Do you decap pistol brass before tumbling?

[Kryogen]

Do you decap pistol brass before tumbling?
Seems like an extra step to me. I usually do it but I wonder if I should just dump all that in some corncob with polish, tumble whole night, and the next day just fly on the progressive?

Primer pockets will never be cleaned, is that even an issue?

I find that reloading takes me way too much time. Maybe I over do it?

 

[Gleevo]

Many people don't tumble at all. I tumble with primer intact, usually for several hours. Although I love the look of wet SS tumbled brass I wouldn't want to decap all my brass, then clean it, then run it through the dillon to reload. Never had an issue with dirty primer pockets yet.

 

[trebor2880]

I agree with Gleevo

 

[sendmorebrains]

I remove the spent primer on all my pistol and rifle brass.

This batch of .223 just came out and the 9mm is now in the SS tumbler with the primers removed.

 

[TIPPY91]

same here x3

 

[07blackwater]

Tumble with primer in with pistol.

 

[redddogg69]

Many people don't tumble at all. I tumble with primer intact, usually for several hours. Although I love the look of wet SS tumbled brass I wouldn't want to decap all my brass, then clean it, then run it through the dillon to reload. Never had an issue with dirty primer pockets yet.

Just decaped 2000 or so 9mm cases on my lee single stage. I will now ultra sonic them and hand prime before running them through my dillon 650. In the future I'm just going to grab a spare tool head and decap on the Dillon. On the bright side my right arm can tear the head off a bear now.

 

[Ganderite]

I tumble with primer in. No so much to make it pretty, but to make it clean so it sizes smoothly. So I want to tumble before de-capping.

 

[triplepete]

I tumble with cob/walnut with primers. On to progressive with no pocket cleaning. Never had an issue.

For hunting rifle, tumble with, decap and size. Clean pockets, prime, charge, and seat bullet.

 

[cheier]

I tumble with primer in. No so much to make it pretty, but to make it clean so it sizes smoothly. So I want to tumble before de-capping.

This probably makes the most sense to me. I was wondering the same question as well, but it makes sense to get bullet lube and powder residue off the brass before putting it through the sizing/decapping die.

 

[10 X]

I tumble only to clean if the cases are dirty. Purchased an ultra sonic cleaner recently. Cases don't look as nice but they are clean in and out which is nice when multiple reloads of match ammo is needed on a case. The dirty cases actually increase pressure after 5-6 loadings! I never worry about cleaning primer pockets on pistol or hunting/varmint ammo. Always clean on match ammo. I haven't done any tests to see if this step is even necessary for the accuracy I need in my matches.

 

[Shooter ----/]

Decap and resize on the LEE presses, then SS tumble for all my brass. Only need to clean it once and when doing pistol, it keeps my 650 clean when loading.

 

[Nipigon Jack]

Just decaped 2000 or so 9mm cases on my lee single stage. I will now ultra sonic them and hand prime before running them through my dillon 650. In the future I'm just going to grab a spare tool head and decap on the Dillon. On the bright side my right arm can tear the head off a bear now.

I like your idea of a spare tool head and decap on the Dillon. That will be a massive time saver. I decap a couple hundred at a time and tumble with SS pins before reloading once I have a thousand empties ready. No real reason for clean primer pockets other than it satisifes my OCD

 

[Kryogen]

obviously I decap with a decapping die, not with the sizing die.
Separate decap toolhead on the dillon is planned when I get my dillon.

 

[Garand]

Tumble with primer in with pistol.

Been doing it for years, encountered np problems because of it.

 

[sunray]

"...Primer pockets will never be cleaned..." It can be. Wouldn't worry about it until you have problems seating primers. Worse that can happen is having the primer pockets fill with media.
"...takes me way too much time..." You're doing something wrong. Speed is a technique thing.

 

[bush1]

I decap before tumbling because of the lead contamination that comes out of the primers during tumbling. Read that in the Lee Reloading bible.
Its an extra step but reloading is a hobby for me so outright speed is not a priority

 

[bluesclues]

I tumble with primer in. No so much to make it pretty, but to make it clean so it sizes smoothly. So I want to tumble before de-capping.

This what I do also.

I then re-tumble all ammo after all done to make it all shiny and remove lube.

 

[silverfoxdj]

tagged

 

[Cleftwynd]

I tumble with primer in. No so much to make it pretty, but to make it clean so it sizes smoothly. So I want to tumble before de-capping.

I bought a cheap Lee Challenger press and use a redding decapping die. Deprime all my brass this way then tumble with SS in a Thumblers, that's how I make sure all my dies see only clean brass. It also cleans the primer pockets out like new brass.