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Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: MacAttack on March 22, 2020, 10:00:05 AM

Title: Reloading question
Post by: MacAttack on March 22, 2020, 10:00:05 AM: New to reloading. I got a Case Prep center (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1064211733?pid=211733) from a friend, so do I still need a tumbler to clean my shell casings?
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: HighlandLofts on March 22, 2020, 10:24:23 AM: Yes you will need a tumbler to clean the brass.
The wet tubler does the beast job getting the cases to look like new.
Deprime the cases before tumbling and the primer pockets and the inside the cases look like new as well.
I use a cap of Armorall Wash & Wax about half a teaspoon of Lemi Shine Booster and a small squirt of Blue Dawn Dish Soap.
I have the large Frankfort Asenal wet tumbler.

I also have a Lyman and a RCBS dry tumbler that I don't use any more.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: jay.sharkbait on March 22, 2020, 10:27:14 AM: Tumbling or cleaning brass is not required.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: Hilltop123 on March 22, 2020, 10:32:24 AM: Quote from: jay.sharkbait on March 22, 2020, 10:27:14 AM
Tumbling or cleaning brass is not required.
:yeah:
Just get the dust and dirt off, don't want that crap in your dies.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: MacAttack on March 22, 2020, 11:31:19 AM: Quote from: Hilltop123 on March 22, 2020, 10:32:24 AM
Quote from: jay.sharkbait on March 22, 2020, 10:27:14 AM
Tumbling or cleaning brass is not required.
:yeah:
Just get the dust and dirt off, don't want that crap in your dies.

Really? That's good to know. Thanks!
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: Igor on March 22, 2020, 11:36:49 AM: Quote from: MacAttack on March 22, 2020, 11:31:19 AM
Quote from: Hilltop123 on March 22, 2020, 10:32:24 AM
Quote from: jay.sharkbait on March 22, 2020, 10:27:14 AM
Tumbling or cleaning brass is not required.
:yeah:
Just get the dust and dirt off, don't want that crap in your dies.

Really? That's good to know. Thanks!

If you don't tumble and polish your brass they will, over time, scratch the inside of your re-sizing dies. This will happen even with carbide dies.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: Magnum_Willys on March 22, 2020, 11:59:30 AM: You can wipe off with 0000 steel wool. I use a cheap vibrating tub with walnut shell media. Couple squirts of fritz polish and nu-polish car polish.

I have a steel pin tumbler. Stopped using it, got brass too clean and accuracy suffered. Does work harden case mouths too. Did get primer pockets clean which was nice. Must dip necks in graphite if using. Not bad just not slam dunk better than other options.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: yorketransport on March 22, 2020, 12:02:43 PM: Just wipe the brass with a rag to clean them up before sizing them. A little Ballistol on a rag works great for this.

I only tumble cases that are really dirty or get wet/muddy while I was out.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: Jingles on March 22, 2020, 12:09:54 PM: Just finished reloading the last of 10K pieces of 223/5.56 brass picked up at the range and every single piece went through the vibrator prior to decapping and resizing, Yea might be overkill but have not had a single issue with the dies or brass, plus gives me the opportunity to inspect each piece.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: yorketransport on March 22, 2020, 12:19:06 PM: Quote from: Jingles on March 22, 2020, 12:09:54 PM
Just finished reloading the last of 10K pieces of 223/5.56 brass picked up at the range and every single piece went through the vibrator prior to decapping and resizing, Yea might be overkill but have not had a single issue with the dies or brass, plus gives me the opportunity to inspect each piece.

I'd definitely tumble range brass, especially anything from an AR.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: b23 on March 22, 2020, 12:28:54 PM: I've had a SS pins and Thumler's tumbler setup for over 15 years and can't remember the last time I used it. If you have super nasty dirty brass or some range brass that's been laying around and is all kinds of nasty, nothing works better than SS pins and a wet tumbler. In fact, you can take brass that you'll never believe would come clean and make it look brand new. But, for me, I don't use that kind of brass anyway, so my SS wet tumbler setup was more of a novelty item to see how well I could make, even the worst looking brass, come back to life and look good as new. Like I said, don't have a clue when I used it last and now that I'm typing this I think I loaned it out so I probably should look into getting it back.

I generally use a little lighter fluid or mineral spirits on a rag and wipe my brass clean before and after I size it but I generally neck size most everything so it's not as big of an issue for me.

I have the RCBS brass prep machine, which is similar to the Lyman, and like Magnum_Willys, I always dip the necks in dry graphite before they get powder and a bullet seated in them.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: b23 on March 22, 2020, 12:35:55 PM: Quote from: yorketransport on March 22, 2020, 12:19:06 PM
Quote from: Jingles on March 22, 2020, 12:09:54 PM
Just finished reloading the last of 10K pieces of 223/5.56 brass picked up at the range and every single piece went through the vibrator prior to decapping and resizing, Yea might be overkill but have not had a single issue with the dies or brass, plus gives me the opportunity to inspect each piece.

I'd definitely tumble range brass, especially anything from an AR.

Completely agree! IMO, AR's require a slightly different protocol for reloading than does a bolt gun, especially, if you're using range or used brass. If I was shooting high volumes of AR ammo and was using range or used brass, I'd go back to using my SS tumbler setup.
Title: Re: Reloading question
Post by: jasnt on March 22, 2020, 01:45:57 PM: I just wipe down with rag and 0000 steel wool when needed. If real bad I use the sonic cleaner with lemi shine
Don’t like cleaning the inside of the case unless I have too