A few quick easy questions on brass reloading!

[Lavid2002]

*Factory cheapo brass. Can I load Factory brass untill it shows signs that it should be discarded/after 4 trimmings like store bought brass or is this surplus stuff crap? (Isnt brass, brass?)
*Whats up with the lube that I put inside the neck? Heres my steps......
Tumble cases
Lube inside of neck with q-tip and outside on lubing pad
Size
Wipe clean
Load
-What happens to the lube inside the neck of the casing? I only lube every 5 or 10 casings inside....But it stays in there after resizing....not allot... but wont that stick to the powder, or do something bad like get in my rifle? Should I tuble my cases a second time and THEN wipe them clean?

 

[Army GI]

*Factory cheapo brass. Can I load Factory brass untill it shows signs that it should be discarded/after 4 trimmings like store bought brass or is this surplus stuff crap? (Isnt brass, brass?)

Yes. Most people find that 5 reloads is the average.

Also, military brass (especially Lake City) is regarded by many to be the best kind you can get.

*Whats up with the lube that I put inside the neck? Heres my steps......
Tumble cases
Lube inside of neck with q-tip and outside on lubing pad
Size
Wipe clean
Load
-What happens to the lube inside the neck of the casing? I only lube every 5 or 10 casings inside....But it stays in there after resizing....not allot... but wont that stick to the powder, or do something bad like get in my rifle? Should I tuble my cases a second time and THEN wipe them clean?

I use the Lee sizing lube. They state on the tube that it doesn't affect the powder.

Of course, you can use a dry Q-tip and wipe it dry after you size it if it makes you feel better.

 

[Lavid2002]

Great!

Thanks guys!

 

[NavyLT]

I tumble my cases a second time, but no wiping, that's what the tumbling is for.

If you are using real sizing lube, don't worry about the little bit left inside after the resizing, it won't hurt anything. If you tumble a second time, that is mostly gone as well anyways.

I prefer the RCBS sizing lube over the LEE sizing lube. I think the RCBS has better consistency and I use less of it than the LEE.

Also, I don't use a Q-tip, I just drag the mouth of the case over the lubing pad to scoop up just a bit of lube, or if I have it on my fingers from lubing the cases I will run the case mouth accross my finger.

 

[Lavid2002]

Thats what I was doing!

I was dragging the mouth acrost the pad every 5 or 10 rounds for some lube

 

[Inspector3711]

I go with graphite on a worn out cleaning brush for neck lube. 2 bucks does thousands of rounds. One of my future purchases will be carbide sizing buttons. After that, no lube needed.

 

[gandog56]

When you say surplus brass, I hope you realize a lot of the milsurp out there is Berdan primed, and not normally reloadable.

 

[Lavid2002]

I know

Berdan primed....I know. I made sure it was boxer Thanks though!

 

[tulsamal]

I tumble my cases a second time, but no wiping, that's what the tumbling is for.

I normally tumble my cases first thing since that's when they are dirty from firing and hitting the ground. I tried tumbling some cases that had been deprimed and sized and a whole lot of them ended up with the media jammed in the primer flash hole. How do you avoid that? Is it just a matter of picking something that is finer (or coarser) than the Midway media I was using?

Gregg

 

[NavyLT]

I don't think you can avoid that. But I still find it's easier to inspect each piece of brass in the flash hole and poke out whatever is in there with a spare decapping pin than it is to individually wipe the lube off each one.

 

[gandog56]

A toothpick is easier and a lot cheaper than another decapping pin.

 

[NavyLT]

Not when you buy a die set from a milsurp dealer and there is an extra decapping pin in the box anyway

 

[Lavid2002]

WOW!

Im doing this from now on. I hate wiping off the lube. Ill just tumble them a second time and clear the flash hole with a toothpick.

 

[ryalred]

I've been tumbling a second time to remove the lube and will never go back to hand wiping each case again. I usually have one of my presses fitted with just a decapping die and if there is any media in a flash hole I just run it through the decapping die and its gone.

 

[Lavid2002]

Heres what I did.....

I sifted the brass, peered thru the flash holes, If it was open i tossed it mouth side up into a reloading bloc, if not...head up so that once I was done I could take a length gauge not screwed into a cutter and pop it into every head-up casing. Then re-check all head up casings, if there clear...flip and moce on to trimming.