Resizing brass, before or after full length resizing?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

A recent conversation I had with a tech support guy has me rethinking my brass processing procedures related to rifle. I decided I would ask you folks how you process your brass in order to find a better method.

In this situation, I'm reloading .223/5.56 for plinking rounds, to go into a 5.56 chamber on a rifle with 1:9 twist. 55 grain and 62 surplus pills, lead with a mold to be designed (hopefully) later.

Which of these processes do you folks use? Or do you use another method? If so, please describe and why you do it that way.

1. Deprime, tumble, trim and resize.

2. Deprime, tumble, resize and trim

3. Tumble, deprime/resize and trim

Also, at what length do you trim for your process?

What I'm trying to do is figure out a method that minimizes brass retrimming during multiple reloads and maximizes brass life overall. This is part of the process.

Thanks,

Dave

[ron brooks]

If you are full length resizing youwill need to trim after you resize. You will not get an acurate mesurement of the lenght until it has been resized.

Ron

[arkypete]

Tumble, decap, resize, tumble, trim, prime, charge with powder, seat bullet.
Jim

[mike in co]

first i keep all my brass segregated by gun.
i measure the neck length of the chamber.
i trim based on that length, not some number in a book
i sample the brass....when i see the need i retrim...
i do not trim every reload.

brass never sees a die till its been cleaned( some brass is deprimed before cleaning, but not always..a lee universal deprimer)

clean, deprime, (lube), size, clean/polish, prime, powder seat....not neseccarily on the same day

[Char-Gar]

I am a #3 man

The purpose of tumbling is to clean the brass so you don't scratch your dies right? Shiney don't mean S%^t with me. So it has to be first

You don't want to trim until the brass is sized, so that makes it last step.

Well what is left for the middle step?

[Marshal Kane]

Deprime, clean primer pockets, tumble, FL resize, tumble, and trim. Need the case dimensions to be in specs before trimming.

[ANeat]

Tumble, decap, resize, tumble, trim, prime, charge with powder, seat bullet.
Jim

Thats what I do, plus swage primer pocket after the decap/size.

Adam

[rmb721]

Number 3 for me. I don't like to tumble after resizing because of getting media in primer pockets. (royal pain to me)

[garandsrus]

I mostly do what Jim does... However, when ready to load, after the second tumbling I put a universal deprimer in step 1 of the Dillon so that it pushes any tumbler media out of the flash hole. It doesn't add any additional steps to the process and works well.

I have a modified Gracey (Giraud blade and more powerful motor) power trimmer for .223 so I just trim every round instead of putting it in a gague to see if it needs to be trimmed. It is much faster to trim (or attempt to trim) the case than it is to verify it's length.

John

[eka]

I don't tumble anything. I couldn't care less if they are pretty, just clean. I deprime them in a universal decapping die and wash them in hot water and Dawn. I keep my brass seperated for bolt guns and neck size only. I then trim them in Redding trim dies with a file when needed. For autoloaders, I use RCBS X Dies and the first trim is the only trim for the life of the brass. I'm with the others here, you have to size before you trim.

Regards,

Keith

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Thanks Gentlemen,

You guys are confirming what I do with mine as well. I think the Tech Guy I was talking to was bonkers, but wanted to see if anybody was doing what he was suggesting.

Eka,

How many shootings are you getting with the X-dies in your rifles?


Dave

[Buckshot]

...............Ditto #3. As Mike in CO does, I have brass segregated for each rifle. On the plastic ammo boxes I have a lable with 3 lines: Fired, Annealed, Trim. 'Fired' is the top line and when I get home and the brass is dumped in the tumbler I draw a line on the 'Fired' line.

When the brass comes out of the tumbler and gets sized, I use calipers to check maybe 5 cases or so for length. If they need trimming they get a sticky note on the box and they're set back until I get enough to do. I heartily dislike trimming!!!

With cast lead and mild loads, trimming doesn't happen real often. I have some LC45 30-'06 brass that has over 30 firings in my -03A1. I think they've been annealed maybe 4 times and trimmed 2-3 times.

.................Buckshot

[jonk]

#3; though somtimes I re-tumble after sizing if the cases are still tacky. Depends on the lube and how dirty they were to start out.

[Uncle R.]

Wow-
You guys are gonna have me questioning my um, er - manhood...
OK - here comes the big confession -
I LIKE shiny brass!
:roll:
It's a matter of pride to me that my handloads look good as well as shoot good. And - I'm at least as concerned about carrying grit into my chamber as I am about my size dies. I also suspect that clean and polished brass may help feeding and extraction in semi-autos.
I always figured that the most important part of tumbling was the removal of the sizing lube which can be a safety issue as well as making for clean handling ammo.
As long as my cases are reasonably clean - not picked up from sand or mud or some similar gunky condition, my procedure for fired cases is:

Visual inspection
Lube
Size
Check length
Trim, chamfer & deburr if needed.
Clean primer pocket
Tumble :) UNTIL CLEAN AND SHINY :)
Sift out media and (YES) poke the dang media out of the flash hole with a tiny pin punch.
Load
Label, stack on the shelf, and dream of winning the match, killing the record class buck, etc. etc.

NEW brass gets a slightly different sequence which may involve flash hole inspection, reaming and deburring, case inspection and sorting, etc. - depending on the application.

Uncle R.

[rmb721]

Buckshot: If you show me someone who likes case trimming, I will show you someone who is either lying or someone with something wrong with their head.

[eka]

Dave, I haven't gotten to really run them out that far because I got two sets for Christmas. I've gotten about seven reloads on mine. But, a buddy has increased the life of his cases about six or seven times with the X dies in his Garand. His success was the reason they made their way to my Christmas list. I really wouldn't fool with them in anything but autos, but they seem to be the ticket for them.

Keith

[ELFEGO BACA]

The instructions that came with my Forster Case Trimmer says: Case length trimming should be done after the cases have been resized.

A better idea may be the use of RCBS X dies. You only trim the cases once. After that the dies apparently keep the length constant. I am happy with my sets for the 223 and 308!

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

You guys that have the X-dies, do you use them for .223 and if so, do you use the small base or standard X-die?

Dave

[mike in co]

You guys that have the X-dies, do you use them for .223 and if so, do you use the small base or standard X-die?

Dave


a small base die should only be needed for resizing brass that was not originally fired in your chamber. std dies should work on brass fired in your chamber.
using a small base die on brass fired in your chamber is just one more way of over working /shortening the life of your brass. size to fit your chamber.... correct sizing will extend the life of your brass to all most forever........