taurus4life
New member
if your cleaning your brass is it best to do it with the spent primers in them or deprime them first then clean them, thanks for any info
cleaning brass w/wo primers
- Thread starter taurus4life
- Start date
If you clean with them out you'll get at least some portion of the primer residue out, but you have more likelihood of getting media caught in the primer pocket vent (flashhole) as Chewie says, so you still need a decapping pin to run down into them to push them out during sizing. I've never had rounds failing to fire because the primer pockets hadn't been cleaned, but most of the progressive loading machine makers will tell you to clean them when the primers cease to seat fully. IME, the stuff tends to get blown out by the next primer. That may interfere a little with with ignition regularity, so with loads that are not ignition critical for accuracy purposes, like .45 ACP target loads, I just ignore the issue and let the machine decap and size at the same time and the pockets never get cleaned.
On rifle rounds, which I don't load progressively anyway, I do decap separately before cleaning. There is some evidence high power rifle rounds benefit from preventing hard carbon particles from the primer residue from contributing to throat erosion, so getting them clean is more utilitarian there. Some also use a primer pocket depth uniforming cutter to clean primer pockets in order to keep shaving the web at the bottom of the primer pocket back to the same depth for further ignition consistency. Also, in military style gas guns with floating firing pins, high primers are a slamfire hazard, so anything that might prevent the primer seating to full depth is desirable to clean out, even if the effect isn't great. Whether you go that far or not, it can't hurt to have uniform primer pockets for ignition consistency in ammunition for accurate rifles.
On rifle rounds, which I don't load progressively anyway, I do decap separately before cleaning. There is some evidence high power rifle rounds benefit from preventing hard carbon particles from the primer residue from contributing to throat erosion, so getting them clean is more utilitarian there. Some also use a primer pocket depth uniforming cutter to clean primer pockets in order to keep shaving the web at the bottom of the primer pocket back to the same depth for further ignition consistency. Also, in military style gas guns with floating firing pins, high primers are a slamfire hazard, so anything that might prevent the primer seating to full depth is desirable to clean out, even if the effect isn't great. Whether you go that far or not, it can't hurt to have uniform primer pockets for ignition consistency in ammunition for accurate rifles.
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I use 20/40 grit corn for tumbling. This size does not pack in the primer cup or lodge in the flash hole.
I prefer to sort, inspect, and deprime at the same time. When the brass comes out of the tumbler, it is ready to be loaded into the case feeder. I do this in the garage and reload in the house.
This eliminates the ash in the primer pocket and eliminated spent primers falling on the floor in the house.
Keep the dirty jobs outside and the clean one inside.
I prefer to sort, inspect, and deprime at the same time. When the brass comes out of the tumbler, it is ready to be loaded into the case feeder. I do this in the garage and reload in the house.
This eliminates the ash in the primer pocket and eliminated spent primers falling on the floor in the house.
Keep the dirty jobs outside and the clean one inside.
For handgun calibers ....I clean everything with the spent primers still in the cases. I don't think it matters - even for local competition shoots.
After I clean them - then I inspect the cases for dents, cracks, etc ...and sort them out into a separate box for loading / to be fed into the case feeder when I'm ready for that caliber.
After I clean them - then I inspect the cases for dents, cracks, etc ...and sort them out into a separate box for loading / to be fed into the case feeder when I'm ready for that caliber.
serf 'rett
New member
Punch out the primers first, then wet tumble with stainless media. Pockets come out clean. May have one or two pieces of brass, out of 150, with a couple of sst pins stuck in the flash hole; easily removed with needle nose pliers.
I remove the primers, I tumble, then I check the cases for media in the case and flash hole, if I allowed something as small and insignificant as tumbling media in the flash hole hang me up, in my opinion, my problems would be manifested every time my patients were tried and tested.
Anyhow, I have time to check each and every case for media in the flash hole, and when I find a flash hole plugged with media I do not scorn the day I started/learned to reload, I just remove the obstruction.
And when using a case trimmer that has a pilot that can not be inserted in to the neck of a sized case, I trim the case first then size, I still have the older RCBS colet trimmer, still the 30 cal pilot measures .308, and I ask myself, this is a RCBS trimmer with RCBS pilots, did they plan of sizing before trimming? If so why didn't they include a pilot that would fit a sized case?? None of this stuff hangs me up, and I have the patients, and I do not sell SS pins, liquid tumbling chemicals.
F. Guffey
Anyhow, I have time to check each and every case for media in the flash hole, and when I find a flash hole plugged with media I do not scorn the day I started/learned to reload, I just remove the obstruction.
And when using a case trimmer that has a pilot that can not be inserted in to the neck of a sized case, I trim the case first then size, I still have the older RCBS colet trimmer, still the 30 cal pilot measures .308, and I ask myself, this is a RCBS trimmer with RCBS pilots, did they plan of sizing before trimming? If so why didn't they include a pilot that would fit a sized case?? None of this stuff hangs me up, and I have the patients, and I do not sell SS pins, liquid tumbling chemicals.
F. Guffey
chris in va
New member
I just toss in the dirty brass straight from the range, primer and all.
maggys drawers
New member
If you want some cleaning action on the primer pockets with a vibe tumbler, try this.
Deprime with a universal decapping die. Tumble. Then run through the resizer die with the decapping rod still in place. That will remove any media from your flash hole while you risize at the same time.
It adds an extra step, but you get the benefits of a somewhat cleaner primer pocket. Otherwise, just leave the primers in and tumble. I never cleaned a pistol round primer pocket in my life. I always cleaned the pockets in rifle brass.
I switched to stainless media and agree with sef 'rett. That is the way to go if you can afford the initial set up. Decap and tumble...those primer pockets shine like a diamond in a goat's b**t.
Deprime with a universal decapping die. Tumble. Then run through the resizer die with the decapping rod still in place. That will remove any media from your flash hole while you risize at the same time.
It adds an extra step, but you get the benefits of a somewhat cleaner primer pocket. Otherwise, just leave the primers in and tumble. I never cleaned a pistol round primer pocket in my life. I always cleaned the pockets in rifle brass.
I switched to stainless media and agree with sef 'rett. That is the way to go if you can afford the initial set up. Decap and tumble...those primer pockets shine like a diamond in a goat's b**t.
For me, it depends on the method I'm using at the time.
When doing liquid tumbling, I tumble without the primers, comes out cleaner and quicker with nothing in the flashhole
When doing media tumbling with corncob or similar, I tumble with the primers because I hate going to every third piece of brass and having to pry something out of the flashhole
When doing liquid tumbling, I tumble without the primers, comes out cleaner and quicker with nothing in the flashhole
When doing media tumbling with corncob or similar, I tumble with the primers because I hate going to every third piece of brass and having to pry something out of the flashhole
maggys drawers
New member
It's a pretty rare sight. Sort of a cross between
and , with a little thrown in for good measure.The best time to see it is during a snipe hunt or while cow tipping.
serf 'rett
New member
I, for one, certainly hope Maggy Ds DOES NOT choose to enlighten the city slicker twins. While Maggys’ goat illustration is colorful and imaginative, I fear an actual picture will be lacking in aesthetic appeal. I’ve been around goats a few times. The following comments are related to reloading pistol brass.
I’ll mention one reason I de-prime first is I mostly do this operation in my shop. If an occasional primer escapes, it gets swept up with the saw dust. Even though de-priming is an additional step, I dislike sizing dirty brass; therefore, I de-prime, tumble and then size. Tumbling with the stainless pins gets the brass super clean.
On another note, when I was tumbling with walnut/corn cob media, I had little difficulty in removing the media from the flash holes and it took very little time. The cases are dropped into a box containing a couple of factory ammo plastic trays. I find that the white plastic trays from Federal 40S&W ammo are a good size. The box is shaken side to side, causing the cases to drop into the tray. About 95 percent of the pistol cases will drop into the tray bottom first. Takes only few seconds to flip the few mouth down pieces to now be mouth up. Take a quick look into all the cases for problems, then flip the tray into another tray, a Remington tray with the skeletonized bottom works good for this. Now you are looking at all the primer pockets. I have a small piece of wood with a nail protruding from the end, which I used to quickly remove any media. With this method, the cleanup of the loose media is easier than media scattered by a de-priming pin during sizing.
Caught a snipe once, but the critter didn't play by the rules. They are supposed to run through your legs as you straddle the snipe trail. Our snipe led us on a merry chase through a downed pine tree, a creek and a blackberry bramble. Even then it took four of us to run him to ground. True story! Note - do not get caught tipping cows.
I’ll mention one reason I de-prime first is I mostly do this operation in my shop. If an occasional primer escapes, it gets swept up with the saw dust. Even though de-priming is an additional step, I dislike sizing dirty brass; therefore, I de-prime, tumble and then size. Tumbling with the stainless pins gets the brass super clean.
On another note, when I was tumbling with walnut/corn cob media, I had little difficulty in removing the media from the flash holes and it took very little time. The cases are dropped into a box containing a couple of factory ammo plastic trays. I find that the white plastic trays from Federal 40S&W ammo are a good size. The box is shaken side to side, causing the cases to drop into the tray. About 95 percent of the pistol cases will drop into the tray bottom first. Takes only few seconds to flip the few mouth down pieces to now be mouth up. Take a quick look into all the cases for problems, then flip the tray into another tray, a Remington tray with the skeletonized bottom works good for this. Now you are looking at all the primer pockets. I have a small piece of wood with a nail protruding from the end, which I used to quickly remove any media. With this method, the cleanup of the loose media is easier than media scattered by a de-priming pin during sizing.
Caught a snipe once, but the critter didn't play by the rules. They are supposed to run through your legs as you straddle the snipe trail. Our snipe led us on a merry chase through a downed pine tree, a creek and a blackberry bramble. Even then it took four of us to run him to ground. True story! Note - do not get caught tipping cows.
Cleaned some pistol primer pockets once, didn't much care for it. Neglected to deprime a few BP fired 45-90 cases until after washing and drying, didn't much care for that neither. I tumble my rifle brass twice; once before sizing to keep my sizer clean and once after to remove the lube. Since I'm going to inspect the case at that point anyway clearing the flash hole is no biggie. While we're on the subject I don't want my cases resembling anything up a caprine rectum so I guess I'll keep using walnut media.
oldreloader
New member
I deprime with a universal decapper, tumble then resize with decapping pin in place. I just like clean brass going into my dies.
When I first get back from the range, I deprime everything with a universal decapping die. Then I touch the primer pockets to an RCBS primer pocket brush mounted in my Lyman power case trimmer. Then into the tumbler for a clean up before sizing.
Do I think primer pockets have to be cleaned? No. I just like seating my primers into clean pockets. I also don't have to tumble my brass to clean and shine it. But I take pride in my reloads and it is just part of my process. I wouldn't tell anyone to clean primer pockets or deprime before tumbling, but this is what I do.
Your process and interest in loading will determine how you decide to do things.
Do I think primer pockets have to be cleaned? No. I just like seating my primers into clean pockets. I also don't have to tumble my brass to clean and shine it. But I take pride in my reloads and it is just part of my process. I wouldn't tell anyone to clean primer pockets or deprime before tumbling, but this is what I do.
Your process and interest in loading will determine how you decide to do things.