Size first or prime first?

[Darth-Vang]

Do you prime the case first or resize first? Or does it hardly matter at all in that first step?

 

[Txhunter76]

I choose to resize first then prep the case and prime last this way the brass is ready fro prime then powder and finally bullet

 

[nettlle]

Priming is more delicate than sizing. Do your hard operations first.

 

[Txhunter76]

I agree with furr

 

[dagerv]

Prime after. I’ve discovered cracked/bad brass after sizing. No need to potentially waste a primer

 

[Txhunter76]

Yeah that does suck especially when primers are hard to come around these days

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

With rifle I will deprime, clean, etc, then size. Prime after sizing.

With handgun, I no longer decap before tumbling. Deprime and size on the down stroke of the press, reprime on the upstroke.

 

[Flycaster1977]

Size, inspect, trim, then prime.

 

[irishlad]

With rifle I will deprime, clean, etc, then size. Prime after sizing.

With handgun, I no longer decap before tumbling. Deprime and size on the down stroke of the press, reprime on the upstroke.

I do it the same way.

 

[Skeptic13]

I would always clean, resize, clean to get the lube off if it is rifle, deburr and chamfer. Then prime. Most of the time I will get into case prep mode and prep cases for 6-8 months of reloading. Then they sit in bin ready to go. Without primers.

 

[ParallelCode]

Prime after. I’ve discovered cracked/bad brass after sizing. No need to potentially waste a primer

Same here.

 

[merlynski]

Decap and inspect first, then all the mechanical and cleaning processes, inspection, sometimes I stop and store brass in this condition.
Then prime the lot (I don't prime on a press), drop powder, seat bullet, crimp, final inspection, box up, in one final session.
I usually do multiples of 50 for HG, 20 for LG.
(All single stage presses.)

 

[AJC1]

Every primer is an option. A choice I make today is one I cant make later. I keep 500 or so pistol rounds and 50-100 rifle and I just backfill stock as used. I have tons of processed brass ready for primer powder bullet. I have periods where I shoot a lot of 9mm and sometimes 45 and sometimes a wheel gun. When everything was available I could run every pistol I had on spp. Now the lpp 45 brass get used because spp are harder to find.

 

[merlynski]

Every primer is an option. A choice I make today is one I cant make later.

I just bought a bunch of small primer 45ACP brass because I have lots of SPP, and not very many LPP on hand. Just started loading 45ACP.

 

[AJC1]

I just bought a bunch of small primer 45ACP brass because I have lots of SPP, and not very many LPP on hand. Just started loading 45ACP.

Having both means you have options in these scarce resource times. Use what you can find....

 

[kmw1954]

It has never occurred to me to prime before sizing. Guess that's just because the depriming pin is located in the sizing die in most dies.

 

[FROGO207]

I size deprime first. Expand necks on those I need to. Then on those that need to check length,trim, and swage primer pockets. THEN I wet tumble to get brass in like new condition. Put away for future to reload. I do not prime until I am ready to actually reload so no primers are in brass and not usable without removing first. I also only reload just what I plan on taking to the range that trip and swap the new reloads with a like amount I have previously reloaded from storage to rotate them.

 

[Soonerpesek]

It has never occurred to me to prime before sizing. Guess that's just because the depriming pin is located in the sizing die in most dies.

I agree.
But, I have read about some members here that pull the decapping pin out and size primed cases.
Not my cup o tea, but there must be a reason to do it that way.

 

[docbrown]

Size, trim, prime.

 

[AJC1]

I agree.
But, I have read about some members here that pull the decapping pin out and size primed cases.
Not my cup o tea, but there must be a reason to do it that way.

I decap everything and clean for first inspection. I never herd of anyone ever sizing a primed case other than normalizing. I've done that recently but only for the first time.

 

[cfullgraf]

I resize, de-prime, clean, and otherwise prep cases shortly after shooting them and then store them away for a future reloading session. Small batches, relatively speaking, do not take long to process.

Then, when I do a reloading session the cases are primed, charged and bullets seated.

Among other things, it keeps my options open on where components get used. No sense tying up some components in cartridges that I may not have the need to reload for a long while.

 

[buba68]

Depending on how dirty cases are I will clean first then resize. If not real dirty resize first then clean. Only prime when I am ready to load the case. Every resizing die I have ever seen would have to have the decapping pin removed to just resize only then put back in again to deprime. Why make the reloading process more difficult than it needs to be.

 

[Rule3]

It has never occurred to me to prime before sizing. Guess that's just because the depriming pin is located in the sizing die in most dies.

Sometimes this reloading stuff just gets so darn complicated!

 

[webrx]

Universal deprime, tumble, inspect, put away. Size, trim and prime when ready to load for rifle. I still use a single stage for rifle.

for handgun, in the tumbler after the range, inspect, deprime and size while loading. I use a turret press for handgun.

 

[jmorris]

While I have deprimed cases without sizing, I have never installed a new primer before sizing, assuming it’s going to be sized at all. That goes for rifle or pistol.