I am interested in understanding the benefits of decapping before a case is sized.
Thanks
Don Verna
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I am interested in understanding the benefits of decapping before a case is sized.
Thanks
Don Verna
Not sure what some would consider a benefit - however, you can decap, uniform the primer pocket and flash hole and then tumble your brass prior to resizing and reloading. After that you can just decap, clean the primer pocket, tumble and the case will be ready for resizing and reloading.
Some do it - most probably don't.
I decap then wet tumble. That way the brass is clean. That's just me I'm sure there will be many others that do it different.
I used to decap, then tumble. I got tired of picking media out of the flash hole and primer pocket. Now I tumble, then decap and size at the same time.
In theory (my own theory) the decapping pin should center the brass and pre-load the die before the sizing operation is finished.
If I'm right, this might matter on a Lee turret press where the turret plate is pushed up against the top of the press during the stroke, squaring it up. If I'm wrong it doesn't do anything.
I deprime before cleaning because I wet tumble with stainless steel pins. That gets the primer pockets clean.
Regarding Rifle Brass.
Most of the time, my own brass, I decap when sizing, and many times I don't clean it, it's usually clean enough.
BUT, Most of the time when I get someone else's range brass, I decap and then clean and process...there is more to be done to it, to make it uniform, also allows me to inspect it.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
- at least take a small bladed screw driver or primer pocket brush and give a quick 1 - 2
http://www.6mmbr.com/ultrasonic.html
No, I do not. That defeats the purpose of a progressive or even a press like the LCT. Having primer pockets sparkling clean has no benefit just like brass that shines like jewelry has no benefit.
Always have, always will. I like to clean the residue out of the primer pockets before tumbling or seating a new primer. Very often I knock the old primers out with one of the primer punches from the old Lee Loader kits, then clean the pocket with the little double ended Lee primer pocket cleaning tool. One could de-prime them using the resizing die in the press, but I don't like running dirty brass into the dies, so it just seems to naturally follow that one de-primes them out of the press, cleans the pockets, then into the tumbler. Then one can resize and re-prime clean brass in one step in the press. But, actually, in the last couple of years I've found myself using the hand priming tool more, especially for rifle cartridges.
I decap and size then clean and uniform the case before loading. I used to tumble clean but have gone to ultrasonic.
Some things are done "just because", and don't need to be justified. I've decapped singularly, and with sizing depends on what cartridge and what I'm looking for. I'm not obsessive with virgin looking brass, shiny clean both inside and out, so I have no need to wet tumble to get primer pockets pristine. I have never had a problem with media stuck in flash holes if I decap and then tumble dry. I look at most every case before, during and after reloading, so I wouldn't miss a chunk of cob or walnut jammed in a flash hole (most of the time when I do see media inside the case, I'll just tap the case, mouth first on the bench and dislodge the chunk). Most reloaders decide what works best for their own particular reloading process, and has little (no) bearing on what I do, and as a matter of fact, sometimes I do deprime first, and sometimes I deprime after. (Never liked all these "polls" on reloading forums! :roll:)
Only for rifle.... subject to cange since I finally drank the kool aid and started pin tumbling.
Only if I'm going to wet tumble. I don't before dry tumbling because media gets stuck and the primer pockets don't get clean anyways. No point in tumbling, decapping, then sizing.
I deprime first for a couple of reasons. I use a progressive almost exclusively. The residue from depriming would get in the mechanism causing repriming issues and dirt into the dies not to mention additional wear and tear on the equipment. Another reason is it gave me the opportunity to inspect the cases more closely than the progressive. Using the progressive I seemed to try to go faster to keep up a perceived high round count. That is just me though. I don't end up with spent primers on the floor or live primers either.
For BPCR etc decap first always in prep for soapy water wash. For most rifle, no unless due for a tumble clean. Pistol, never unless heavy cleaning is needed.
My answer is not on the poll, which is "Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't."
BP yes. Smokeless, it depends.
Robert
Come home from range, run all brass through FA hand depriming tool. Citric acid wash, maybe soak for half an hour if it is grungy. Then I like to go through and clean primer pockets, and give the outside of the case a roll on my leg on a towel.
Brass going into dies is sparkling clean, no dust, dirt or residue.
It is just an easy way to wind down after a couple of hours at the range.
I would not have to do it that way, don't own a progressive. My main press is the lee hand press.
I guess I just prefer working with nice clean brass.
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.
;)
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.
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.
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.
I decap my rifle brass only.
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.
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
I decap, tumble with crushed walnut, clean primer pockets, trim rifle brass, then size and prime on the press.
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I decap separately only with crimped military style primers.
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
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.
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.
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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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
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.
I like clean primer pockets. Decapping is the first thing I do then cleaning.
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.
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.
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.
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.