Resizing before or after cleaning

Demaiter · June 11, 2012, 04:03 PM

Do you resize before or after you put your brass through the tumbler? I'm using the corn cob media.

I put my brass through the tumbler first and then deprimed the fired brass but I just broke the decapping pin. It appears to have gone a little sideways? Maybe due to a peice of media being in the center of the primer?

Spammy_H · June 11, 2012, 04:29 PM

It sounds like you're doing it right. Decapping pins break. Have a couple extra on hand - was the primer pocket crimped on the one that broke your pin?

Running dirty brass through your dies risks scratching them.

m&p45acp10+1 · June 11, 2012, 05:59 PM

Bucket brass gets cleaned off before sizing. Most of it is just plain filthy. Lubed rifle brass gets tumbled to remove the lube after sizing. I use walnut shell sand blasting media so none gets stuck inside of the flash holes. I do clean brass. Shiny does not shoot any better.

serf 'rett · June 11, 2012, 06:01 PM

Neither for me. Punch out the primer either with a Universal decapping die or with pistol brass, I use a nail/wood block/drill press to remove the primer.

Then I wet tumble with stainless steel pins; the primer pockets will get cleaned.

The cases are then resized - no worry about sand or grit or carbon getting inside the die.

Demaiter · June 11, 2012, 09:49 PM

The brass was remington .223 and the primers were rem 7 1/2's

It appears the decapping pin was off the center of the primer.

My next question is, after cleaing with media, do you tap ever peice of brass to make sure its empty or just roll it though the seperator.

I think I was getting lazy doing 300 peices at once...

deepcore · June 12, 2012, 12:16 AM

I just roll it thru the separator.
Then I place the cases mouth down in plastic ammo boxes so
I can see if there any flash holes plugged with media.
Any plugged ones get cleared with a toothpick pushed into the flash holes.

"Squirrel" cage separator also handy for getting excess water off of cases run thru a Sonic or Stainless Pin Media system.

oneoldsap · June 12, 2012, 06:00 AM

I deprime , tumble , then size . I wipe of the case lube with a rag and mineral spirits . If you don't put case lube in your tumbler , the media will last indefinately ! A # 7 1/2 Torx bit cleans any media from the L/P , L/R flashhole !

Wahoo95 · June 12, 2012, 06:16 AM

Sounds like you had a case with an off center flash hole.....it happens and some brands are more prone to they than others.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

moxie · June 12, 2012, 08:30 AM

If they have hit the ground they get washed first to remove sand, etc. I alway pick up range brass as well as my own so I usually wash everything. A little dish soap and water. Colander and bowl. Then tumble. I do tap each case and that is my first thorough visual inspection point as well. Then size/deprime.

By the way, I don't know what brand dies you have, but RCBS will send you a new pin for free (rod too if needed). Just call customer service. Lee will do this too now that I think about it. Very nice people at both companies.

If I'm going to be shooting at one spot I'll use a king size sheet to collect the brass (most of it). You might not have to wash the cases if you do this.

jcwit · June 12, 2012, 11:23 AM

I resize then tumble, no worries about scratching carbide dies. I'm 68 years young, I seriously doubt I'll live long enough to wear my dies out.

Now bottle neck rifle cases and steel dies are another animal.

grisbald · June 12, 2012, 11:30 AM

I have a universal deprimer, so I don't have to worry about dirty shells going in the resizer. Then I tumble, resize, and tumble again to get off any case lube. I have two different batches of tumble mix. One for just the first cleaning, and another that has polish in it for after the resizing.

BigJimP · June 12, 2012, 02:52 PM

I tumble the cases ....

then I inspect each case .../ for caliber, dents, etc .... and I make sure nothing is in the case ( a spent .22 case, some cleaning media, etc ) ....by turning the cases upside down 8 - 10 at a time ....and I tap them on my bench ...to dislodge anything ...and then dump them in a "clean and sorted tub" ....ready for reloading. yes, it takes some time ...but its part of the game !!

I lube the "clean and sorted cases" ...and then dump them in the case feeder ...and run them thru my press / stage 1 resizes and deprimes my cases in one step ---

June 11, 2012, 04:03 PM	#1
Demaiter Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2008 Posts: 242	Resizing before or after cleaning Do you resize before or after you put your brass through the tumbler? I'm using the corn cob media. I put my brass through the tumbler first and then deprimed the fired brass but I just broke the decapping pin. It appears to have gone a little sideways? Maybe due to a peice of media being in the center of the primer?

June 11, 2012, 05:59 PM	#3
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	Bucket brass gets cleaned off before sizing. Most of it is just plain filthy. Lubed rifle brass gets tumbled to remove the lube after sizing. I use walnut shell sand blasting media so none gets stuck inside of the flash holes. I do clean brass. Shiny does not shoot any better. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

June 11, 2012, 06:01 PM	#4
serf 'rett Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2009 Location: Stuttgart, AR Posts: 1,569	Neither for me. Punch out the primer either with a Universal decapping die or with pistol brass, I use a nail/wood block/drill press to remove the primer. Then I wet tumble with stainless steel pins; the primer pockets will get cleaned. The cases are then resized - no worry about sand or grit or carbon getting inside the die. __________________ A lack of planning on your part does not necessarily constitute an emergency on my part.

June 12, 2012, 08:30 AM	#9
moxie Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2006 Location: TX Posts: 513	If they have hit the ground they get washed first to remove sand, etc. I alway pick up range brass as well as my own so I usually wash everything. A little dish soap and water. Colander and bowl. Then tumble. I do tap each case and that is my first thorough visual inspection point as well. Then size/deprime. By the way, I don't know what brand dies you have, but RCBS will send you a new pin for free (rod too if needed). Just call customer service. Lee will do this too now that I think about it. Very nice people at both companies. If I'm going to be shooting at one spot I'll use a king size sheet to collect the brass (most of it). You might not have to wash the cases if you do this. __________________ If you want to shoot...shoot...don't talk! Tuco USAF Munitions 1969-1992 RVN 1972-1973

June 11, 2012, 04:29 PM	#2
Spammy_H Senior Member Join Date: September 17, 2009 Posts: 220	It sounds like you're doing it right. Decapping pins break. Have a couple extra on hand - was the primer pocket crimped on the one that broke your pin? Running dirty brass through your dies risks scratching them.

June 11, 2012, 09:49 PM	#5
Demaiter Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2008 Posts: 242	The brass was remington .223 and the primers were rem 7 1/2's It appears the decapping pin was off the center of the primer. My next question is, after cleaing with media, do you tap ever peice of brass to make sure its empty or just roll it though the seperator. I think I was getting lazy doing 300 peices at once...

June 12, 2012, 12:16 AM	#6
deepcore Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2010 Posts: 364	I just roll it thru the separator. Then I place the cases mouth down in plastic ammo boxes so I can see if there any flash holes plugged with media. Any plugged ones get cleared with a toothpick pushed into the flash holes. "Squirrel" cage separator also handy for getting excess water off of cases run thru a Sonic or Stainless Pin Media system.

June 12, 2012, 06:00 AM	#7
oneoldsap Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2009 Location: I live in the foot of the Green Mountains of Vermont Posts: 1,602	I deprime , tumble , then size . I wipe of the case lube with a rag and mineral spirits . If you don't put case lube in your tumbler , the media will last indefinately ! A # 7 1/2 Torx bit cleans any media from the L/P , L/R flashhole !

June 12, 2012, 06:16 AM	#8
Wahoo95 Member Join Date: February 19, 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 62	Sounds like you had a case with an off center flash hole.....it happens and some brands are more prone to they than others. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

June 12, 2012, 11:23 AM	#10
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	I resize then tumble, no worries about scratching carbide dies. I'm 68 years young, I seriously doubt I'll live long enough to wear my dies out. Now bottle neck rifle cases and steel dies are another animal.

June 12, 2012, 11:30 AM	#11
grisbald Member Join Date: October 23, 2011 Posts: 75	I have a universal deprimer, so I don't have to worry about dirty shells going in the resizer. Then I tumble, resize, and tumble again to get off any case lube. I have two different batches of tumble mix. One for just the first cleaning, and another that has polish in it for after the resizing.

June 12, 2012, 02:52 PM	#12
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I tumble the cases .... then I inspect each case .../ for caliber, dents, etc .... and I make sure nothing is in the case ( a spent .22 case, some cleaning media, etc ) ....by turning the cases upside down 8 - 10 at a time ....and I tap them on my bench ...to dislodge anything ...and then dump them in a "clean and sorted tub" ....ready for reloading. yes, it takes some time ...but its part of the game !! I lube the "clean and sorted cases" ...and then dump them in the case feeder ...and run them thru my press / stage 1 resizes and deprimes my cases in one step ---