so.
2. Size (neck or full length) / Decap
3. Trim (if needed) using Lee trimmer and lock stud in a cordless drill, while brass is in the drill I also chamfer/deburr, and use a bit of steel wool on the case if it is tarnished.
4. Clean out primer pocket with Lyman uniformer and little Lee cleaner.
5. Tumble again for a couple hours adding a bit of polish for the last hour.
6. I may prime the brass right away if I am going to be loading soon, or just label and store it in zip-loc baggies.


Of course I inspect brass at every step along the way looking for dimples and cracks etc...

Also once it is tumbled the second time I check my flash holes for any media stuck in it.

 

[Arbo]

I have the lee trimmer, and picked up the .223 length guage for the trimmer, but it doesn't screw all the way in, or at least it would take a set of plyers to do it.. I'm afraid of snapping it. Is this normal?

 

[MikeOBWan]

This is for .223 brass or .308. Try doing your case prep before you reload. Like months before. It helps spread it out and makes it so it's not so tedious.

My process
- Tumble range brass (Hour or so to get the mud off)
- Sort by headstamp
- Hornady One-Shot spray lube (about 300 cases at a time)
- RCBS Full length resize and decap (Rockchucker)
- Sort by size with a Wilson Case gauge (Trim/No Trim)
- Chamfer Debur all that don't need trimming (Hornady Case Prep Center)
- Trim, Chamfer and Debur all that need trimming (Hornady Case Prep Center)
- Wet Tumble (Thumlers Tumbler, gets the lube off and makes em look brand new inside and out)
- Swage Lake City Brass (RCBS Swage die on Rockchucker)

I usually end up processing a couple thousand pieces of brass in a weekend. I have well over 10,000 pre-processed ready to load when I need them.

I find that (All Once Fired) about 75% of Lake City range brass need to be trimmed. About 50% of Winchester needs to be trimmed, and only about 15% of Federal needs to be trimmed.

 

[gamestalker]

Tumbling won't clean the primer pockets. That is done by hand, one at a time using any one of the tool made for such.
As for an order of processing, I tumble for a little bit first, them lube, them resize, trim, ream 7 chamfer, clean primer pockets, and then i tumble until they look pretty.
After the last tumbling session, I inspect each case for any defects that would qualify for the recycle bin. Then I prime, powder, and seat the bullets, done!

A few tips that may help you:
LUBING
Be careful when you lube your cases, use only an even thin film of lube, or you'll get lube dents. Don't get any lube on the shoulders, lube dents. Lube the case body below the shoulders, the inside and outside of the necks. When lubing the inside of the necks just a very thin lube film is needed.
TRIMMING
When you ream and chamfer, don't over do it. All you want to do is remove the lip that trimming created.
PRIMMING
Seat primers to below the case head .004", not flush or you'll very likely end up with mis-fires.
POWDER CHARGING
Once you've finished charging the cases, ALWAYS inspect then under a bright light to be sure you have not accidentally missed one. This step is a must and is one of the most common culprit's of KB's.
RESIZING
Know where your case shoulders are in relation to the chamber shoulders. Too much head space will not only shorten the life span of the brass, but it can cause complete head separations, which is very bad for your firearm.

For most rifle actions it is unnecessary to use a crimp. So don't use a crimp unless you absolutely have to, bullet jump or set back being the factor here. Tubular magazines would be the exception, they have to be crimped.

GS

 

[Nalgi]

reloading order

I have recently changed my order due to possible brass shortages. (.223)

1. Anneal brass (trying to make it last longer)
2. Size
3. Inspect for neck cracking
4. Run in Stainless media tumbler (this cleans the primer pocket too)
5. Hand prime brass while watching the Outdoor Chanel, drinking a DP and eating a grilled cheese sandwich on Grandma Sycamore bread! (guess what Im doing now)
6. I store the primed brass in vacuum sealed bags to keep dust, moisture etc. out until I need to load them.