Tumble BEFORE & AFTER sizing?

[lefteye42]

Dry tumbling in corn cob media, with Flitz or NuFinish & a bit of mineral spirits on used dryer sheet.
My process: First, dirty bottleneck brass tumbles clean enough for sizing. Then lube & size. Then tumble enough to remove lube from cases.
Maybe I'm just being anal/OCD about clean brass. Seems there is a simpler method, still using dry tumble?
Appreciate input.

 

[Blue68f100]

As long as your using a different/batch of media it's fine. Don't want to be contaminating your cleaning media. A lot of hand loaders use tumblers to remove the case lube.

 

[444]

I tumble, then resize/deprime/trim and then clean the cases with an ultrasonic case cleaner.

I am not in any big hurry and doing this isn't labor intensive. Why not ?

 

[Demi-human]

Hornady OneShot or a handmade lanolin spray, then just leave it on.

I use OneShot and do not clean it off after. It doesn't seem to be messy after or pick up any debris, but I am very clean at the whole process. My brass goes from box to chamber and back. Neck up so the soot doesn't spill into the box.

I also use OneShot as a bullet lube while seating, spraying all the bullets in their little plastic bag. I have tried graphite and motor mica as well, but that DOES make a mess! A shiny white mess or a shiny black one.

 

[nettlle]

After returning from the range the cases get dry tumbled with walnut and Nu Finish. When ready to reload they get a spray of One Shot. After reloading right in the ammo boxes they go.

 

[jmorris]

I never run dirty brass in my dies, so cleaning them is always step #1.

I have tumbled after sizing too as well as after loading but always clean before runnng them through the size die.

 

[carbine85]

I soak my dirty brass in a solution of simple green and let them sit for 1-2 hours. After I resize I tumble for 30-40 minutes to remove the lube.
I don't care if my brass is shinny and new looking. I just want it clean enough to use. It works just as well.

 

[ms6852]

Same here cleaning is step one before sizing for me too. I like my brass clean before it touches the dies.

 

[lefteye42]

Info appreciated... Thanks all.

 

[Varminterror]

I'm another one who doesn't run anything dirty into my dies. Decap with universal decapper, Ultrasonic cleaner, IF I'm polishing, then I polish in the tumbler right here, resize with Hornady One Shot Dry Lube, trim if needed, load and be merry. I go back and forth with a Thumlers wet tumbler, process is the same - decap, clean/tumble, resize, trim if needed, load, shoot, repeat.

If you're NOT using a dry, non-detrimental lube, then you'll have to tumble clean, change media, resize, tumble clean, trim, load...

 

[Big7]

I never run dirty brass in my dies, so cleaning them is always step #1.

I have tumbled after sizing too as well as after loading but always clean before runnng them through the size die.

Say what?

Good way to make your powder burn to fast.

Just sayin'...

 

[rskent]

Maybe I'm just being anal/OCD about clean brass.

I guess I am too. Basically, I do the same as you do for rifle brass. Except that I just buy treated media. Clean my brass, size, trim. Whatever else.
Then I wash them in the deep sink. After they dry, I give them the final polish, prime and box them up. Then label the boxes so they are ready to load when I need them.

Oh crap, I’m more OCD that you are.

 

[jmorris]

Say what?

Good way to make your powder burn to fast.

Just sayin'...

I wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. Do a search here and that horse has been beat to death. Maybe not as many times as “Hornady vs Dillon” but it’s not a new topic by any means.

 

[springer99]

Hornady OneShot or a handmade lanolin spray, then just leave it on.

I use OneShot and do not clean it off after. It doesn't seem to be messy after or pick up any debris, but I am very clean at the whole process. My brass goes from box to chamber and back. Neck up so the soot doesn't spill into the box.

++1 on this. Actually I believe that the slight remaining wax coating left by OneShot helps prevent tarnishing of the loaded rounds.

 

[Captaingyro]

When I get home from the range I just rinse all the brass in clear water and throw it on a towel to dry. That's all it takes to get off any grit that can damage your sizing die.

Next, size/de-prime and then tumble.

There's really no reason to tumble prior to sizing. I've been doing it this way for years and my sizing dies all look good-as-new inside.

 

[gojones]

I'm another one who doesn't run anything dirty into my dies. Decap with universal decapper

I assume you are referring to rifle brass? Really doesn't make any difference in my process. I do the above before resizing. I don't worry about lube on brass. Have never had any problems that I am aware of.

 

[papajoe222]

The majority of my brass is only used for a specific rifle and those spent shells never touch the ground.
For range pick ups for the AR, I deprime with the Lee Decapping Die, tumble with a combo of corn and walnut media, FL size, trim, etc. and then run them through another tumbler with a little brass cleaner/polish. I should note that I use different dies for those cases.

 

[Walkalong]

I wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. Do a search hear and that horse has been beat to death. Maybe not as many times as “Hornady vs Dillon” but it’s not a new topic by any means.

Yep. Here's one of them.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...h-results-from-tumbling-loaded-rounds.498890/
.

 

[Axis II]

I throw them in the tumbler after shooting or range pickups for about 3-4hrs and then lube, resize, deprime and if its a smaller batch ill just wipe the lube off with a shop rag but if its larger batches of 20+ I throw them into the tumbler for about 15min just to get lube off and then primer, powder and bullet.

 

[badkarmamib]

@ohihunter2014 same here, works for me!

 

[Ironicaintit]

I tumble first, then size. I wipe the cases down after sizing and they're good to go. I use it as a good opportunity to have each one in hand to inspect the cases.

 

[FROGO207]

If they are visibly covered with dirt/sand I will dump them in a container of water and Dawn for a shake to clean and then dry. I lube, resize, trim if needed, wet clean with SS media, and dry. Tumble finished rounds a short time with corn cob and Nu Finish to stop tarnish and fingerprints unless I will be shooting them up within a week or two, then I do not bother.
You can take tarnished brass wipe it down and reload it. This will work just as well. I just like the bling.

 

[Varminterror]

I'm another one who doesn't run anything dirty into my dies. Decap with universal decapper

I assume you are referring to rifle brass? Really doesn't make any difference in my process. I do the above before resizing. I don't worry about lube on brass. Have never had any problems that I am aware of.

I have no idea why you might have inferred from what you quoted of my post I was only referring to rifle brass. I assure you, if I were selectively addressing rifle brass, I would have called it out.

I don't size dirty brass, rifle, pistol, or revolver. Period. I might not lube all of my pistol and revolver brass when using carbide dies, so if such was the part with which you took exception, you didn't quote that, hence my confusion. Since you quoted the decapping part and the fact I don't run dirty brass into my dies, I assume you were questioning that part - both are true for all of the cartridges I reload, about 40 of them.

 

[hdwhit]

I clean my brass in a solution of detergent and a weak acid (citric acid, vinegar, oxolic acid) and then decap. The brass does not touch the intereior of the decap die so it doesn't risk damage. I then dry the cases, lube, size, trim, chamfer, debur and (if necessary) remove the primer crimp. I then tumble in untreated walnut media without additives which removed the lubricant and imparts a nice shine.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I tumble bottleneck rifle brass until completely clean. Then I lube with Imperial Sizing Wax and size. I wipe off the lube with a rag and that's it.