Wet Tumbling Pistol Cases - My Findings

Northof50 said:
LBussy - why wouldn't you clean before decapping? The entire purpose of cleaning is to not scratch your dies and make the loading process easier. Why would anyone want to add an additional step to reloading. The more steps, the more room for human error - the biggest cause of loading issues.
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I now use the Lee Universal Depriming and Decapping Die to deprime all of my brass. That way I don't have to worry about resizing and the potential to scratch a die (or worse) till I know the brass is clean. I recently had a really bad stuck case and I'm seeking to avoid that at all costs. All brass coming home from the range gets deprimed and cleaned before entering my reloading process. I even deprime and clean pickups for calibers I don't have. It's easy to do and takes little time. I'll either get that caliber someday, or give them to a friend who does reload them.

I don't see any opportunity to introduce human error by adding that step. It has benefits for my process, and I avoid the somewhat kludgy (again, for me) priming process that Lee has for their turret press. Anyway I'm not really adding a step, I'm decomplicating a step in the turret press process. Some may not find the "size, deprime, prime" step kludgy on the Lee Turret. To those folks I tip my hat. :) I've certainly done thousands that way over the last few years. I prefer to avoid it now. When I get a 650 I may re-examine my process for optimization.
 
I use a vibratory cleaner with lizard bedding and have no problems, if you want shiny brass just add a little car polish. I also do not decap first because I reload on a Hornady LNL AP press.
 
zipspyder - tough to read your initial statement and not conclude what I did - Slow = accurate - Fast = plinking. The examples were for reference only. They were not intended to be the subject matter.

LBussy- We've simply had different experiences. I've been reloading for 30 years and have never had a stuck case. I know what you mean about "picking up brass." That's how I ended up purchasing a 40SW. After collecting 3 large coffee containers of range brass, I figured it was time. I also agree, the priming process is the achilleas of any reloading system. Mass seems to be our friend in reloading. Considering each primer only weighs in at 3grs or so, it tends to be the center of issues when they happen. That Lee decapper seems to be very popular on this forum. I've looked at it several times, but loading on an RCBS Pro2000, it simply seemed like an unnecessary step. As written, over time, the cleaning process has never presented much of an issue.

No offense intended in my replies.
 
wet n dry

I use walnut media with spent primers still in place and throw in 2 used dryer sheets from the laundry.
Brass comes out pristine after one hour.
 
USSR said:
Uh, "right way". Hardly. Fast way, yes. I teach metallic cartridge reloading (both handgun and rifle), and the NRA specifies that we use a single-stage press. I guarantee you that for every guy loading handgun ammo on a progressive press there are 10 guys or more reloading on a single-stage press. Not trashing progressive presses as they are great for high volume reloading, just the concept that they are required if you want to reload "the right way".
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I don't want to get into the single-stage vs. progressive can of worms. I suppose a single-stage press is fine if you want to explain to an absolute noob what's involved in reloading, but it's no way to load pistol, except cartridges like S&W 500. I was taught reloading on a full-on MEC progressive. Awesome press. If I had to reload pistol on a single stage, I wouldn't reload.

You are deluding yourself regarding this. First, most guys are using the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler which is an excellent and affordable piece of equipment, and the pins come free of charge with the tumbler.
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The Frankford Arsenal is $171.00. Harbor Freight is $55.99 for a dual drum. That's an easy choice.

Again,

My advice is most directed at people who want to get things done quickly and easily and don't care to chase diminishing returns.
 
Northof50 said:
LBussy- We've simply had different experiences. I've been reloading for 30 years and have never had a stuck case. I know what you mean about "picking up brass." That's how I ended up purchasing a 40SW. After collecting 3 large coffee containers of range brass, I figured it was time. I also agree, the priming process is the achilleas of any reloading system. Mass seems to be our friend in reloading. Considering each primer only weighs in at 3grs or so, it tends to be the center of issues when they happen. That Lee decapper seems to be very popular on this forum. I've looked at it several times, but loading on an RCBS Pro2000, it simply seemed like an unnecessary step. As written, over time, the cleaning process has never presented much of an issue.
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I never had one either ... till I did. :) I've only been reloading about 6 years though so you've got a good streak going. I had to take my hat in hand and send the die back to Lee to have them work on it. Best $6 I ever spent. Of course this was a rifle cartridge.

Like I said, if I had a progressive I might re-think things. To me a turret press is not a lot faster than a single stage, it just changes up the order a bit. When I do .223 I batch operations in single stages and I have to say, it's not slower than using the turret as intended. It also allows me to do things like wet-tumble the cases clean, inspect cases while priming, etc.. Just a different way to do things and not better than anyone else's good process.

I'm dreaming blue though ... that 650 sure is pretty.
 
I don't want to get into the single-stage vs. progressive can of worms. I suppose a single-stage press is fine if you want to explain to an absolute noob what's involved in reloading, but it's no way to load pistol, except cartridges like S&W 500. I was taught reloading on a full-on MEC progressive. Awesome press. If I had to reload pistol on a single stage, I wouldn't reload.
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Well, for someone looking to avoid a "can of worms" you sure are opening one up. Stating that a single-stage press is "no way to load pistol" is insulting to the majority of handgun reloaders. I have a MEC progressive shotgun press as well, but since I don't need massive amounts of either handgun or rifle ammo, I reload them on a RCBS Rock Chucker press. Awesome press. So you wouldn't reload on a single-stage press - who cares? Doesn't make you anything other than a guy in a hurry.

The Frankford Arsenal is $171.00. Harbor Freight is $55.99 for a dual drum. That's an easy choice.
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Uh, I recently cleaned 2,000 pieces of .45 ACP brass in 2 batches in the FART. Care to tell us how many pieces the Harbor Freight mini tumbler holds?:D
 
Now, I don't shoot F-Class rifle, so I can't speak to what works best in that world.
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a few years back I used a lathe with a home made PVC tumbler between centers to dry tumble cases. I sold that lathe and instead of tumbling for a couple of years I simply cleaned the cases in a pot of boiling water on the outdoor propane fish fryer with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice and a squirt of dish washing detergent. They came out clean and reasonably shiny, not stainless pin tumbled shiny but good enough.

Now I use a Franklin rotary tumbler sometimes wet, sometimes dry with lizard litter. The cases are shinier now and the primer pockets come out cleaner but that is the only difference I have seen out to 800. I have become a fan of clean primer pockets for my match ammo but AR15 plinking cases and pistol cases just gets dry tumbled for a half hour to get the dirt off
 
I don't see any downside to decapping before SS wet tumbling as the primer pockets get tumbled clean as well. The suggestion is, however, that the SS media pins be those of 0.047" diameter and not those of 0.041" diameter. It is possible that the smaller pins could get stuck side-by-side in some flash holes (ask me how I know), but the larger diameter pins will not.

Bayou
 
USSR said:
Well, for someone looking to avoid a "can of worms" you sure are opening one up. Stating that a single-stage press is "no way to load pistol" is insulting to the majority of handgun reloaders.
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There are much better ways to load ordinary pistol than a single-stage.

Look, if all someone can afford is a single stage, then more power to them. Use what you have. I just tend to get itchy when I see people using inefficient processes when better options and means are available.

I don't need massive amounts of either handgun or rifle ammo
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Uh, I recently cleaned 2,000 pieces of .45 ACP brass in 2 batches in the FART. Care to tell us how many pieces the Harbor Freight mini tumbler holds?:D
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That's great, but I thought you didn't need massive amounts of ammo?
 
Based on my experience with wet brass, I would not recommend any wet cleaning method that did not include removal of spent primers; either prior to the wet cleaning, or prior to a drying period.
 
LBussy- I use both single [RockChucker] and progressive [Pro2000] and wouldn't trade either. Many believe they are mutually exclusive. Each does something better than the other. When I'm working up various loads for 5 shot strings of each, or forming wildcat cartridges...or sometimes my brain is just in a "one step at at time" mode, I love the single stage. But, when there are 500 pieces of brass I'm going to load with a know recipe, the progressive just speeds things up a bit. But, even more attention to detail is needed. Funny, reloading is one of the simplest processes. But, on a progressive press, it's easy to get something wrong.
 
That's great, but I thought you didn't need massive amounts of ammo?
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Don't, but you can never have too much brass, especially when offered 2,000 Federal .45 ACP brass for $54 shipped.:)
 
I've wet tumbled.
I've dry tumbled.
I've rotary tumbled.
I've vibratory tumbled.
I've sonic tumbled.
I've used dozens of different types of media.
I've used no fewer than three types of acid.
I've used four different surfactants.

If what you are looking for is brass sufficiently clean to facilitate the thorough visual inspection that should be done of any cartridge case before it is reloaded, then ANY of preparation method will deliver satisfactory results and the choice will be entirely one of personal preference.
 
I don't need massive amounts of either handgun or rifle ammo
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Yeah you do. We all do ;).

I might be the only person who tumbles twice. Vibra-tumble with corn cob; prep the brass; then wet tumble in a FART w/ ss pins.

My ammo is pretty. That's important to me. It isn't for other loaders; and that's perfectly okay.
 
Nick - I also tumble twice for rifle to get the dirt off then clean the primer pockets and lube off. Pistol doesn’t get that treatment - their primer pockets stay dirty.

Sometimes, I even tumble in corn cob a third time to give the cases a real shine.
 
Nick_C_S said:
I might be the only person who tumbles twice. Vibra-tumble with corn cob; prep the brass; then wet tumble in a FART w/ ss pins.

My ammo is pretty. That's important to me. It isn't for other loaders; and that's perfectly okay.
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I was thinking of adding a final quick tumble in cob to remove lubricant on completed rifle rounds, and to just pretty-up the handgun rounds. I mean, why not?

I'll admit it - I feel a certain pride in my work when I see other reloaders taking tarnished rounds out of baggies to load their weapons. I realize theirs will probably shoot just as well as the shiny rounds I take out of my plastic cases. (I'm probably gonna open a can 'o worms with that admission.)
 
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