Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

[Chiller]

I have been using the stainless steel method of cleaning my brass and I have a question from a sequence standpoint. After firing I take the cases home and deprime them, tumble them (SS method), bump the shoulder, the neck, prime, powder, and finally pill.

Looking at using a full size busing die to consolidate two steps. My question is can I consolidate more? Can I fire them, bring them home, full size and bushing (shoulder and neck) and deprime (mind you the case has not been cleaned), trim, THEN CLEAN, primer, powder, and then pill. Do I put my dies in jeopardy?

Your thoughts as always are appreciated?

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Chiller</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Can I fire them, bring them home, full size and bushing (shoulder and neck) and deprime (mind you the case has not been cleaned), trim, THEN CLEAN, primer, powder, and then pill. Do I put my dies in jeopardy? </div></div>

I don’t see a problem with that unless your brass is rolling around collecting dirt and debris before they are picked up. You may wish to brush the necks with a bore brush and a twist of steel wool on the outside of the neck before sizing if there is some carbon left on there. That is what I do if I haven’t running through the cleaner first. Most of my brass fired from a bolt rifle is pretty clean and I have resized them on occasion with out tumbling first.

Trust your fingers, if you feel grit on the case body as you prep the neck it my be a good idea to wipe the case down as you twist and clean the neck. A old dish/hand towel works well for that.

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

That is what I usually do. Cleaning is my last step before I prime the cases.

 

[308sako]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

Deleted in protest!

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

Yes, dirty (uncleaned) brass will scratch up your dies, and will cause dents and marks from debris. Plus you get gunk build-up from your sizing lube.

Get the FL bushing neck dies. After you fire the brass:

tumble
FL size and deprime in same step
Prime
powder and seat bullet

I throw powder and seat the bullet in the same step. It flows smooth for me this way, and I don't have to set charged cases in a loading block since I am normally running more then 50 or 100 rounds at a time.

If the SS media is small enough to get into the primer pocket, then you can deprime with a depriming die, or lower the expander ball in the die and push out the spent primer without sizing the case. It's adds an extra step, so I normally deprime when sizing. On my personal ammo, I clean out the primer pockets after 2-3 firings. I don't clean them out after each loading.

 

[Hummer]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

Chiller,
If the cases are dirty from a match etc they will go in jug with Ivory and Limishine for the ride home.
If cases are clean I deprime, FL size with no expander button, stress relieve the shoulder/neck, expand neck to desired size with my own expander button. (Same technique as covered in Precision Shooting this month except my way is much simpler)
If flash holes not uniformed I will do this then load as usual.
My chambers on bolt guns are dead tight and the initial trim to -.005 under will last half a dozen firings and then just a scosh is removed.
My chambers are headspaced on zero or close and MO Gage shows .001-.002" movement of shoulder and they are bumped back to GO Gage reading to .001 long.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

Chiller,

The cases don't HAVE to be shiney. But they do need to be CLEAN. I kind of like the idea of the jug of water with the Dawn dishwashing detergent. I have used it before at the house. But never thought about actually taking it to the range.

Any time I wet my cases with water, I rinse with alcohol and hit them with air from the compressor. Then if you leave them spread out on an old towel, they usually dry just fine when left over night.

Like another stated above, at benchrest matches when you have to reload between relays I just twist the necks & shoulder area in a small piece of 4/0 steel wool held between my off hand thumb and forefinger. Then I use charcoal lighter fluid on an old "T" shirt to remove any residue. I use the Imperial sizing die wax most of the time. A wipe with the same lighter fluid wet cloth removes all residue from that as well.

Good luck.

 

[Chiller]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

One of the reasons I have been using the Lee depriming die is to allow the SS to clean the primer pocket (which it does a great job). Want to have as uniform and consistent ammo as I can produce and not spend all my time in the loading room.

 

[FNARSHOOTER]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

Do what I do teach the wife and kids how to deprime,clean.resize ,trim,deburr,treat primer pockets,reprime. That way all you have to do is drop powder and seat bullets.I would "let" them drop powder and seat bullets but I like reloading too much.
Scot

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: Loading sequence With Stainless Steel ?

I taught our two daughters to be range rats. They picked up the brass while I was shooting it. That's how they got to shoot the bigger guns. To the younger it was torture. The oldest one loved it.