Lee APP question

[KB Hill]

Picked up the APP deluxe and it really works pretty darn good on pistol cases (don't reload any rifle). I typically decap before wet tumbling so the question revolves around decapping dirty cases. Does it cause any issues with excessive wear or degraded operation over time? The 40 and 9mm cases are really not bad, but my 45 cases are pretty dirty.

Found the #6 passthrough shellholder is a better fit for 9mm. The #19 is too sloppy.

 

[Bosn Ski]

I do a quick wash with Dawn/LemiShine and without pins for about :30 minutes or less before decapping to prevent the APP from getting dirty or gritty from outside range brass.

I don’t mind the extra time.

 

[Kaldor]

I don’t worry about it too much. I drop all the brass onto shaker screens with 1/4” mesh on them to get the majority of the dirt out them, then into the APP they go. I also use my Hornady case feeder which tumbles the brass around even more, so that get rid of more dirt.

 

[KB Hill]

Thanks, I did one batch dirty and a few others after a quick rinse and dry. It is nice working with moderately clean cases, so will probably continue as I'm a relatively low volume shooter.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

What i do is a quick tumble. In old media for 30 mins or so.

 

[Dudedog]

My range has nasty 60-80grit dirt, so I usually do a 1/2 hour pass thru the wet tumbler with pins before resizing/de-priming the brass.
Takes a little time but I have plenty of brass so it no big deal. I store the deprimed/resized/flared brass in Rubermade tubs until I am ready to use it.
I usually hand prime while watch TV (wear safety glasses!) football games are a good time to prime. I also inspect the brass when priming,
Get rid of any of the stupid 9mm stepped cases, get rid of any others I don't like as well.

That way when I go to load I feed my LNL primed brass,
so
Station
1. powder drop
2 Lockout die
3 bullet feeder
4 bullet seater
5 FCD (for 9mm)

 

[BBarn]

My 45 Auto cases go straight to the APP for de-priming after firing. No cleaning. No issues. But that is the only thing I use my APP for.

 

[ParallelCode]

After a few thousand gritty/dusty rounds, my APP doesn't work very well and needs manual assistance on the shuttle. In the past I was able to clean and re-apply dry-lube, but my latest attempt hasn't restored satisfactory operation.

If I were to do it again, I would at least wipe grit/dust off cases to prevent wear and scuffs to the plastic rail.

 

[BBarn]

While I don't clean my cases, I do find it necessary to periodically clean the shuttle parts to keep it running smoothly. Pushing and pulling with a spring isn't a design approach that's robust and tolerant of dirt and debris.

 

[GW Staar]

I don't run anything dirty on that plastic rail, and so far it's still working fine. But there are still scratches. Even new, I burnished fine graphite powder into the rail, and still do on occasion, if friction increases. I also apply it to the inside running surface of the shuttle too.......it IS plastic. If it gets more rough, I won't hesitate to buy a new rail......even the deluxe rail isn't too expensive.

I do notice on occasion that some brass heads cause more wear than some. Especially military brass heads. Even i.d. embossing can be rough as hell on some brass. I think some 400 grit sandpaper glued to a piece of glass with sprayment contact cement would be a good idea as a rubbing surface for a quick slide base down for such brass before processing it on the APP.

 

[Zygodactyl]

My brass lands in the grass or on a tarp so it doesn't really get dirty. I use the app to deprime before wet tumbling. Half the time I forget to change the shell holder from 45 back to 9mm, 380 or 32 and the rounds go through it without a problem. The only time I notice it is when I get a case with a small primer hole and the case sticks on the decapping pin.

 

[TTv2]

With revolver brass, I've generally been sizing and decapping before cleaning, but with auto brass that winds up on the ground outside I will clean before resizing.

If I see the primer pockets are getting dirty, I'll decap with a Lee Universal decapper and clean, then size.

 

[Riomouse911]

I have always dry media tumbled before processing. Just been my routine for a while, I guess I do it so the dies/parts aren’t subject to extra gunk.

Stay safe.