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Old June 8, 2012, 06:46 AM   #1
rebs
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de prime before or after tumbling ?

I have been depriming with a Lee depriming die, then put them in the tumbler, then size and prime. I like to tumble before running it through the sizing die to keep the dirt etc from getting into the die. But maybe I am making an extra step by depriming before tumbling.

When you get home from the range do you guys deprime your 223 brass before putting it in the tumbler ?
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Old June 8, 2012, 07:13 AM   #2
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It is extra work, but I tumble the brass before I deprime.

I tumble again after deprime.

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Old June 8, 2012, 07:19 AM   #3
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I tumble after decapping, but I don't let my brass get dirty. Dirty brass (range pick-up) gets washed before going through the die. I want that tumbling media swirling inside the primer pocket as well.

Some folks tumble again after decapping to get the re-sizing lube off the brass. That's fine, but I've never convinced myself that it's necessary.
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Old June 8, 2012, 07:26 AM   #4
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"de prime before or after tumbling ? "

Yes.
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Old June 8, 2012, 07:34 AM   #5
David Bachelder
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I tumble before depriming.
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Old June 8, 2012, 07:41 AM   #6
Marco Califo
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1 Deprime so they drain and dry after step 2
2 Wash in hot water + dish soap if needed, Drain and dry.
3 Lube + Size
4 Tumble
5 Trim, decrimp if needed
6 Prime
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Old June 8, 2012, 07:50 AM   #7
drail
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Deprime after tumbling unless you enjoy picking media out of the primer pockets. If the primer pockets need to be cleaned, there is a tool for that. Tumblers won't get in there and clean them. Having an open flash hole is much more important to me than having shiny brass.
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Old June 8, 2012, 08:56 AM   #8
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I deprime after tumbling. Tumbling using corn cob or walnut media will not clean the primer pockets anyway. If you want to tumble-clean primer pockets, you will have to use stainless-steel tumbling media.
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Old June 8, 2012, 09:42 AM   #9
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I like to tumble in walnut and polish before sizing/depriming, then again after in corn to remove the lube from the brass. It does take extra time and it does get media stuck in some of the flash holes, but hey, it is better than having powder stick to the case mouth from the lube!
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Old June 8, 2012, 10:01 AM   #10
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Quote:
Deprime after tumbling unless you enjoy picking media out of the primer pockets. If the primer pockets need to be cleaned, there is a tool for that. Tumblers won't get in there and clean them. Having an open flash hole is much more important to me than having shiny brass.
Awhile back I started using the really fine walnut used for lizard litter and NuFinish car polish.
It will not plug up the flash hole and it will SLIGHTLY clean the primer pockets.
Inside and outside the cases looks better than they ever did with regular media and polish.
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Old June 8, 2012, 11:30 AM   #11
rebs
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Quote:
Awhile back I started using the really fine walnut used for lizard litter and NuFinish car polish.
It will not plug up the flash hole and it will SLIGHTLY clean the primer pockets.
Inside and outside the cases looks better than they ever did with regular media and polish.
I also use the fine lizard litter and it works great and your right it does remove most of the crap from the primer pocket

I deprime with a Lee deprimer and then tumble because I want the brass nice and clean before it goes in my sizing die.
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Old June 8, 2012, 05:24 PM   #12
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I decap after tumbling. I was getting too much corn media stuck in the primer pocket/flash hole.

I put the brush from the Lyman primer pocket cleaner on my drill and clean pockets really fast.
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Old June 8, 2012, 05:27 PM   #13
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I tumble my brass after full-length resizing and depriming. ( Alright I am Lazy)
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Old June 8, 2012, 05:30 PM   #14
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I normally deprime, then tumble with walnut media. It makes setting the primer very consistant and there are no oddball hard to set primers. Not a big issue but I like it that way. Only 2-3 per hundred get walnut stuck in the flashhole so it isn't a big deal to poke them out. Finding the correct size media is the hard part. I check each shell after tumbling anyway so the extra time spent checking plugged flash holes is minimal.

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Old June 8, 2012, 05:51 PM   #15
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Quote:
When you get home from the range do you guys deprime your 223 brass before putting it in the tumbler ?
No I tumble everything with the primer in.
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Old June 8, 2012, 06:00 PM   #16
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With rifle brass I only tumble before lubing and sizing if it is dirty bucket brass. If it is clean I lube and size, then tumble.

Pistol brass gets tubled with primers in. I only tumble dirty range pick up brass. The rest gets sized/deprimed, and treated the same. I am in the clean is good enough for me. Shiny does not shoot any better.
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Old June 8, 2012, 06:27 PM   #17
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Tumble primer intact. FL sizing die decaps and sizes in the same stroke of the press. Never have gotten why some want to add another step...
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Old June 8, 2012, 09:21 PM   #18
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I also tumble first. I try to scan for any really bad primer pockets every so often and clean those accordingly.
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Old June 8, 2012, 11:09 PM   #19
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I also use the lizard litter and tumble before and after I size. For me it seems like the sizing goes a little smoother with clean brass, then a short tumble after sizing to clean off the lube and shine them back up a little.
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Old June 9, 2012, 10:36 PM   #20
David Wile
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Hey folks,

I don't tumble my cases at all. I clean my cases in a vibratory case cleaning machine using plain old corn cob media. I also do not clean my cases until after they become loaded cartridges. That way I do not have to pick any media out of primer pockets or the inside of the primer opening. I hate messy.

Yes, it is safe, and no, it does not break down the powder inside the cartridges. It's just easy.

Best wishes,
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Old June 9, 2012, 11:31 PM   #21
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Is tumbling different than vibrating?

You say you don't tumble your cases at all, but then say you clean them in a vibratory cleaner. Is there a difference in the two?
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Old June 10, 2012, 12:00 AM   #22
David Wile
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Hey Sig,

I'm just making a point between tumble cleaning and vibratory cleaning. Most folks actually use vibratory cleaners, but they call it tumble cleaning. Tumble cleaning is actually done in a drum type cylinder that revolves and tumbles the contents inside whether it would be brass cases or stones for polishing. I just cannot bring myself to call it tumbling when the cases are actually being cleaned in a machine that moves the material by vibratory action.

So, yes, there is a difference, but most folks call both methods tumbling - except for a few old folks who want to be curmudgeonly.

Best wishes,
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Old June 10, 2012, 07:13 AM   #23
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I too tumble before i deprime. After depriming i then clean the primer pockets with a pocket brush while checking to insure there is no tumbling media stuck in the flash hole.
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Old June 10, 2012, 07:31 AM   #24
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I am one of the guys that tumble (vibrate) before, but just a little to get the crud off the cases. Resize, deprime and then tumble (vibrate) to get them really clean (it also takes the lube off rifle cases).

That is the perfect time to inspect the cases because most of the problems, that were not caused by firing, will show up in resizing. I have a tool that I made from a nail. I put a long taper on it and threaded it to fit a RCBS handle and I use that to poke the occasional piece of media out of the primer pockets.
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Old June 10, 2012, 09:37 AM   #25
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I tumble my cases as soon as I get back from the range with the primer in. That way I can see any problems with a case if there is any. It also keeps the dirt away from my dies. Then I tumble again to remove the case lube.
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