Process Improvement Suggestions

[hdwhit]

A little background:

• I reload cartridges in small batches (never more than 200 at a time; mostly 50 or 100) on a single stage press.
• I prepare my brass through the priming stage, but may not load it until later. The reason is that I don't necessarily have the load I intend to use fully developed.

My process for handling bottleneck brass is (inspection steps omitted for brevity):

• Brass is decapped
• Brass is soaked (not tumbled) in a weak acid solution.
• Brass is air dried

This make take place days or weeks ahead of the following steps due to work or other commitments:

• Brass is lubricated using Hornady Unique.
• After lubricating the brass, I put on latex examination gloves to handle the lubricated cases. This is not because of any concerns with mess, but the fact the cases are difficult to manipulate through the following processes without the additional friction provided by the latex gloves.
  
• Brass is resized.
• Brass is trimmed (if needed, but "need" is determined by putting each case in a Forster Classic Trimmer and seeing whether or not anything is trimmed off the case).
• Primer pocket crimp is reamed (if necessary, and it almost always is because I prefer to buy brass with crimped primers so I can be reasonably confident it is truly once-fired).
• Any brass that actually made contact with the trimmer's cutter is chamfered and deburred. I use a benchtop drill press with chamfer and debur tools for this.
• Brass is tumbled (wet or dry) to remove the resizing lubricant and any brass trimmings.

From lubrication through resizing and the rest, until they are dumped into the tumbler, takes about an hour for 100 cases if I work at a leisurely pace. My concern is less about the time than the difficulty handling the lubricated cases and the increased difficulty cleaning equipment that has lubricant and often brass shavings on it.

I had thought about just tumbling off the lubricant after resizing, but then I would be left with the need to make sure the brass shavings from the trim, chamfer and debur operations were removed from the case which would necessitate adding a second tumbling operation or some form of vacuuming, agitation or mechanical removal.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Blue68f100]

I like to clean my brass before inspection, just easier to find defects this way. I would run a neutralizer after the citric acid wash if the primers are in place. I don't think it's required if the primers are not trapping fluids. Normally a good rinse is good enough if enough water is used. Along with some dwell tine .

I don't use the same lube you do so my procedure may be little different. I also us the SS pins for cleaning rifle brass. So I deprimer before cleaning. Back to your lube issue and brass shavings. I use Imperial Sizing was 90% of the time. The other 10% is with Hornady One Shot which does not required removing after used. When I use Imperial SW I just wipe the cases down after words with a towel. I do use a drill type 3 way trimmer, so those that need it gets trimmed the not requiring don't. I don't measure the brass, quicker to just run them through the trimmer. If I'm use the OS I just pick them up and trim without removing the lube. It actually comes off pretty easy during handling. At this point depending how much lube is still left I throw them in to the tumbler for 20-30 min. This is about the only thing I use the tumbler for.

If your hand loading the brass and not using a brass feeder on a AP just tap the brass mouth down before inserting into the shell holder. This only works if the lube has been removed. You may try reducing the lube and see if it's less sticky.

 

[Cemetery21]

I tumble rifle brass right after sizing to remove the lube. They were already tumbled to clean before sizing. I don't worry about any brass shavings from trimming. Maybe I should, but it hasn't occurred to me in over 45 years of loading. I use Imperial, Unique, or mostly mink oil paste so I want the greasy stuff off of there before any other handling. I'm normally working around 3000 rounds in 200 round batches over the winter. If I do any rifle loading in the summer it's just small batches to work up loads for a new barrel.
Pistol brass gets cleaned before sizing with no lube. There are many methods that work for different people.

 

[RealGun]

Rather than gum up your tumbler media couldn't you just put the cases in a bucket with a good charge of Dawn and swirl them around, maybe use a stirring implement? Dawn or the like is a great degreaser. You could wash them again after trimming to flush metal particles and finger prints.

 

[mdi]

There shouldn't be enough brass trimmings to effect anything. If some does get in the case, there will be so little that it won't change anything about pressure, contamination, etc. Perhaps you could try a different lube or try using less (my lube id Mink Oil Boot Dressing Cream. I use very little and am able to handle the cases without slipping/dropping and a quick wipe will suffice until I tumble. In 15+ years I have not stuck a case; 30-06, 308, 223. 30-30, 7.62x54r, 303 British...

 

[Ireload2]

My process is similar except I apply Imperial case lube using my fingers. I do not lube en mass. Each case is lubed when I pick it up to size it. I have no difficulty handling any size cases like this. Another plus is my lubed cases are not setting exposed to dust particles floating in the air.
I permit my cases to grow to maximum length in order to minimize triming.
I will note the following.
I have measured some of my chambers and found some were .040 longer than maximum case length specifications. I permit cases for these chambers to grow past the maximums found in the manuals. This reduces trimming labor.

After trimming and deburring, cases are washed in 90% isopropyl alcohol. The cases are rolled back and forth in an old towel. Then they are placed mouth down in a loading block and are allowed a few minutes to dry.
When the primer pockets and flash holes are dry and clear the cases are ready to be stored for loading later. Or they can be primed.

 

[Whiterook808]

I am not far off:
clean in a vibrator,
Lube with Dillon Spray if large batch, RCBS lube pad and RCBS lube is small.
Resize and Decap,
Trim, as needed,
Chamfer as needed,
Clean flashholes (deburr if first use of case) and case necks,
I use an RCBS Trimmate for the above two steps, and I handle the cases once.
wipe off lube with a towel, if needed.
Prime.


I think the above eliminates your separate decap step and combines it with re-sizing.

 

[USSR]

hdwhit,

I fail to see where brass shavings from the trim, chamfer and debur operations are going to be a concern. I think you're overthinking it.

Don

 

[hdwhit]

mdi wrote:
Perhaps you could try a different lube or try using less...

I have actually previously posted about Hornady Unique and whether it is possible to use too little. I literally tap surface of the lubricant with my index finger (not drag it or scoop it, but tap it just like you would your cellphone) and come away with enough lubricant for 10 or more cases. I really fail to see how I could actually get less on a case.

 

[Fire_Moose]

I find it unnecessary to use power to chamfer and deburr. 3 quick spins wirh a hand tool works great.

 

[bbqreloader]

I just tumble mine for another 20 min in a seperate batch of media I keep, after trimming and sizing to clean lube off. Never a problem. Agree with USSR

 

[FROGO207]

If my brass are really dirty I will put them in a bucket of water with some Dawn and agitate a bit then rinse and let dry a couple days Then lube using home made lube using IsoHeat and liquid lanolin. Put a bunch of brass in a Zip Loc freezer bag and spray in a liberal amount, massage it around and dump out into an old cookie sheet to allow the alcohol to flash off. Now I am transitioning to wire pulling lube as I get some in the bottom of containers from work that they would be otherwise trashing. I mix about 12 parts IsoHeat to 1 ratio works well for me. The wire pulling lube is not sticky or greasy after it dries so I can handle things without gloves OK. Then size and deprime followed by trim/chamfer/deburr/swage primer pocket. Then wet polish with SS pins and the usual additives. Dry, final inspect, and run through buzz box with corn cob and Nu Finish if not using in the next month to stop tarnishing. Bag label and store. Then at a later date I prime in batches before loading the propellant and bullet, also in batches on a SS press. My sizing and final bullet install may be years apart for some brass but usually within 6 months or so.