Sizing Question

[Specks]

Can I recap and size THEN run it thru a wet cleaning with SS media? Or do I need to size after the cleaning?

[Reloadron]

Can I recap and size THEN run it thru a wet cleaning with SS media? Or do I need to size after the cleaning?

Generally resizing involves decapping, you can clean before or after that step. However, you lost me with wet cleaning. The way you worded it I see you priming (recap) followed by a wet cleaning. I would not take that route. I generally resize which removes the spent primer, then I trim (rifle) followed by cleaning. My brass isn't that dirty to begin with. After clean and polish I prime, powder, seat bullet and done.

Anyway, I would not prime and then wet tumble with stainless pins.

Welcome to The Firing Line! .

Ron

[T. O'Heir]

You really do not want to size dirty cases. Mind you, those SS pins will be harder on the brass than any grit that might be on the case will be on the sizer die.
Primer pockets do get dirty, but not horribly so.

[cw308]

I clean my brass by wet tumbler with SS pins , dawn detergent & LemeSine. First I remove the fired primer, clean the brass in the tumbler, lube & size. Trim, wet tumble to remove lube. Wipe brass down, let air dry.

[Specks]

Thanks for the quick replys. Sorry dang auto correct, I meant decap then clean. T O'Heir answered not to size dirty brass. That answered my question (and restated it better than my rambling OP).

[Nick_C_S]

The problem with ss pin cleaning before the resize is that it won't get the primer pockets clean.

It also has a more subtle drawback with the flair process . . . When the brass is ss pin clean, the flair tends to gall the brass because it is missing the powder residue inside the case mouth - which has a little bit of a lubricating property.

I take my brass prep more seriously than most. Many will roll their eyes after reading this . . .

After a trip to the range, I vibra-tumble my brass with corn cob media first. It gets them clean enough to run through the size die, yet leaves the inside with the afore-mentioned powder residue.

After I size/decap and flair, I then wet tumble in ss pin media for a final like-new cleaning - inside-n-out, including primer pockets.

That's more work than most would bother with. I know. But after countless trials and error; that's the process that works for me.

[firewrench044]

Deprime
Wet tumble
Size
Trim
primer pocket work
Flash hole debur
Anneal
Clean sizing lube off
Dry ( if necessary )
Reload or store

[BigJimP]

I dry tumble ( walnut shells )...several hundred spent cases at a time.

Sort out bad cases ( dents, ugly, cases that are a problem like S&B, Amerc, etc - those all go into a recyling tub) ...dump good cases into a "sorted and clean" 8 gal tub for storage.

I spray a few hundred "sorted and clean" cases with lube...let dry 15 min ...and drop them all into case feeder...to be run thru press ( desprime and resize in station 1 .../ Station 2 seat new primer, bell case and powder drop / station 3 powder check / station 4 bullet seating / station 5 final crimp and sizing.

wipe off any lube residue - case gague and inspect every round - box for use.

[cw308]

Nick C S
I have to admit with preping my 308 brass, I'm a little over the top. With 0000 steel wool I polish the inside & out of the case neck, also the base to make sure it's flush from stamping, brand & caliber. When I seat the bullet its smooth as silk. My not improve accuracy but they sure look pretty.

[PA-Joe]

I use a universal hand de-priming tool before cleaning and then size. For rifle I then clean again to remove the lube.

[603Country]

When I do polish brass, I just load it in my cheap Harbor Freight vibratory unit, which is full of HF crushed walnut shells. I do it prior to depriming, since I once had some minor problems cleaning walnut chunks out of deprimed flash holes.

[mrdaputer]

Specks what casings are we talking about pistol or rifle?
For my pistols 9mm and 40 brass I shoot at my outdoor range. I put them in a bucket with a little dawn and water mix them by had a few times to get the dirt out of the casings. I then rinse them good put them in a dehydrator to dry. I then decap and resize, then I wet tumble them with dawn and lemmi shine. I rinse them good and put them in the dehydrator to dry and they are ready to use.

[jmorris]

Thanks for the quick replys. Sorry dang auto correct, I meant decap then clean.

Yes, a universal decap die would work or just use a larger die. Like a .44 mag/spl die wouldn't touch a 38/357 or 9mm case but would deprime it.