tumble primed brass?

[9w1911]

I pulled about 700 45acp this weekend, back from when I started reloading about 11 years ago, I was just concerned that I made these rounds too fast and that the powder, 231, would have a bunch of different weights, well I was wrong the whole lot was consistent weight. What was not consistent, crimp, crimp was all across the board. Now that I have about 700 primed cases, I want to resize and trim them better than I did years ago. Back then I did not trim straight wall cases. Ok so here I am, I have a tumble with walnut media.
Anyone ever tumble primed brass?
I have read some threads here about this already but I was hoping someone would have first hand experience I can ask questions.

[bangerjim]

If the brass is good, not split, and usable, why the heck worry about making it new and shiny?

Tarnished brass shoots just as good as shiny tumbled brass!

Don't waste your time.......re-load it and shoot it!

[rancher1913]

have to agree with banger.

[dudel]

I wouldn't. How will you clear media from the flash hole?

Load it, shoot it, make it shiny next time if that's important to you..

[ShaneLyall]

I've managed to get a piece or two in with a batch and tumble it by accident in the past. Never did it intentionally. I'm with those above, I would think it might plug the flash hole

[lefty o]

no need to trim it. resize it without the decapping pin, load it up and shoot it. then you can tumble it and make it pretty.

[C. Latch]

Trimming .45 ACP cases?


You need a new hobby. :bigsmyl2:

[bangerjim]

One should only trim rifle bottle neck cases normally.

I have NEVER trimmed 9/38/40/44/45 cal pistol cases. Total waste of time and effort.

banger

[Budzilla 19]

^^^^^ What he said.

[Bmi48219]

[QUOTE=bangerjim;3626946]One should only trim rifle bottle neck cases normally.

to expand on bangerjim's observation, any tapered case will tend to stretch upon firing.
I clean, resize and measure my .30 carbine brass, after a couple reloadings I start to see 3 to 5 % on average exceed max case length.
Also measure my 9mm after sizing. After 3 reloadings one out of 200 are too long. Not a big deal with 9's. Carbine brass isn't so easy to find so it gets trimmed.

[Bmi48219]

i should add, when I started reloading .30 carbine, sage members of this forum shared their experience with me & saved me a lot of trial and error. Checking case length was one of their suggestions.

[Cowboy_Dan]

Only pistol brass I trim regularly is 7.62x25, but it's basically a baby bottleneck rifle round. Hunting .44 Magnums get trimmed for consistent crimp. I don't bother measuring straight wall pistol plinkers. I do, however, set Horniday cases aside within batches to reset crimp for them as they are known to be slightly shorter, otherwise you may not fully iron out the bell.

[Teddy (punchie)]

How bad is it? If you do you have to inspect every case. Place in holder and use a flashlight and make sure there clean. I always do this anyway, as soon as I set them on case blocks, loading block. From loading shotguns, after finding junk in them I learn old spiders like the shotshells.

[Wayne Smith]

If you check random case lengths I'll bet they are already short. All mine are. Don't trim, just size, expand, insert powder and boolit and re-crimp now that you know how to do it right! Pull the deprime assembly out of your size die if it is there.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

I have a tremendous amount of respect for live primers. I don't juggle them, remove them from the container until I use them, or any other thing that might make one detonate. That includes tumbling. It only takes one to spoil your day, maybe your whole week.

Carefully resize the case, reload and shoot them. Don't take that chance. An old guy once told me, "when in doubt, don't."

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[jmorris]

The only time I tumble primed brass is after I put powder and a bullet into it.

[str8wal]

Trimming .45 ACP cases?


You need a new hobby. :bigsmyl2:

What he said ^^^ ;-)

[OS OK]

I think that you need a more comprehensive understanding regarding primers and what they are made of…or you'd never consider tumbling them installed in cases in the first place. Here's a short concise warning that might benefit everyone to some extent...

http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-education/safety/general-primer-safety

Primer compound does not ignite and burn liken to powder…it 'explodes'.

OS OK

[dudel]

Trimming .45 ACP cases?


You need a new hobby. :bigsmyl2:

There is value is trimming pistol brass. More so with roll crimp rounds than with taper crimp. Not so much worried about cases stretching, but if you have a variety of case lengths, how can you expect a consistent crimp. This is especially true with range brass that you have no idea how often it's been shot. A taper crimp case that's too short won't get all the flare removed. Potentially won't chamber (well it will if you use an FCD). Cases that are too long, depending on the die, could turn the taper crimp back into the projectile.

Doing it once should be enough. I check all new to me brass once.

There was an interesting article in a recent Handloader magazine that explored the trimming of pistol brass. As I recall, the author didn't do it; when he did, he found better accuracy. YMMV

[mdi]

While in theory, a primer may go off in a tumbler, in my 18 years of reloading forum lookin', I have never heard of a real life occurrence. The only real problem is media getting stuck in the flash hole (but then again the primer would just blow the piece out and ignite the powder anyway...). FWIW; In the supplied link I saw no indication that tumbling cases or cartridges with live primers would be dangerous or ill-advised.

But in real life, I'd just load and shoot. Shiny ammo shoots no better than "brown" ammo...

[CraigOK]

I don't bc the benefit doesnt outweigh the risk

[Walter Laich]

The only time I tumble primed brass is after I put powder and a bullet into it.

+1
I used to tumble the completed rounds for about 5 min to remove any case lube. Finally ran out of the lube and am too cheap to buy more so I didn't have to tumble anymore.

never had a problem

YMMV

[Quickdraw4u]

Taper crimp on autos is the way to go, but don't seat and crimp in the same step. I know the die instructions say you can do it, but you will get a much more consistent crimp and seating depth if you do it in separate steps. Not doing it that way cost me a match once with a jam (failure to chamber) at the wrong time several years back. I agree with not tumbling primed brass. I would load it up with whatever, plink (practice) with it, then you can process your brass including cleaning the primer pockets if you wish.

[bangerjim]

Primers do not detonate that easy. It takes a good hard strike from a firing pin in the right spot to jam the anvil and make the media inside ignite/explode. Something like C4 and other plastic explosives. You can play catch with it, but you need a blasting cap detonator to set it off.

I have shot them out of my 22 cal air rifle against a hard brick wall and they rarely did go off. (amazing what things we did when we were young and invincible!)

I would be more worried about getting gunk and tumbling media down in the flash hole and into the primer compound - causing FTF's on a regular basis.

As I observed above, just leave them tarnished, load, shoot, and then if you feel so inclined, tumble the heck out of them later.

bangerjim

[jmorris]

Not doing it that way cost me a match once with a jam (failure to chamber) at the wrong time several years back.

Not case gauging all your match ammo cost you the match;)

[just.don]

I agree w/ those that say load and shoot. I am sure one can trim cases w/o igniting the primer. More difficult, but that whole case mouth thing. I have also tumbled 38sp to remove excess lube, way back in my "immortal" days. BUT if you must clean them get a tube of styrofoam cups, cut the bottoms out and cut a slit down the side. Use the case mouth to cut a wad to fit the case mouth. use a dowel to push it to the bottom of the inside of the case. Tumble away. Pull the wads out w/ a metal hook made from a paper clip. Any case that does not contain an intact wad after they are clean, really look at that primer hole. 700 rnds? You are gonna get way tired of that, and start thinking, "Gee, I could be at the range".

[9w1911]

If the brass is good, not split, and usable, why the heck worry about making it new and shiny?

Tarnished brass shoots just as good as shiny tumbled brass!

Don't waste your time.......re-load it and shoot it!

There is some heavy tarnish on the inside of the cases, I used this stuff Exxo whatever to clean the brass and it was a mess. So there is tarnish and even some media still in the cases, and I was just worried about case volume issues, yet, I am not loading max at all, the weight of the rounds pulled were: 4.7gr and 5.3gr of w231.

[9w1911]

Trimming .45 ACP cases?


You need a new hobby. :bigsmyl2:

Hahaha I know, I love prep, sometimes I will spend weeks prepping (not for zombies) but I love to get brass ready, weights researched, primers chosen etc. Sometimes I dont have the time to load so I will do some prep.

[Quickdraw4u]

Not case gauging all your match ammo cost you the match;)

You are so right! Wish I knew then what I know now. :smile:

[Mad Jack]

I have shot them out of my 22 cal air rifle against a hard brick wall and they rarely did go off. (amazing what things we did when we were young and invincible!)bangerjim

Not much to add to this topic but the quote above made me remember shooting at .22lr laying on the driveway with air rifles to set em off. My dad kicked my butt badly for that. Never knew which direction they would fire.

Stupid kids.

Oh ya, use to put primers under a steel block and hit it with a hammer. The block tipped the wrong way and I ended up with that star piece inside a primer embedded in my big toe.

Stupid kids.

[Geezer in NH]

Give me a break so a primer goes of WOW!!!!! It is not a hand grenade, 60mm motor shell or a 105 howitzer shell.

Take a primer put it on your vice and hit it with a ballpeen hammer and find out.

I have primed cases with a big pin, primer, putty knife and a hammer, as Nonte showed in his book with no problems. I have decapped 100's of live primers with none going off but big deal if one did.

Note as a kid a full roll of caps for a cap gun 5 little rolls per roll fired great with a freaking hammer and I still have all issued body parts.

Flame all you want w seem to be a bunch of woosies now.