What is your case prep sequence?
- Thread starter mdripley
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RustyFN
Member
It depends if you are loading pistol or rifle. I don't load rifle yet so here is how I load pistol. Two hours in the tumbler with walnut, used dryer sheet and a little Nu Finish car polish. Take them out and seperate from the media. Run them through the Lee Classic Turret press one at a time. That's it, I don't trim or clean primer pockets. I haven't had any problems yet. I should be starting to load 223 in a coulpe of months and then I will have to learn all over again.
Rusty
Rusty
Primersinmyshoe
Member
I reload strictly handguns, mainly 45's. My brass prep for 45acp is: tumble in corncob with a little Dillon polish. inspect inside and out. Toss S&B, WinNT, Amerc, military stuff, headstamps I don't know or don't trust. That's it. I then give them a spritz of lube and into the casefeeder of my Dillon 650.
Shoney
Member
I load both rifle and pistol. I do not deprime cases before they go into the tumbler. After removal from the tumbler:
Pistol cases are inspected individually for splits, mouth deformations, stuck media, and making sure there isn't a smaller case stuck in the larger (9mm Mak cases nest nicely in 45ACP as an example). They are then ready for reloading.
Rifle cases are inspected individually for splits and deformation; case is checked for stuck media with a paper clip (this also doubles for checking for head separation in cases fired more than 5 times); case length is checked with micrometer and trimmed to minimum length if it exceeds the max length; cases are lubed with Imperial Sizing Die Wax as they go into the sizing die.
Pistol cases are inspected individually for splits, mouth deformations, stuck media, and making sure there isn't a smaller case stuck in the larger (9mm Mak cases nest nicely in 45ACP as an example). They are then ready for reloading.
Rifle cases are inspected individually for splits and deformation; case is checked for stuck media with a paper clip (this also doubles for checking for head separation in cases fired more than 5 times); case length is checked with micrometer and trimmed to minimum length if it exceeds the max length; cases are lubed with Imperial Sizing Die Wax as they go into the sizing die.
QuarterBoreGunner
Member
I'm such a geek that I totally read that as Windows NT.
Oh and RustyFN? Why the used dryer sheet?
Primersinmyshoe
Member
Allow me to answer for RustyFN in his absence. Rusty, correct me if I'm wrong.
I also use "used" dryer sheets. They help keep the dust down. No, they do not make the brass smell "springtime fresh".
I also use "used" dryer sheets. They help keep the dust down. No, they do not make the brass smell "springtime fresh".
QuarterBoreGunner
Member
Ah, ok that makes sense.
Thanks for the tip; I'll try it out next batch of brass I tumble.
Thanks for the tip; I'll try it out next batch of brass I tumble.
Guncrazy45
Member
Call Me a Newbie...
...because I am. But,
Why? I've got a bunch of scrounged S&B, which I've reloaded a few times with no problems. As for the other stuff, I'm not sure what it is, or why it ought to be tossed.
...because I am. But,
Why? I've got a bunch of scrounged S&B, which I've reloaded a few times with no problems. As for the other stuff, I'm not sure what it is, or why it ought to be tossed.
Primersinmyshoe
Member
Here's why. I get all the brass I want from the floor of the indoor range where I work part time. I toss less than 5% of brass I sweep up. It's not worth the time involved to ream tight primer pockets on S&B and military brass or switch primer systems on my Dillon 650 just to acommodate the small primer hole on the WinNT for FedNT. Headstamps I don't recognize are few, but I toss them on principle alone. Amerc is just crap.
Rifle:
Tumble in medium corn cob media until clean. (why size dirty brass in your dies?)
Size
Trim to length
Uniform primer pockets
Inside mouth chamfer/debur
Flash hole uniform
Outside mouth chamfer/debur
Tumble again
Prime, powder, & load.
Tumbling requires little effort by you. Keeps the dies clean and the chamber clean. Magazines of your weapon are kept cleaner as well.
Clean freak? No, just don't want any malfunction that might be caused by dirty brass.
Tumble in medium corn cob media until clean. (why size dirty brass in your dies?)
Size
Trim to length
Uniform primer pockets
Inside mouth chamfer/debur
Flash hole uniform
Outside mouth chamfer/debur
Tumble again
Prime, powder, & load.
Tumbling requires little effort by you. Keeps the dies clean and the chamber clean. Magazines of your weapon are kept cleaner as well.
Clean freak? No, just don't want any malfunction that might be caused by dirty brass.
.38 Special
Member
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Pistol: Tumble, if I'm in the mood. Then run 'em all through the Dillon and shoot 'em again. If I see any split cases I toss 'em.
Hunting rifle: Tumble. Trim, if necessary. Load.
Accuracy rifle: 100 new cases from same lot. Preferably Federal Gold Medal, Norma, or Lapua. Trim all cases to length, remove burr from flash holes if punched rather than drilled. I don't bother uniforming primer pockets since Creighton Audette proved the uselessness of it.
Weigh all cases and reject the 50% at either end. Then check neck thickness with a ball mic. I hold onto the 30 most uniform cases out of the remaining 50. Now outside neck turning: first cut leaves about 20% of the neck untouched; second cut gets the remaining 20% but just barely. Then load on a straightline or competition neck die with reduced loads and fireform. Check outside concentricity and reject an additional 10 cases.
Now I have a nice set of twenty matched and prepped cases. With a tight, round chamber these can be fired 20-50 times depending upon cartridge and load. I usually won't tumble these cases, prefering to use a bit of 0000 steel wool on the outside of the necks and a brush on the inside.
HTH!
Hunting rifle: Tumble. Trim, if necessary. Load.
Accuracy rifle: 100 new cases from same lot. Preferably Federal Gold Medal, Norma, or Lapua. Trim all cases to length, remove burr from flash holes if punched rather than drilled. I don't bother uniforming primer pockets since Creighton Audette proved the uselessness of it.
Weigh all cases and reject the 50% at either end. Then check neck thickness with a ball mic. I hold onto the 30 most uniform cases out of the remaining 50. Now outside neck turning: first cut leaves about 20% of the neck untouched; second cut gets the remaining 20% but just barely. Then load on a straightline or competition neck die with reduced loads and fireform. Check outside concentricity and reject an additional 10 cases.
Now I have a nice set of twenty matched and prepped cases. With a tight, round chamber these can be fired 20-50 times depending upon cartridge and load. I usually won't tumble these cases, prefering to use a bit of 0000 steel wool on the outside of the necks and a brush on the inside.
HTH!
JJE
Member
.38 special, .357 magnum:
1. decap on Lee Universal die
2. soak 20 minutes in hot cider vinegar with a bit of dish soap
3. rinse
4. wipe each case while still wet; toss any split cases
5. set the batch out to dry for a couple of days
My brass doesn't come out all shiny. The nickel-plated stuff especially gets pretty stained. But it's just going to get all dirty again the next time I shoot it.
1. decap on Lee Universal die
2. soak 20 minutes in hot cider vinegar with a bit of dish soap
3. rinse
4. wipe each case while still wet; toss any split cases
5. set the batch out to dry for a couple of days
My brass doesn't come out all shiny. The nickel-plated stuff especially gets pretty stained. But it's just going to get all dirty again the next time I shoot it.
scrat
Member
dc loco said it best
only difference. i use a air nozzle and compressor to blow out the insides after tumbling to remove and stubbern media. works very good.
only difference. i use a air nozzle and compressor to blow out the insides after tumbling to remove and stubbern media. works very good.
RustyFN
Member
Thanks Primersinmyshoe. I can't prove it but I think it will help keep your media clean longer. I have also heard that a regular paper towel will work but I haven't tried it yet.
Rusty
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