Remove spent primer BEFORE cleaning?

[Kingsoverqueens 10]

Hey Guys.

 

I spent some time researching the reloading process and came across a few comments about manually brushing out the hole after the spent primer is punched out. That process seemed exceedingly fastidious to me, but at the same time it got me thinking, why not just punch out the old primer and then clean the brass.

 

Anyone?

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Six of one half a dozen of the other. Often times, depending on the tumbling media, you will get piecees of the media in the primer pockets. If you deprime after tumbling then a quick swipe with primer pocket cleaner scrapes out the residue. Your call - I'm sure people will weigh-in on which method they use.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

You NEVER want to put dirty brass into a sizing/decapping die.

You'll scratch the hell out of the die and every subsequent piece of brass you use it for.

 

If you want to deprime before you clean, use a decapping die. It is purposely oversize and does not contact the brass except to punch out the spent primer.

You'll still need to resize the brass in a separate operation prior to reloading it.

 

I don't clean primer pockets of pistol brass (except for that which will be loaded as match rounds) or zombie rifle rounds.

I do clean and uniform (another PITA step) primer pockets in my match rifle brass though.

My classification and prize $ depends on it!

[Pew Pew Plates 358]

If you tumble with stainless, it promotes a much faster more reliable dry and cleans the pockets to perfection.

[NJdiverTony 27]

You don't have to clean primer pockets for pistol brass... the reloads will work just fine if you deprime after cleaning and don't clean out the pockets. I've never had a problem doing it this way, when I was using a vibratory tumbler and dry media (crushed corn cob or walnut). BUT, in the last few months I have switched over to cleaning my brass with stainless steel media... so I now decap (with a decapping die) before cleaning and then my brass comes out looking like brand new... including the primer pockets.

[NJdiverTony 27]

If you tumble with stainless, it promotes a much faster more reliable dry and cleans the pockets to perfection.

 

+1

[raz-0 1,259]

If you tumble with stainless, it promotes a much faster more reliable dry and cleans the pockets to perfection.

 

How does cleaning with stainless affect drying times?

[Col. Mortimer 11]

How does cleaning with stainless affect drying times?

 

He means removing the primer shortens the drying time since the primer pocket is open at both ends.

[NJKen 23]

I deprime with a decapping die and then clean in a heated utrasonic cleaner. This clean all the whole piece beautifully. Then I will lube, resize, trim, chamfer, and uniforn (sometimes) the primer pocket. If I really want shiny ammo I will then throw it in the vibratory cleaner with corncob with a little iosso polish in it. They come out mirror shiny after that last step

Ken

[Socom 19]

If you tumble with stainless, it promotes a much faster more reliable dry and cleans the pockets to perfection.

 

You mean wet cleaning with stainless media, I didn't understand your garbled answer

[PeteF 1,044]

Just as a note, even if you deprime before cleaning, LEAVE the deacapping pin in your sizing die. Crushed walnut and sometimes corncob piece can get stuck in the flash hole.

The decapping pin removes any stuck pieces.

[djg0770 481]

If you tumble with stainless, decapping first results in a much faster and more reliable drying process. In addition, it allows the stainless media to clean the primer pockets to perfection.

 

Translated for Socom 16.

[NJKen 23]

Just as a note, even if you deprime before cleaning, LEAVE the deacapping pin in your sizing die. Crushed walnut and sometimes corncob piece can get stuck in the flash hole.

The decapping pin removes any stuck pieces.

Absolutely! Good Point

Ken