Deprime before cleaning?

[moranna]

I started out with a single stage and always de-primed before cleaning with ultra sonic and air drying followed by hand priming

Recently picked up a Lee Classic Turret and really like the increased productivity.

Since you can basically deprime, resize and prime in one step on the LCT is there any down side to cleaning range brass without depriming?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I load progressively and never decap before cleaning.

 

[oldpapps]

Down side.... Well, cleaning after de-priming will clean the primer pockets.

I (most) always de-prime my bottle necked cases before wet tumbling with SS pins. For straight walled cases, I don't.

I will feed the cleaned straight walled cases into my progressive just cleaned.
I go (a little over board) more in depth with bottle necked cases. But that is just me.

 

[TexasDon]

Not the answer your looking for, but some do and some don't.
There are various ways of cleaning brass these days with as many ways of processing brass too.

IMHO
My answer is: I do and I don't.
Just depends on what I'm loading them for and how I feel that day.

It's really up to you.

Some want primer pockets shiny like new before they are loaded, some just want the grit and grime off so it will not harm dies or chamber.

Back when, I just wiped the brass off with a damp rag and loaded them.
Primer pockets were not cleaned unless I was noticing primers not seating a "tad" below flush. Then a special little tool I had cleaned the pocket. (modified flat blade screwdriver )

I'm all up to speed these days, but that use to work quite well for all my brass. (no troubles at all )

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

TxDon

 

[CZ9shooter]

I dont sweat it. On my basic low to medium power pistol loads I do not worry about cleaning the primer pockets. I clean them in an extra step, as I always tumble before depriming, only when I am going to the top of the charts and/or trying to develope maximum accuracy.

 

[nettlle]

I don't decap before cleaning and have never had a problem with pistol. Give it a try. If you don't have any problems seating your primers you should be good to go.

 

[WestKentucky]

Every case has the same procedure for me, no matter caliber or load. I inspect quickly for obvious issues like cracks then deprime on an old rcbs rifle die I use as a universal decapper. It then goes into the tumbler with walnut and turbobrite. The up side is that I run them for hours and they get good and clean. The down side is walnut in the flash-hole. I keep a small roll pin punch handy when I do my thorough inspection and reprime.

 

[cfullgraf]

I reload on a progressive and my cases are decapped before cleaning.

it is not to get the primer pocket clean, I'd just rather...

1. Resize separate from reloading.
2. Clean cases before reloading but after re-sizing.
3. Prime by hand off the press.

 

[GLOOB]

You can size deprime and reprime all at once on a well designed SS press, too.

 

[Edcnh]

I clean primer pockets for rifle cases but not for pistol which I load on a Lee Classic Cast turret press. I have never had any problem with seating primers.

 

[OilyPablo]

I deprime with a Harvey handheld deprimer while watching sports on TV. Easy pie.

Then wet tumble in the usual SS pin method.

 

[jcwit]

I deprime and resize then tumble.

Why? Cause it's the way I like to do it.

 

[GBExpat]

Out of old habit I deprime & clean (involved citric or phosphoric acid-bath and vibratory case cleaners w/Corncob media) prior to reloading.

For decades that was deprime, resize & clean ... before I got my Lee Classic Turret Press (and Frankford Rotary Tumbler) last month.

The only reason that I do not clean w/o depriming is habit (and a healthy dose of OCD). Someday I may take that step and make the process a bit more efficient.

 

[MrBorland]

I use a Lee universal de-priming die to de-prime all brass before cleaning. As others noted, it's probably not necessary on handgun cases, but it's part of my routine.

I do, however, de-prime rifle brass so I can use a primer pocket cleaner to clean those pockets before further cleaning.

 

[joem1945]

I always size/ decap all my cases before cleaning. Intermediate step for rifle cases is trimming.

 

[moranna]

Thanks guys. Kind of feedback i was hoping to hear for pistol plinking

I,ve learned a lot starting out with the RCBS single stage but the batch process limits me to about 50 an hour which was getting a little tedious. Ill save it for small load deveopment runs and rifle calibers

The LCT lets me make 100-150 and eliminating a separate deprime step helps even more

This is the best reloading forum on the net!

 

[Dudedog]

I have the "Deluxe" 3 hole Lee turret press.
In the summer when it is hot I toss cases in a bucket of soapy water to soak for a day (swish around every now and then), dry in the sun then tumble for a bit. (when its 105 outside they dry quick!)

When it is colder I skip the water soak.
1. So tumble a bit (walnut with the red stuff)
2. Resize/deprime
3. Tumble some more (corncob w/flitz)
4 Hand prime
5 Load - Dies, powder drop flare/bullet seat/FCD (remember 3 hole press)

 

[41 Mag]

Like mentioned many different ways to go about it.

Myself, I run everything through a universal depriming die and dump the primers then it all goes into the tumbler. After cleaning it up I will run it all through the proper sizing dies then just drop it right back in the tumbler for another quick cleanup. from there it goes into loaded rounds or into a zip lock bag with " Ready To Load" written on it.

I just don't like having deprimed cases stored and not knowing if I have sized them or not. Makes it easier to go ahead and size. Then I can pull out what I need and simply prime and load.

 

[gonoles_1980]

I'm close to do Dudedog. Except
Step 3a: I run for an hour with walnut
Step 3b: I run for an hour with corncob and brass cleaner.

 

[Catpop]

Not me too many lizard bed kernels stopping up my primer holes. Don't you just hate it when a hole is stopped up? Of course I could just switch to magnum primers to blow it out! Hum------may be on to something here? Ha ha!
Catpop

 

[carbine85]

I drop my cases in Simple Green for a short period of time and tumble for a short period before resizing. After resizing I tumble again to clean off the lube. I clean the primer pockets on a my target loads and usually don't clean on my regular shooting loads.
I don't spend a lot of time cleaning and polishing the brass to a new a look. I haven't seen the benefit of pretty brass. I spend more time checking primers, case sizes, and powder measurements.

 

[konertjm]

Currently I only reload for pistol. I have removed primers with a universal de-priming die prior to cleaning (no re-sizing) in the past.
Since I've gone to wet cleaning with SS pins, I do not de-prime. No special reason, just don't see the need.

Downside is that it takes them much longer to air dry with the primer in.

I am lucky enough to have a dishwasher in the basement. Built 2 screens to go into the dryer that hold about 5 or 6 lbs of brass each, and then run 1 or 2 hot dry cycles. Depending on the brass size and quantity. Works like a charm.

 

[Toprudder]

Since I've started wet tumbling, I always decap first using a universal decapper. If pistol brass, I wet tumble once with SS media before running through a progressive press. No other lubing or cleaning is performed.

If it is rifle brass I wet tumble without SS media for 15-20 minutes, dry, lube and resize. Then I throw them back in the wet tumbler with the SS media for a couple of hours.

I have not done a lot of rifle yet, but this is how I have done it so far.

I like decapping without resizing, as I can feel exactly the force required to push the primer out. If it comes out too easy, I may discard or mark that casing. If it takes a lot of force, then I check that casing to see if it is crimped, and will set those to the side for reaming. If it doesn't budge, I check to see why. It might be a Berdan primer, or a smaller casing or other obstruction inside. If I resize and decap at the same time, the force used for pushing the primer out is masked by the force required for resizing.

 

[gamestalker]

I'm horribly OCD, my brass has to be totally clean prior to moving forward with any step. I like to clean the pockets so I can get a realistic feel when priming, thus not getting a false degree of resistance in an other wise loose pocket.

Bottle neck is no doubt worse, in which I physically clean the pockets before tumbling. In fact, after sizing, I do all my case prep then tumble until they look good. I don't focus all that much on appearance, but I like to at least get them decent looking enough to help my old eye's spot any serious defects.

GS

 

[StrutStopper]

I only reload a few pistol calibers. I never deprime before I tumble, and I've never had an issue. I prime on press and have no problem feeling when primers are being seated. I figure, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.