To Tumble with primers in or out?

[Krazy_jim]

As the reloading table has now been built, the old man and myself are wondering what everybody does when it comes to tumbling.

Are you doing it before pulling primers, or after?

It’s been easily 35+ years for him since he last did any kind of reloading, and I haven’t even touched it as of yet.

Thanks guys.

 

[ICU22250]

Decap your cases first so you have clean primer pockets to work with.

 

[nn8734]

With or without, just depends if i have the time to pull them. Most of the time i pull them before wet tumbling.

Makes no difference in my loads’ performance.

 

[Makinchips208]

Personally I tumble before I size and deprime so only clean brass goes in the die.

 

[ICU22250]

Personally I tumble before I size and deprime so only clean brass goes in the die.

I have a mighty armory decapper so I deprime first and still get clean pockets and dirty brass never touches my resizing die...

 

[nn8734]

I have a mighty armory decapper so I deprime first and still get clean pockets and dirty brass never touches my resizing die...

I also use the MA decapper on my D750 and decap 5.56 and 7.62/6.5 cases by the hundred. Its a great tool. Then i stick them in the tumblers. I dont have the magnum adapters for the case feeder yet but will soon. Then its 100% decap before tumbling.

 

[Mudflap621]

are you wet tumbling or dry? I dry tumble and ill tumble with primers in than pull them. dry tumbling really doesn't touch the pockets so no reason to pull first IMO.

 

[nn8734]

@Mudflap621 if you’re asking me, i wet tumble.

 

[Makinchips208]

I have a mighty armory decapper so I deprime first and still get clean pockets and dirty brass never touches my resizing die...

Oh that’s cool! I never have seen that. Learnt something. Thanks!

 

[Mudflap621]

@Mudflap621 if you’re asking me, i wet tumble.

Wasn’t asking anyone per se but if your a wet tumbler it kinda makes sense as it’ll clean pockets but for us dry guys it don’t do shit lol.

 

[KnowNothing256]

I used to decap before wet tumbling but stopped because it doesn’t really matter and it saves me a handling step. Wet tumble and anneal with the primer in, lube and FL size with the decapping pin but no expander ball, mandrel. Then prime, charge, and seat.

Decapping pre-tumble means every case has to get placed in and removed from the press an additional time by hand (I just have a turret press, not a progressive), and that adds about 3-5 seconds per case. It adds up, in my experience.

There’s enough anecdotal experimentation out there to pretty confidently assert that clean primer pockets are one of the smallest impacts on accuracy you can chase. But, I understand folks who want to spend the time for the peace of mind that comes from eliminating one more variable, however small, and don’t begrudge them their approach.

 

[nn8734]

Wasn’t asking anyone per se but if your a wet tumbler it kinda makes sense as it’ll clean pockets but for us dry guys it don’t do shit lol.

Yea I stopped dry tumbling years ago. I run three Thumlers tumblers (No SS pins) w/ a little bit of lemishine and dawn to get them spit shine clean. I let them air dry overnight in paper bags.

 

[Herb Stoner]

I've done it both ways - wet tumbling without SS pins as above. If I tumble with primers in I'll dry them more thoroughly so help ensure there is no moisture trapped in the pockets.
Now I leave primers in for handgun brass to eliminate the extra step as I run them on a DIllon. For rifle, I typically decap with a Mighty Armory die before wet tumbling.

 

[simonp]

I also use the MA decapper on my D750 and decap 5.56 and 7.62/6.5 cases by the hundred. Its a great tool. Then i stick them in the tumblers. I dont have the magnum adapters for the case feeder yet but will soon. Then its 100% decap before tumbling.

I'm with the majority when it comes to rifle reloading, MA decapper, wet tumble, dry then size.

 

[pell1203]

I tumble with primers in as I’ve seen very little difference in how clean the primer pockets get if I deprime prior to tumbling.

I tumble with dry media only and I find if I deprime first many of the flash holes have a tendency to get media stuck in them causing me to have to inspect each individual case for obstructions.

When depriming after tumbling the depriming pin clears any media that may gotten lodged in the flash holes during the following depriming or depriming/sizing step.

 

[acudaowner]

I only put in primers just before I add powder and a bullet . but that's my preference .

 

[Snuby642]

I pop primers in a universal then tumble.

Keeps other tools cleaner.

 

[jinxx4ever]

i use a decapping die then wet tumble with SS chips, cleaner than new. When i dry tumbled didn't matter, most of the time still had to clean primer pockets afterwards

 

[roostercogburn98]

Wasn’t there some talk on here lately about how cleaning primer pockets didn’t do any for accuracy?

I’ve done before and after. I decap with a handheld tool as well, so brass doesn’t go into dies dirty either way

 

[Im2bent]

I have a mighty armory decapper so I deprime first and still get clean pockets and dirty brass never touches my resizing die...

Winner. winner, chicken dinner. This is what I do too. The MA decapper is pretty slick.

 

[Lawnboi]

I don’t give a lick about clean primer pockets but so deprime before tumbling. Got sick of tumbling media all over my dies, and got sick of dumping it in my amp.

I don’t wet tumble

 

[n2ishun]

I dry tumble, decap, then wet tumble in a different tumbler.....g'head and call me anal
I've just seen tiny bits of whatever break loose when decapping and didn't like the idea of the whatever being there.

 

[Feniks Technologies]

We personally don’t. We use a commercial sonic tank. Unless brass is muddy or sandy, it gets annealed and dropped into the tank for cleaning.

Then sized/deprimed and dry tumble to get lanolin off.

Once we get and auto drive, will likely decap first just for hell of it since it’s automated. But dirty vs clean pockets don’t show up on target.

Decapping to have less crap in your dies and press is a good reason to deadly first. But it’s basically personal preference.


Unless muddy/sandy, you can literally just wipe case off with rag and go into your sizing process.

 

[Baron23]

I dry tumble and decap first. Yes, some media gets in the flash hole but it takes no time to clear it before trimming and depriming.

Don’t anneal yet but will be using my friend AMP to annex until I get one myself.

 

[Snuby642]

I use fine grit wallnut media.
It really doesn't get stuck in flash holes. It also partially cleans the primer pockets.

 

[jinxx4ever]

Wasn’t there some talk on here lately about how cleaning primer pockets didn’t do any for accuracy?

I’ve done before and after. I decap with a handheld tool as well, so brass doesn’t go into dies dirty either way

i think that discussion was about flash holes not affecting accuracy

 

[jinxx4ever]

As you can see OP, do whatever you like, there is no wrong or right. One thing i've learned in reloading, if it works for you, do it, asking for opinions is always great , but the final decision is up to you.. All have opinions, just like , well you know the rest.

 

[Krazy_jim]

Ha I can see this. The setup we have is for dry tumbling, so likely using walnut for that.

I think he’s planning on trying it both ways here in the next few days, and assessing it for himself. I will pass along all the information, which just says do whichever.

Much appreciated guys!

 

[Choid]

Auto decapper before wet tumbling, but it will only do up to 308 sized cases, so if it is bigger I'll do it by hand. Not sure what kind of barbarians still dry tumble their brass.

 

[Choid]

So, here is the straight dope. If you use a progressive press, especially an automated one, things go to shit when you have crud in you brass. That can be primer crud from decapping on the press, or it can be tumbling crud and dust. I know, everybody here gets their tumbled brass perfectly clean. Yeah, until you have made walnut sludge in your press. Same with rollsizing. He won't warranty a machine running dry tumbled brass.

With a single stage you get to do what you want, because there are so many fewer moving parts.

 

[roostercogburn98]

i think that discussion was about flash holes not affecting accuracy

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/clean-primer-pockets.7104857/#post-9921974

 

[Lunchbox27]

I use to deprime, tumble, and clean the primer pockets when prepping. Never saw a difference when I stopped.

Now, tumble is walnut, primers in, and deprime before annealing and resizing.

Test and see if it is worth it to you.

 

[kthomas]

Dry tumble, then deprime and FL size in one step.

 

[r.tenorio671]

...my preference is without primers as the wet tumbling w/pins gets the primer pockets absolutely clean. I also decap with a Lee Universal decapper to preserve my sizing die. After decapping I anneal (trim as required) followed by tumbling. I size after tumbling, short tumble again to remove lube, dry, store away until I'm ready to load. I tend to do everything in "batch mode"....

 

[OkieMike]

I pulled my expander ball/decapper pins out of my sizing dies (except .223) and deprime with a universal...

Then I brush out the pocket. Then tumble.

Just how I do it.

Mike

 

[Rocketmandb]

I'm with the folks who don't like putting dirty cases into my dies. I deprime with a Harvey Deprimer, then ultrasonic for an hour.

 

[Swatman]

I tumble my pistol or high volume stuff with the primers in them. For precision rifle I decap with a decapping die so the primer pocket gets cleaned out. I wet tumble my precision rifle brass so the pocket gets really clean that way. Truly I’m not sure it matters but if you wet tumble with the primers in the brass make sure that they get completely dry or you will get part of the primer stuck when you try to decap. Just don’t put dirty brass into your dies.

 

[fxdrider]

Lowest priced decapping die I've found:

Lee Universal Depriming and Decapping Die - Midway

 

[iceng]

Harvey hand deprimer then tumble. Clean brass in dies.

 

[FN15]

I chuck Dillon decapping pins and use 600 grit to polish/taper them slightly to keep from sucking the occasional primer back up into the primer pocket on a 1050 but have never seen this. That pin seems oversize but I haven't gotten out a pin and case to look.
I can't see how wet tumbling / drying would cause 'shrinkage' of a primer pole.

 

[Snuby642]

That pin seems oversize but I haven't gotten out a pin and case to look.
I can't see how wet tumbling / drying would cause 'shrinkage' of a primer pole.

What is it that seems to shrink?

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I strictly tumble my brass with the primers in or out. You should do it the same way I do or you're wrong.

 

[Snuby642]

No fence sitting.

Pick a side and defend it like a grown ass man.

 

[Choid]

Smells like Deplorable Dry Tumblers in this thread, and it isn't pretty.

 

[ICU22250]

Your a tranny if you tumble with 2 different tools....

 

[MikeinTexas]

I wet tumble w/ss pins. I don’t like putting dirty brass into dies. I decap using a lee universal decapper as Step one.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

I decap using a lee universal decapper as Step one.

You don't have a custom $500 decapping die? Disgusting!

 

[OkieMike]

You don't have a custom $500 decapping die? Disgusting!

I pull the firing pin from my rifle and use it to decap.

Mike

 

[KnowNothing256]

I pull the firing pin from my rifle and use it to decap.

Mike

You...what.

 

[Choid]

You don't have a custom $500 decapping die? Disgusting!

Honestly hard to show your face without one.