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case cleaning

2K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  76Highboy 
#1 ·
im new to reloading and I am trying to learn as much as I can. My question is do I deprime the cases before cleaning or after? Or does it matter.
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum Greg. To me it is a question of how you clean your brass and what you use to clean it with.

If you use a standard or vibratory tumbler with corncob media, I would say clean your brass before you deprime so that that the depriming pin can push out any of the media that might get stuck in the flash hole.

If you use a standard or vibratory tumbler with crushed walnut shell media, I would say that cleaning your brass before or after you deprime would not make a difference because the media is so fine that it will not get stuck in the flash hole.

If you use a wet solution to clean the brass, then deprime first so the primer pocket can be cleaned at the same time as the rest of the brass.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the forum, Greg. You've found the best place to get help with your reloading questions and a whole lot more. The only dumb question around here is the one you didn't ask, but should have. Better to ask than risk an "accident". There is tons of experience here, and people here are glad to help out. We're a friendly bunch that likes a good chat and a good laugh.

What are you reloading?

I was going to say the same thing...gdmoody, you just got it said a little faster than I did. ;)
 
#5 ·
Just be warned, Greg...you are about to willingly subject yourself to an extremely addictive activity.

It will, and it won't, save you money. I save anywhere from a third to half the cost of factory loads, and I have tailored my rounds for my gun. But now I shoot more, so it still costs about the same.

There is a real satisfaction when you squeeze that trigger, hear the "bang" and see the hole in the paper and realise "I made that".

Start out slow and cautiously. Check and recheck, and especially check the case for powder before seating the bullet.

With my first order of supplies I got a kinetic bullet puller. One of my well-used purchases.
 
#6 ·
Ok. Thanks for the help. I am anxious to get started. Just bought an RCBS rock chucker press kit. I should say I ordered it. Should have it tomorrow or tues. Already have the tumbler for cleaning and a can of Titegroup powder, lots of brass, and very little experience. But I will learn!
 
#7 ·
Welcome to the forum! Another helpful tip, put a light above your work station so you can see into the cases as you work them. Helps to eliminate double charges! Real bad things can happen when you double charge a case!:D
 
#8 ·
In my opinion, Titegroup is one of the better pistol powders out there. I use it for just about all of my pistol loads. It is a fast burning powder so you use a little less that some of the other ones and as Myles (carver) mentioned double charging is not a good thing. It is easy to double charge Titegroup. I had a double charged .45 ACP earlier this year, look at post #13 in this thread: http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/threads/range-report-revised-1-29.144689/
 
#9 ·
Welcome to TFF. Reloading will help you learn so much more about shooting and will keep you that much more interested. Read as much as you can. IMO there are two must reads, The ABC's of Reloading and the Lyman Manual. They are really the definitive guides to reloading. The manuals by the bullet manufacturers are also great, and there are many really good threads here to follow.

Good luck and welcome to the club!
 
#10 ·
I use a universal depriming die to remove the spent primers before cleaning unless the brass is range brass that's really nasty, then I'll tumble to knock the worst of the crud off before depriming. I use lizard litter on bottleneck cases and corncob for straight walled cases and inspect for clogged flash holes during my post-cleaning inspection. I'll end up inspecting the brass about four times during and after the loading process!
 
#11 ·
I'm another one that deprimes first using a universal decapping die. When I size, I still use the decapping pin to clear any media that may be stuck in the flash hole. Or if I decide to clean the pockets, I keep a pick handy to clear the flash hole. Welcome to the addiction.
 
#13 ·
I start with a soap and water wash first, then deprime, and ultrasonic clean.

The soap and water wash is to get off the major crud. It cuts down on the grit that goes into the die. If there are little rocks or mud, the wash cleans that out, too. After everything air dries, I have a choice - Deprime using a dedicated decapping die, or use the sizing die, which also decaps.

My choice is to use the decapping die on shells that are only going to be neck sized, and the full sizing die on anything that needs the full sizing (Everything else, and all pistol brass). Without the grit, the dies don't get scratched, and wear, and neither does the brass.

A lot of the crud is removed before sizing, but it's not really "Clean".

After sizing, the ultrasonic cleaning gets everything but stains off. It's not shiny at this point, but it is clean enough to reload. If want shiny after all this, then I use a tumbler on it.

HTH
 
#14 ·
Reloaders use all kinds of methods to clean brass and the idea of how thorough the cleaning is controversial.

The reason we clean brass is to remove any dirt on the outside of the case that may scratch the highly machined surfaces of the sizing die which if scratched will transfer a scratch to every case sized in the die after that.

It is not necessary or desirable to remove all the carbon from the interior of the case as what is there acts as a lubricant to the bullet entering the case during seating of the bullet. Cases without that carbon (think like new) tend to grab at the bullet as it enter the case during seating which can distort the case or even crush the case wall. Once fired cases, with a coating of carbon on the interior of the case, seat bullets much easier and without case wall damage.

All that is necessary is a vibratory cleaning machine using walnut shell media or corn cob media. The walnut shell media removes stains leaving a more satin finish and the corn cob media polishes the surface with some tough stains remaining. I prefer the walnut shell media. The sizing die will burnish the surface of the case no matter which media is used leaving the cases with more than enough shine. More than you get this way, is a waste of time and effort and adds nothing to the cartridge's performance. Bling is not accuracy.

Media can lodge in the the primer hole in the case. De-priming after cleaning allows the de-priming pin of the sizer die to push out any lodged media. Do the de-priming before cleaning and you risk totally inconsistent combustion in the case of media lodged in the primer hole and a bullet stuck in the barrel (been there, done that).

LDBennett
 
#15 ·
i clean mine first, as i don't want grit and dirt in resize dies, which are usually also my deprime dies.

you can however get a 10$ universal lee deprime die and deprime then clean if you so desire, especially if you wet clean.
 
#16 ·
The first thing, before cleaning the cases is to get a quality reloading manual. Read this while the cases are tumbling/vibrating in the cleaner. My procedure for cleaning brass is if it's range brass, or brass of unknown pedigree, I tumble it in a 25% -75% mix of crushed walnut hulls and ground corn cob. From there the clean brass goes to the re-sizing process then sometimes back into the tumbler, this time with 100% treated walnut hulls (I like clean shiney brass). Overkill perhaps, but each time I handle the case it gives me another opportunity to inspect it for flaws.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Greg
I get range brass and it sometimes it's really dirty so I want to clean it as best possible before I put it into the resizing/depriming die. So I chose to get the LEE universal depriming die that doesn't resize only takes the primer out. So I like to the deprime with it and then I use a rock tumbler with steel pins and a tiny bit of Era detergent.
regards
Chris

With the LEE universal deprime the replacement pin is about 3$ I'd get a couple Spare. Use a magnet to find steel cases they will likely be berdan primed and break your pin/punch which you will have a spare.
 
#20 ·
With the LEE universal deprime the replacement pin is about 3$ I'd get a couple Spare. Use a magnet to find steel cases they will likely be berdan primed and break your pin/punch which you will have a spare.
Good advice. Isn't the Lee die designed like the rest of their sizing dies, with the collet to allow the stem to move up if it hits a troublesome spot? I use the RCBS. As an emergency, I can cut down a finishing nail and replace the pin.
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yeah but they don't allow much extra rod so if the pin bends or breaks you pretty much have to replace it. With my mini lathe I could turn down some rod stock to make my own but I just bought a couple of extra. There is more room for error of the case not centering perfectly with the Lee deprime only die so you have to be a little more careful when you deprime.

Funny you just made me think of a improvement, I can take a broken punch from the Lee deprime and thread the RCBS .223 ball expander deprime part onto it and then have a universal Lee deprime with RCBS OR finish nail replacement pins! Thanks
 
#22 ·
It does not matter which way you do it. If you deprime/resize and then tumble make sure to check each primer pocket flash hole. The flash hole is sized for specific ignition characteristics so if there is a piece of media in the flash hole it can cost you a misfire or a squib. Squibs cost barrels to buldge. Ouch.

I only tumble long enough to get the case clean so they feed smoothly into the chamber/cylinder and so the dies last longer. Past that there is no need to endlessly tumble them however, I am guilty of turning the tumbler on before calling it quits and turning it off in the morning.

One last thing. If you deprime/resize before tumbling a little Hornady One Shot Case Lube or RCBS spray lube will help them slip in and out of the dies with ease. A little goes a long ways and I have never had any problems running fired un-tumbled cases in my dies.
 
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