when to de-prime - newbie question
- Thread starter jvberryjr
- Start date
- Status
ranger335v
Member
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2006
- Messages
- 3,797
Do it any way you wish but if you're going to "clean the brass" it's better to do it before resizing.
I've developed a preference for decapping with a Lee universal decapper, then tumbling and resizing so the decap pin clears any tumbling media stuck in the flash holes at the same time.
I've developed a preference for decapping with a Lee universal decapper, then tumbling and resizing so the decap pin clears any tumbling media stuck in the flash holes at the same time.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
What caliber?
Two-die bottleneck rifle dies size & deprime in the first die.
Three-die pistol dies size first, and some brands also deprime then.
Other brands expand, bell, and deprime in the second die.
In general, I clean fired brass with walnut media before sizing, just to insure no grit & grim on the cases.
Following sizing, expanding, and depriming, I usually clean primer pockets, trim, debur, and inspect for defective cases.
Then finish polish to get all the case lube, fingerprints, die marks, etc off the cases before loading them.
rc
Zeke/PA
Member
How you wish to deal with tumbling media stuck in the primer pocket/ flash hole area should be the determining factor.
I've gone either way on depriming. My personal experience has been that it really doesn't matter for me. If media stuck in the flash hole becomes a huge problem, a finer media might be a better option.
If I deprime after tumbling, it will get rid of any media in the flash holes. But the rifle cases still need to be tumbled again to remove the case lube, once they've been decapped and resized. I load the brass upside down into a shell holder and run a small pick through any holes that are clogged before seating new primers, as a habit of practice.
If I deprime before tumbling, either way, I still do the same method of putting the cases in a holder upside down and run a pick through any that need it. Few ever need it, since a good few shakes in the media seperator usually dislodges everything.
I guess, ideally, it would go something like tumble-->resize-->tumble-->decap-->prime-->charge-->bullet.
But in reality, decapping and resizing happen at the same time, and I don't see the reason to add another handle pull for something, that in my personal experience, isn't necessary. Anyone, of course, may disagree.
If I deprime after tumbling, it will get rid of any media in the flash holes. But the rifle cases still need to be tumbled again to remove the case lube, once they've been decapped and resized. I load the brass upside down into a shell holder and run a small pick through any holes that are clogged before seating new primers, as a habit of practice.
If I deprime before tumbling, either way, I still do the same method of putting the cases in a holder upside down and run a pick through any that need it. Few ever need it, since a good few shakes in the media seperator usually dislodges everything.
I guess, ideally, it would go something like tumble-->resize-->tumble-->decap-->prime-->charge-->bullet.
But in reality, decapping and resizing happen at the same time, and I don't see the reason to add another handle pull for something, that in my personal experience, isn't necessary. Anyone, of course, may disagree.
Well, I think all caes must be inspected anyway, so if I look at the flash hole to see if any media is there, so? Most times just a tap on the bench will remove any media or a small dental pick. No big deal. I sometimes clean first, to keep my press cleaner, but not a hard and fast rule...
You will need to find out works best for you. The requirement of cleaning is that the flash hole is clear of debris before loading. So, how you manage that is the best way for you.
There are lots of good suggestions above.
I usually decap rifle brass with a universal decapping die first after firing because I have an old press that collects the spent primers better than my newer single stage. The cases are tumbled, resized, trimmed, then tumbled again to clean off the lube and polish.
Pistol brass is tumbled without decapping, resized, decapped, and expanded on my progressive, then polished in the tumbler. Cases are stored away to be loaded at another time. I like the way the progressive handles spent primers and I handle the cases less.
I have consider resizing and decapping rifle cases on the progressive just because the way it handles spent primers. I would still load rifle cases on the single stage though at another time.
cheygriz
member
I deprime with a universal decapping die, wash with warm weater and Tide in a rotary tumbler, dry and then load.
For rifle cases that need lube, I wash again after sizing.
For rifle cases that need lube, I wash again after sizing.
sniper5
Member
Personal preference. Try it both ways and see which one you like.
Everybody seems to reload differently, I know I have my own ways of doing it and even then I'm not terribly consistent.
But generally, I like to decap first with a universal decapping die, then do the cleaning/tumbling, and the rest of the operations later. I'll also usually re-prime all the cases in a batch too. So when I actually start loading, I resize, charge w/powder, then seat/crimp the bullets.
With rifle brass, I'll tumble to clean and polish first, then lube/resize/decap, tumble again to remove the lube, remove the primer pocket crimps on military brass, then do the trimming to length, then deburring the flash holes, then repriming. Sometimes I'll get ambitious and go after the carbon in the primer pockets too. Once they're all cleaned, trimmed and primed, then I'll start putting in powder and bullets.
Like I said, everybody does it a little differently from the next guy. But myself, I prefer to start loading with clean, polished brass that's already primed, I don't like to prime on the press as I'm loading. Just my preference.
But generally, I like to decap first with a universal decapping die, then do the cleaning/tumbling, and the rest of the operations later. I'll also usually re-prime all the cases in a batch too. So when I actually start loading, I resize, charge w/powder, then seat/crimp the bullets.
With rifle brass, I'll tumble to clean and polish first, then lube/resize/decap, tumble again to remove the lube, remove the primer pocket crimps on military brass, then do the trimming to length, then deburring the flash holes, then repriming. Sometimes I'll get ambitious and go after the carbon in the primer pockets too. Once they're all cleaned, trimmed and primed, then I'll start putting in powder and bullets.
Like I said, everybody does it a little differently from the next guy. But myself, I prefer to start loading with clean, polished brass that's already primed, I don't like to prime on the press as I'm loading. Just my preference.
jcwit
member
I deprime first then tumble.
This becomes a non-issue if you use 20/40 grit media. It doesn't glog up the primer pocket or the flash hole. Once again--approx $22.00 shipped to your door for a 40 lb. bag from drillspot. Search blasting medium.
This becomes a non-issue if you use 20/40 grit media. It doesn't glog up the primer pocket or the flash hole. Once again--approx $22.00 shipped to your door for a 40 lb. bag from drillspot. Search blasting medium.
Yeah, that 20/40 corncob with a little NuFinish car polish in it really shines 'em up! Great stuff. I clean my brass first with dry walnut bird litter from PetSmart. It seems to scrub crud off better, and then I use the 20/40 to polish. The walnut sticks in the flash holes, but when I resize the cases the decapping pin in the sizer die pokes it out.
- Status
Similar threads
