cleaning primer pockets

[Dennis22]

I used to just size and then clean the pockets with a reamer

Just purchased a stainless wet tumbler, and curious how you are removing the primers to clean the brass. are you sizing the dirty brass and then cleaning, or cleaning, sizing and cleaning again

New to the cleaning thing and just curious how to do it

 

[Rocketmandb]

Pre-anything after firing:

Harvey Deprimer

Universal Hand Held Deprimer DEPRIMES LAPUA CASES! Buy Now No Accessories Needed No attachments, accessories, dies, or shell holders needed to catch spent primers. Deprimes Lapua Cases The 0.06″ Universal Pin, available for purchase, deprimes all major cases. Convenient Design Freedom from the...

harveydeprimer.com

 

[CK1.0]

Everyone should own one, $11:

Lee Universal Decapping Die - Fits Up to .560" in Diameter

Buy the Lee Universal Decapping Die here today at Midsouth Shooters. This Lee decapper fits cases up to .560" in diameter and up to 3.125" in length.

www.midsouthshooterssupply.com

As for cleaning, everyone has their process, mine goes:

I decap first (mainly so they'll dry faster in my brass dryer, but might as well get most of the crud out first), then wet tumble with SS pins (a handful of pins is all it takes to clean 'em without nicking up the case mouths) + cap full of Armor All Wash & Wax (Dawn-type dish soap is fine too) + little bit of Lemishine for 45mins-1 hour: it's like new brass after.

Then into brass dryer for 60-90mins.

Anneal.

Then I toss the cases in a Tupperware with 5-6 sprays of lanolin/alcohol case lube for a couple minutes so it gets all over and give 'em 10 minutes or so for the alcohol to evaporate (the Frankford Arsenal lube is pretty cheap and exactly the same as the Dillon stuff, but you can make you're own too). You'll never use traditional case wax again after trying it this way I bet.

Then FL size, then the mandrel, then back into my dry tumbler with corn cob for 30-45mins. Cleans off the lube and leaves a little dust in the necks for seating bullets later without having to mess with any graphite dust or whatever.

 

[rustyinbend]

I used to just size and then clean the pockets with a reamer

Just purchased a stainless wet tumbler, and curious how you are removing the primers to clean the brass. are you sizing the dirty brass and then cleaning, or cleaning, sizing and cleaning again

New to the cleaning thing and just curious how to do it

I use a Lee Universal Decapping Die first, then wet-tumble to clean. Never understood why people clean first, and then decap to leave dirty primer pockets ... but to each his own.

 

[CK1.0]

Never understood why people clean first, and then decap to leave dirty primer pockets ... but to each his own.

I didn't decap every time for a while...

One reason was one-less-step/time/lazy, another was clean primer pockets (or not) doesn't really have any effect on accuracy IMO. (I've even wondered if cruddy primer pockets might hold onto primers and be usable longer than clean ones, IDK lol?) But, the pockets get pretty dirty by 4-5 firings and usually need to get cleaned.

I never brushed pockets, I'd just decap first before SS tumbling every 4-5 firings...

But, since precision loading is all about consistency AND repeatability, and the fact that I can't control the pockets being the same amount of dirty each time before loading, but I CAN control them being clean every time... It's now decap every time.
One less variable to fuck me up and keep me from reloaded ammo nirvana .

 

[Dennis22]

Thank you. I'll be ordering the universal decanting die

 

[alamo5000]

Depending on the condition of the brass I might add an additional step... especially since I almost always shoot suppressed or if the brass is just plain dirty I will do a quick tumble as is with no media. Just add some soap and water and let it tumble for about 15 to 20 minutes or so with no media. It knocks off all the big stuff before I run them through my dies.

One thing I want to look into is being able to full length resize without having an expander ball present (but still have a decapping pin). I am starting to use expander mandrels so in that case I can resize and decap in one motion before doing a full tumble.

 

[CK1.0]

One thing I want to look into is being able to full length resize without having an expander ball present (but still have a decapping pin). I am starting to use expander mandrels so in that case I can resize and decap in one motion before doing a full tumble.

The Hornady Match Grade FL die does this. It's also a bushing die though, so you'll need a couple of those if you don't already have them (the RCBS bushings are interchangeable with the Hornady's FYI).

Expander ball bad, mandrel good lol. JMHO.

 

[rustyinbend]

I didn't decap every time for a while...

One reason was one-less-step/time/lazy, another was clean primer pockets (or not) doesn't really have any effect on accuracy IMO. (I've even wondered if cruddy primer pockets might hold onto primers and be usable longer than clean ones, IDK lol?) But, the pockets get pretty dirty by 4-5 firings and usually need to get cleaned.

I never brushed pockets, I'd just decap first before SS tumbling every 4-5 firings...

But, since precision loading is all about consistency AND repeatability, and the fact that I can't control the pockets being the same amount of dirty each time before loading, but I CAN control them being clean every time... It's now decap every time.
One less variable to fuck me up and keep me from reloaded ammo nirvana .

Agree 100%. Do it ... Don't do it ... but do it or don't do it the same every time.

 

[alamo5000]

The Hornady Match Grade FL die does this. It's also a bushing die though, so you'll need a couple of those if you don't already have them (the RCBS bushings are interchangeable with the Hornady's FYI).

Expander ball bad, mandrel good lol. JMHO.

I have a bunch of dies that I really like and don't really want to change brands. I just need to look into what I need to do per each die to remove the expander ball only. Some I think I can just remove it but others it's part of the main shank. I need to take them apart and look at them to see.

At this point I am trying to make it as efficient as possible. If I can reduce the number of times I need to pull the lever that's a good thing.