de prime used centerfire brass before or after cleaning in a tumbler ?
- Thread starter samcan
- Start date
.30/06 FTW
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Thunder Bay, Ontario
I deprime first with a hand deprimer, then wet tumble. Mostly just to keep my press as clean as possible. Some of the brass I pick up is ridiculously dirty, you’d think it was steel cased.
Deprime.
I purchased an RCBS tumbler and am content with the purchase and the results.
Primer pockets are remarkably clean.
No more push'in bits out of the hole.
Inside of the cases are shiny as well.
Clean slickery brass vs old tarnished brass?
Fark'in things slide right into the chamber and can be jiggled out.
No mehs 'bout it...................
I purchased an RCBS tumbler and am content with the purchase and the results.
Primer pockets are remarkably clean.
No more push'in bits out of the hole.
Inside of the cases are shiny as well.
Clean slickery brass vs old tarnished brass?
Fark'in things slide right into the chamber and can be jiggled out.
No mehs 'bout it...................
I de-prime, resize, wipe off case lube, trim, chamfer, deburr and then placed into the RCBS vibratory cleaner. After 4 hours of the cleaning, I remove all the cases and use a dental tool to pick-out the media kernels from the flash holes. From time-to-time, I use OOOO steel wool to clean the neck and shoulders of the case.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I do not have an RCBS brand - this one is "Frankford Arsenal" brand - I use maybe teaspoon of Dawn soap, and then maybe 1/4 teaspoon of Lemi-Shine powder into the cylinder - 5 pounds of stainless pins and then fill with room temp water to level as per the FA instructions. FA advertising says it is a 7 litre drum - so drum capacity likely affects how much soap to use in it?? I found if I used warm or hot water, was very hard to get the end rings to tighten up to not leak, after they warmed up. Not having that issue with room temperature tap water - and about a couple hours tumbling does not seem to make difference on the brass that come out. But I do use a "strap wrench" to snug up those end caps - my hands no longer grip strong enough.
It might not matter - I de-prime the cases, then tumble clean - then re-size, trim and chamfer and remove the lube - I had read that case mouths might get dinged up when rotary tumbling - although I never proved that one way or other to myself - so why I choose to do the de-prime and tumble first - before the re-sizing, the trim / chamfer and the de-lube.
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That is definitely a thing, I have seen it first hand.
I stopped using SS pins for a bit and the case mouth peening increased exponentially - SS pins seem to cushion the cases and I notice much less peening.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
You don’t need much from my experience if using pins, the more soap you use the more you have to rinse. I find a 9mm case of citric acid and a small squirt of blue Dawn or liquid laundry detergent is plenty, the pins get rid of the grime and the soap degreases it. You’ll quickly see when you start rinsing the tumbled brass if there’s soap residue left behind.
I feel it all comes down to how much time and effort it's worth to the reloader. For all of my reloading, I dry tumble with the spent primer in place. For all of my target ammo, I do not clean the primer pocket. Waste of time for Bullseye League, PPC league, 2-gun, 3-gun, PPC matches, etc. The most inaccurate part of my shooting is ME. My ammo plays a small role in that, as long as it goes "bang" when I pull the trigger.
However, for all of my hunting ammunition, I clean the primer pocket with the Lee primer pocket cleaner tool in a cordless drill. For hunting rounds, I also sort my brass by headstamp and use Federal LRP as I find they are "softer" than others (such as CCI). I also use stick powder for my hunting ammo (usually Varget) as I have had issues with ball powder (which is why I now use LRM primers for ball powders in my rifles).
However, for all of my hunting ammunition, I clean the primer pocket with the Lee primer pocket cleaner tool in a cordless drill. For hunting rounds, I also sort my brass by headstamp and use Federal LRP as I find they are "softer" than others (such as CCI). I also use stick powder for my hunting ammo (usually Varget) as I have had issues with ball powder (which is why I now use LRM primers for ball powders in my rifles).
Dawn dish soap and Lemmishine.
I've herd peepolekind have bin yewsing lawndry soap.
I would try that using very little at first.
My buddy yewses the pins and then taws's them into the vibrayture with corn.
I can't get me brass tuh look like hizz though.
I might be vibrating them too long.
The shine isn't sooooo shiney.
Almost like they'be bin rubbed with steel wool.
So no mo vibratory.
This was my first effort.
If the brass is dirty range pick-up brass, I tumble clean for an hour, to save wear and tear on my sizer die.
If the brass is going to be lubed for sizing, the initial clean tumble is short - half an hour is enough. Then, after sizing, I tumble for 3 hours to remove lube and polish.
If the brass is to be sized dry (pistol brass in a carbide die) I tumble polish first and then size, prime and load.
If the brass is going to be lubed for sizing, the initial clean tumble is short - half an hour is enough. Then, after sizing, I tumble for 3 hours to remove lube and polish.
If the brass is to be sized dry (pistol brass in a carbide die) I tumble polish first and then size, prime and load.
Clean-ish fired rifle brass: De-prime, wet tumble, anneal, size, wipe off case lube, ready for loading.
For very dirty brass I wet tumble first to ensure there isn't dirt interference when sizing, and to reduce die fouling.
Clean-ish handgun brass: De-prime, wet tumble, size (no case lube required with my dies), expander die, ready for loading.
For dirty handgun brass: wet tumble, de-prime/size, wet tumble, expander die, ready for loading.
I use a single stage press for all my reloading. Progressive press users tend to clean first and then de-prime/size on the press (primer pockets do not get cleaned) - much quicker than my single stage.....much quicker.
If trimming is required, I do it after sizing.
For very dirty brass I wet tumble first to ensure there isn't dirt interference when sizing, and to reduce die fouling.
Clean-ish handgun brass: De-prime, wet tumble, size (no case lube required with my dies), expander die, ready for loading.
For dirty handgun brass: wet tumble, de-prime/size, wet tumble, expander die, ready for loading.
I use a single stage press for all my reloading. Progressive press users tend to clean first and then de-prime/size on the press (primer pockets do not get cleaned) - much quicker than my single stage.....much quicker.
If trimming is required, I do it after sizing.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Those look pretty shiny, where did you find the sunlight oxy? Been looking for it but haven’t seen it, I’ve been using a big ass jug of no name laundry detergent. It’s blue just like the blue Dawn, works well. Only need a tiny squirt.
I have noticed something between wet tumbling w/SS pins vs vibratory with walnut/liquid wax, the wet tumbled brass has a deeper tone to it. More of a deeper gold colour, the dry media cleaned brass is a lighter lemon yellow colour. Both are equally shiny, I’m guessing it’s due to one having lemi shine and the other not.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Cheers, I haven’t been into Wallyworld in ages. Doubt I’ll need any soap for awhile as my jug has lots in it but nice to know where to look.
