Cleaning

[cmass]

Does my thinking make sense? Clean before sizing and de-capping to minimize abrasion on sizing dies. I've never heard any thing specific like YOU MUST CLEAN FIRST, I get the impression most people size first.
Thanks for input.
CMASS

 

[riderrick]

i use a universal decapper and decap before cleaning. using stailess steel media and water makes the caps soft so the end pops off before the cap comes out, too often.

 

[shredder]

I clean my brass first, before anything else.

I don't deprime/size before cleaning, because I use a vibratory cleaner and I don't want the media in the primer pocket or flash hole.

Since I reload mostly for pistol, my pistol dies are all carbide, which means that lube isn't needed. You're not going to abrade carbide dies with anything short of a diamond grinding wheel.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

i use a universal decapper and decap before cleaning. using stailess steel media and water makes the caps soft so the end pops off before the cap comes out, too often.

cap?

 

[riderrick]

the face of the primer breaks away and leaves a ring in the pimer pocket

 

[shredder]

i use a universal decapper and decap before cleaning. using stailess steel media and water makes the caps soft so the end pops off before the cap comes out, too often.

cap?

I think he's referring to the primer?

 

[bigedp51]

I have four gas operated rifles and the brass ends up on the ground, before sizing I clean the brass by wet tumbling with stainless steel media to make sure I do not scratch and damage my dies with dirt or grit.

 

[SandRoad]

i use a universal decapper and decap before cleaning. using stailess steel media and water makes the caps soft so the end pops off before the cap comes out, too often.

With rifle cases I also use a universal decapper (primer remover). This is die that has a wide inside body that doesn't touch any part of the case. You can also use any die larger than the case you are depriming.

For handgun brass, and occasionally "blasting" rifle ammo, I don't deprime, just clean (dry media) and reload.

 

[kamlooky]

I've always wondered about knocking the primer out before the tumbling?
This is what I do with a decapping die.
I always spend time getting the media out of the flash hole and primer pocket.
Pizzes me off, but at least I have a careful look at the flash hole.
Leaving the primer in while tumbling, does this work in keeping the media out
of the flash hole?
It's been said that tumbling with the primer out helps clean the primer pocket.
This is not my experience.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

I've always wondered about knocking the primer out before the tumbling?
This is what I do with a decapping die.
I always spend time getting the media out of the flash hole and primer pocket.
Pizzes me off, but at least I have a careful look at the flash hole.
Leaving the primer in while tumbling, does this work in keeping the media out
of the flash hole?
It's been said that tumbling with the primer out helps clean the primer pocket.
This is not my experience.

primer pockets will be cleaned when using stainless steel, otherwise it just gets jammed up with media.

i always tumble (walnut) with primers in. media still gets stuck in the flash hole, but it doesn't bother my depriming rod much.

 

[07blackwater]

I use a universal decap die then tumble. While inspecting my brass after, if I see any media in a flash hole I just push it out with a decapping rod from the primer side.

 

[riderrick]

with the ss media the brass comes back looking virgin, including the primer pocket. no media stuck anywhere

 

[Cleftwynd]

Redding universal decapping die, small and large, then tumble is SS, then size, measure, trim, load and shoot.

 

[cmass]

Thanks all, you have cleared the fog.
CMASS

 

[hometownhero]

I use an ultrasonic cleaner so I size and deprime first. Brass comes out looking like new