Tumbling Brass before or after depriming?
- Thread starter Ontariooutdoorsman
- Start date
I deprime using an universal depriming die, so I don't get my real dies dirty or scratch them. Even if it does scratch the depriming die, it's not really expensive compared to high quality resizing dies. Then I tumble. Wet tumbling with stainless steel. Not having the primer there makes drying a lot faster and easier.
I know a wet tumbler costs like 3X as much, but then media is reusable and it does a much, much cleaner job than walnut or corncub.
Dry tumblers also project a lot of fine dirth in the air. So unless you do it outside or in a garage or somewhere you don't mind having a lot of fine particle (aka dust), wet tumbling is much better. Never tried an ultrasonic cleaner, but from the top of my head I'd go ultrasonic before I'd go the dry tumbling route.
Removing all the stuck media from flasholes would rive me nut. Tumbling for 4-6 hours compared to 1-3 hours with wet tumbling is too long. To each their own, but personnaly, I would never get into dry tumbling; that's just too much work. Compare it to washing anything in your life: clothes, yourself, whatever. How many of those thing would you attempt to wash without water? Personnaly, none.
Anyway, that's not what you asked, but here it is:
1-Deprime (using universal depriming die);
2-Tumble;
3-Dry;
4-Congratulation, you've just got clean unprimed cases, go on with your usual reloading technique.
I guess if you use a dedicated single stage press with an universal depriming die to deprime (or Frankford depriming device, if it works well, I really don't know if it does), you could use the same method without much problem even with dry tumbling. Make sure you keep the depriming pin on your resizer so it pushes out stuck media, and you should be good to go.
I know a wet tumbler costs like 3X as much, but then media is reusable and it does a much, much cleaner job than walnut or corncub.
Dry tumblers also project a lot of fine dirth in the air. So unless you do it outside or in a garage or somewhere you don't mind having a lot of fine particle (aka dust), wet tumbling is much better. Never tried an ultrasonic cleaner, but from the top of my head I'd go ultrasonic before I'd go the dry tumbling route.
Removing all the stuck media from flasholes would rive me nut. Tumbling for 4-6 hours compared to 1-3 hours with wet tumbling is too long. To each their own, but personnaly, I would never get into dry tumbling; that's just too much work. Compare it to washing anything in your life: clothes, yourself, whatever. How many of those thing would you attempt to wash without water? Personnaly, none.
Anyway, that's not what you asked, but here it is:
1-Deprime (using universal depriming die);
2-Tumble;
3-Dry;
4-Congratulation, you've just got clean unprimed cases, go on with your usual reloading technique.
I guess if you use a dedicated single stage press with an universal depriming die to deprime (or Frankford depriming device, if it works well, I really don't know if it does), you could use the same method without much problem even with dry tumbling. Make sure you keep the depriming pin on your resizer so it pushes out stuck media, and you should be good to go.
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I deprive my cases on a cheap Lee single stage with the universal decapper, then toss them in my Harbour Freight tumbler with 1lb stainless media in each tumbling container. Then business as usual! I use Lee case lube diluted 1:10-1:7 with isoalcol and shake in a large ziploc freezer bag and let them dry for a day or so; not tacky when dry and no powder sticks! Your brass have to be completely dry or the can get stuck in your FL resizing die.....
- Location
- West Quebec
What's the size of your Tumbler?
Lots of different procedure methods from shooters/hunters. All of them sound good to me. Some find it time consuming doing certain things, however for me personally, I enjoy the timely brass prep. My man cave has everything, 58" television, reloading bench, guns, mounts, antlers, photo's, the whole shebang. I can be down there all day reloading, watching hunting shows, movies and not know that there is another world outside of my cave. I've been reloading since 1982, yup going on 35 years, and I still enjoy it!
- Location
- Meaford Ontario
dry tumble to get rid of most of the soot, grime and sand (from my outdoor range) before depriming. After depriming I wet tumble to clean primer pockets etc. May be inefficient, or unnecessary etc. But I like clean shiny brass!
- Location
- Kawartha Lakes
Plenty of opinions...good thing
Many reloaded before wet tumbling was prevalent although I understand the benefits wet tumbling...I'm reluctant to buy a wet tumbler after all the $ I just dropped on other reloading chit although it may be my next investment......although....people reloaded for years before wet tumbling......so many opinions, options and dollars.
Many reloaded before wet tumbling was prevalent although I understand the benefits wet tumbling...I'm reluctant to buy a wet tumbler after all the $ I just dropped on other reloading chit although it may be my next investment......although....people reloaded for years before wet tumbling......so many opinions, options and dollars.cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
Tumble, lube case, resize and decap, back into tumbler to remove lube. Trim, Prime, charge, seat bullet and shoot!
Admire my awesome groups, puff up my chest, tease my brother inlaw the his gun doesn't shoot as well as mine, ROTFL!.......then repeat!
Admire my awesome groups, puff up my chest, tease my brother inlaw the his gun doesn't shoot as well as mine, ROTFL!.......then repeat!
Plenty of opinions...good thing
Wet tumbling vs dry tumbling is almost as big a difference as progressive press vs single stage press. I really don't understand the abuse dry tumblers are willing to take to say they keep their old technology.
Actually, a better analogy would be that dry tumbling is like lighting your house with candles, and wet tumbling is like having electricity.
Back when I tumbled with dry media, I did not deprime prior to tumbling. Rifle cases were tumbled briefly after sizing to remove lube.
My current process with wet SS media is as follows:
-Wash cases in hot, soapy water to clean them enough for sizing
-Dry with food dehydrator.
-Size/deprime cases
-Tumble to remove lube and clean to shiny state
-Dry with food dehydrator
-Trim and/or ream primer pockets as needed
Pistol cases are simply tumbled as-is and dried.
My current process with wet SS media is as follows:
-Wash cases in hot, soapy water to clean them enough for sizing
-Dry with food dehydrator.
-Size/deprime cases
-Tumble to remove lube and clean to shiny state
-Dry with food dehydrator
-Trim and/or ream primer pockets as needed
Pistol cases are simply tumbled as-is and dried.
I have both the Hornady sonic tumbler and a RCBS dry tumbler. I use the Hornady One Shot Sonic Clean solution before depriming the brass and then afterwards, use the dry tumbler with crushed walnut to make the brass super shiny and to remove the lube. I'd throw it back in the sonic tumbler because it's so much quicker and I wouldn't have to worry about removing the media that may get stuck in the flash hole or primer pocket but the sonic cleaner just doesn't make my brass near as purdy looking. Anybody else find that with their sonic tumbler using this product?
I'm pretty sure I'm using enough of the sonic cleaning fluid. I am following the instructions. My plan all along when I bought the sonic cleaner was to phase out the dry tumbler but I'm still having to use it if I want to remain anal about shiny brass. I know my rifles don't care one way or the other,,,maybe I shouldn't either. LOL
I'm pretty sure I'm using enough of the sonic cleaning fluid. I am following the instructions. My plan all along when I bought the sonic cleaner was to phase out the dry tumbler but I'm still having to use it if I want to remain anal about shiny brass. I know my rifles don't care one way or the other,,,maybe I shouldn't either. LOL
