Do you decap as a separate operation?

[WebMonkey]

I use the Lee uni recap die on all my brass then toss into the walnut tumbler.
I prefer this over tumbling with spent primers or sizing dirty brass.
Cant say it effects anything one way or the other though.

[NyFirefighter357]

I have a frankford arsenal wet tumbler & ss pins. I have found particularly with small necked brass like .223 without de-capping the water traps in the cartridge. Couple that with wanting the primer pockets cleaned, I de-cap first. I'm going to set up a single stage press with a universal de-capping die just for this purpose right now I use my turret with the indexing rod removed. I have a unique way if removing stray pins and the excess water too but that's a different thread.

[Oyeboten]

I think whether one decaps as a seperate procedure can depend on the kind of Press one has, as well as whether one prefers to decap then Clean the Brass, before further steps.

I have been decapping as it's own procedure, and I expect to continue doing it that way.

If I had a Progressive Press, I might very well decap first on a different Press, Tumble clean the Brass, inspect all, then move forward with the Progressive Press with the decap having already been done.

[No Blue]

If I can recover my known brass, stuff that I've culled the berdan, messed up extraction grooves, removed the primer crimps and all the other defects you'll find with pick up brass, then I just run it again on the LM. Same with new ammo that I can collect. But range pickup, you got to deprime that junk and go thru the whole process before you can run it on a progressive. Otherwise it's one problem after another you get to fix with that batch. Only time I've ever had priming on the LM was when I first got some crimped primer brass and the old primers were hanging up in the brass and I couldn't get the new primer in with that in the way.

[brtelec]

I decap my rifle brass only.

[Mytmousemalibu]

I wet tumble everything so yes, I decap all beforehand. I'm not a fan of any potential water entrapment in primer pockets but I am a fan of them being nice & clean.

[jeepyj]

For Handgun, I wet shine, I don't use pins.I tumble in a old rock tumbler and after a few hours in Lemishine & Blue Coral car soap I triple rinse then put them in a towel shaped like a canoe and swish back and fourth. Next I have a small fan that I point into the box to be sure that I'm getting them completely dry. Run them through the Dillon and start all over again. Note: I keep some canned air to keep the shell plate area free of debris.
For rifle, I lube, size and de-prime then check length & trim if necessary then start the wet shine the same as handgun.
I would likely de-prime more prior to cleaning if I didn't go through so much ammo.
Jeepyj

[pdumont01]

I decap, tumble with crushed walnut, clean primer pockets, trim rifle brass, then size and prime on the press.

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[Rick Hodges]

I decap separately only with crimped military style primers.

[Gillie Dog]

Yep, always.

For pistol brass I have a progressive dedicated to decapping so it can be cranked out quickly. Rifle goes through a single stage decapping. Always wet tumble unless it is small batches of 20 or so rifle which go in ultrasonic.

GD

[Hick]

Rifles I use a decapping and sizing die-- all one operation then clean the cases afterward. Pistol-- size first, then simultaneously decap and bell-- same operation-- then clean afterward. If you really want to know what's best, I can't help. I've just always done it that way because it was convenient with the dies I am using. It works good for me so I haven't investigated doing anything different.

[Green Ghost]

I clean my brass with lemishine and water then decap and resize so that I can check brass length. After that I use a vibratory tumbler to get the primer pockets and run them through a progressive.

The decapping pin knocks any debris out of the flash hole.

Still haven't found a 45 acp that's grown, but still do it. LOL.

[tstowater]

Historically, we have been decapping and then vibratory tumbler the brass, resize, trim if necessary. This leaves dirty/sticky brass from the resizing step that has to be dealt with at some point before you can finish the loading process.

Recently, I started with a FA wet tumbler system. First time through for a short time without the pins using a little citric acid and wash and wax then dry. Resize and deprime, take out crimped primer pockets if necessary, trim if necessary. Run brass through the wet tumbler a second time with the SS pins. This cleans the inside and out and then dry. Basically new brass to run through the press and can load as fast as new brass. Just did 1900 rounds of 223 and a bunch of 204 and process is working well.

Nice part about this process is no dirt and dust floating around.

Just need to refine the trimming process for high volume brass varieties. Not wild about spending money on a Giraud or equivalent. Don't want to mess with a two step process of trimming and then chamfering and deburring.

Handgun brass is a little simpler since you don't generally need to deal trimming. That speeds up the process.

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[country gent]

I have several hand decappers I use. a pope style, a harvey style and one I deshihned like a set of pliers. I do this for several of the above reasons. I also like to feel the spent primers come out if they come out easy I can set the case aside as a possible loose pocket. Its amazing with a good tool what you can feel. My process is deprime cases and inspect as I go for cracks and other issues. a couple twists in th primer pocket with an rcbs cleaning brush. The corn cob tumble. I add a little alchlol and nufinish to the corn cob before the brass. After a couple hours brass is cean and so is the primer pockets. Th crn cob Im using is a finer grit than sold for reloaders and dosnt plug flasholes or primer pockets. On my BPCR brass it goes from the rifle to dish soap water jug to soak till I get home and rinse then dry. I then process as above

[Lead Fred]

The only exception I have to depriming and sizing at the same time, is 300BO case forming from 5.56 cases.
I form the case, then deprime. Makes for a better case form.

[Lee S. Forsberg]

I like clean primer pockets. Decapping is the first thing I do then cleaning.

[smoked turkey]

Since I am not a high volume shooter, I do all my handloading on a single stage press and time saved and speed are not an issue. I always deprime using an RCBS universal deprime die. No sizing, only depriming with this step. Clean primer pockets with RCBS tool. Usually clean cases in vibrator using walnut hulls next. I like to neck size only if cases are used in a single firearm. Cast boolits next calls for a slight neck flair using an 'M' die. Priming is done after all case work (including trimming and annealing as needed). At this point cases are ready for charging and boolit seating.

[Highway41]

Deprime with a universal decapper, clean primer pocket, CA bath, prime off the press with RCBS handtool. Took all the depriming pins out of the sizer dies. Occasionally I'll check length and trim before priming, especially range pickups as this gives me one more look at the cases before priming.

I have limited myself to 2 pistol and 1 rifle caliber and I'm not a high volume reloader. All my steps may not be necessary but reloading is relaxing for me and I enjoy the process.

[buckshotshoey]

I prefer to decap with RCBS universal decapping die before a tumble. Clean brass , IMO, sizes easier, and i believe will make the dies last a lifetime. As for media getting stuck in primer pocket, the decap pin in the sizer die takes care of that. Then a full inspection before priming and loading.

[Sasquatch-1]

I bought a Frankfurt Arsenal de-capper about a year ago. I love it. If I remember to keep it at the right angle while de-priming I have zero dropped primers on the floor. I also do not have to try and get the primer catcher off the press which would also lead to dropping primers. I don't have to worry about dirt scratching my dies either. I am a single stage press user.