De-Prime before or after tumbling

[MemHeli]

I'm preparing to start reloading for the first time.  Been reading about tumbling media and learning that some folks don't de-prime until after tumbling to help keep pockets clear of debris.  This seems to make lot's of sense to me.  What's the downside of tumbling after de-priming...is pocket inspection very arduous?  I'm thinking about starting with the lizard litter from Walmart (finely crushed walnut shells) as my media.

 

[bubbadavis]

I deprime before tumbling but I also wet tumble with stainless media.

[cknight8]

I deprime before tumble. I've had some media in the primer pockets but it's never been a pain to clear out

[Sidecarist]

I now tumble with Stainless media, but never used to I always used walnut in a rotary, or corn cob in a vibratory. I never had problems with the media getting stuck in cases. This is with DRY media. If you add a cleaning agent to your media let the tumble run for a good while until it is absorbed by all of the media before adding the brass.

 

Walnut and corn cob media won;t clean your primer pockets well anyway so I wouldn't sweat it if the brass inst heavily used.

 

Stainless will clean the primer pockets like new and I now de-prime my brass every other or every third time to clean the pockets good.

 

When time and funds allow get a wet tumbler and SS media. It does a great job and cleans the bras in only 2-3 hours vs. 8+ for walnuts in a rotary.

 

just my 2 cents...

[Omega]

Deprime before here (Lee Universal Depriming Die), I have had media stuck in the flash hole (easily removed) but I started going with corncob with a larger grain and it worked out.  Now I do the wet tumble bit and haven't had an issue.

[DWARREN123]

I deprime after tumbling, why do a extra step not needed with dry media.

[ehull20000]

I deprime before. I use stainless wet tumbling and figure clean primer pockets are cool. I also batch reload so doing a single process a few hundred times is no big deal to me.

[frankmako]

I tumble first then deprive. But I have gone the other way before with rifle brass. No reason just have.

[owejia]

Universal deprimer used before wet tumbling in stainless media. Clean primer pockets, shiney clean brass!!!!!

[musicman]

I tumble in corncob/walnut and deprime AFTER tumbling. One, I don't wanna run dirty brass through my deprime/resizing die. Two, I don't wanna hafta check primer pockets for media.

[gun sane]

Shiny brass isn't required for reloading, but clean brass protects the equipment.  I deprime after tumbling and scrape out primer pocket grunge during case inspection.  If I were reselling the brass, it would be worth my while to make them sparkle, but for now clean and serviceable brass is my main concern.

[MemHeli]

I appreciate everyones input.  I'm going to start out tumbling before de-priming.  We'll see how that goes.

[tercel89]

I appreciate everyones input.  I'm going to start out tumbling before de-priming.  We'll see how that goes.

 

 Just don't clean your brass too much or too long. That is why I made a post a few days ago about how my brass was sticking inside the die when I was expanding them. I called Lee and they said I was cleaning it too long. I had cleaned my 45 brass for 4 hours. I only cleaned my 9mm for an hour and never had troble outta it .

[musicman]

I put some car polish in the media every 4th or 5th batch. Let it run for about 5 minutes before dumping in the brass. Super shiny, super slick brass is the result, and it runs through the dies slicker'n poop through a goose.

[chances R]

I now tumble with Stainless media, but never used to I always used walnut in a rotary, or corn cob in a vibratory. I never had problems with the media getting stuck in cases. This is with DRY media. If you add a cleaning agent to your media let the tumble run for a good while until it is absorbed by all of the media before adding the brass.

 

Walnut and corn cob media won;t clean your primer pockets well anyway so I wouldn't sweat it if the brass inst heavily used.

 

Stainless will clean the primer pockets like new and I now de-prime my brass every other or every third time to clean the pockets good.

 

When time and funds allow get a wet tumbler and SS media. It does a great job and cleans the bras in only 2-3 hours vs. 8+ for walnuts in a rotary.

 

just my 2 cents...

 This  ^  although I don't deprime first, never had the primer inspector come visit.  But, if I were shooting bullseye or long range I probably would.

 

 Just don't clean your brass too much or too long. That is why I made a post a few days ago about how my brass was sticking inside the die when I was expanding them. I called Lee and they said I was cleaning it too long. I had cleaned my 45 brass for 4 hours. I only cleaned my 9mm for an hour and never had troble outta it .

 

I don't get this too clean stuff.  Clean brass is clean brass.  If trouble sticking, try a little shot of Hornady case lube.

Edited March 23, 2016 by chances R

[battleop]

I've tried it both ways on my plinking ammo and I can't tell a difference.   My bolt guns on the other hand are tumbled for about 30 minutes and the they are neck sized and deprimed and go back in the tumbler for a few hours.    I think I'm going to try a wet tumbler soon.  For those that have them are they noisy or about the same as a tumbler?

[owejia]

My tumbler makes more noise than my vibrator does, but they are run in my basement so doesn't interfere with anything else.

[Sidecarist]

I have an extreme tumblers 17 and its not bad. I can have a conversation next to it without yelling. It has a very thick rubber liner in the drum that helps a lot.

 

I doubt I'll ever use a vibratory cleaner again. Its a bit messy to drain, rinse, and remove the pins, but a rotary separator makes it very easy.

 

I can't see the brass being too clean and getting sticky, but I made a mistake once and used too much lemmi shine, and tumbled for maybe 5-6 hours and the brass was clean, but looked like it might actually have a bit of a patina on it. I wonder if this would cause sticking? It didn't seem to with me, but then again I'm using old CH dies that have loaded 30K + 45 ACP, so everything is worn very smooth.

[jtmaze]

Musicman and I must have gone to the same school. Joking....I deprime after just because I de-prime and size in the same step. Just saving a step for me. I really think it is personal choice.

[MemHeli]

 Just don't clean your brass too much or too long. That is why I made a post a few days ago about how my brass was sticking inside the die when I was expanding them. I called Lee and they said I was cleaning it too long. I had cleaned my 45 brass for 4 hours. I only cleaned my 9mm for an hour and never had troble outta it .

 

Yea, I took note!  I could see myself cleaning for too long easily!

[BigK]

I always tumbled first until I started wet tumbling with ss media. I don't mind the extra step of depriming before tumbling. It gives me an extra chance to inspect, sort, and cull out the military crimped brass from the good stuff.

[Grunt67]

I deprime before tumbling but I also wet tumble with stainless media.

 Same here. Only way to go, JMHO

[Clutch80]

I'm with the deprime and wet tumble crowd.  Much easier than cleaning the primer pockets one by one.

[Sidecarist]

Thread drift...

What tools do you use to deprime?

[Omega]

Thread drift...

What tools do you use to deprime?

Lee universal decapping die that way I can do all my range brass at once.