So I need some help...Just got into progressive, wet tumbling, and Lee APP...HELP!!!!

So I've gone from corn cob tumbling and a single stage press to Lee Loadmaster, Lee APP, and wet tumbling. I'm pretty lost as to what I should do...

The good thing is I've got the Lee Loadmaster running great, I mean super smooth! Was easy to do really.

The Lee APP press is ok, but requires some setting up. But it's fast once it gets going.

Wet tumbling is where I should have been from the start. Was a waste of money not doing it.


But here is where I need help. I've had the Lee APP setup for about a year now but never used it until yesterday. It was going to help me with the single stage to speed it up but now that I have the Loadmaster I'm struggling to find a use for it. I will probably always use it to size powder coated boolits but someone on here suggested using it as a universal decapping station prior to wet tumbling.

So my main question is if I don't deprime before wet tumbling will that be an issue? My plan has been wet tumble, rinse, rinse, and then cook them in the oven at 250 degrees to dry. I don't think this will clean the primer pocket though.

But if I do deprime off the Lee Loadmaster what would I use the first hole for? The second hole is priming and I resize on that station.

Basically:

1) Should I deprime before wet tumbling or is it that big of a deal to wet tumble with primers in place?
2) If I don't deprime on station 1 on the Loadmaster what could I utilize that spot for?

De-priming first basically just lets the primer pocket be cleaned, and the bit of dust that's in it with the spent primer
gets washed away instead of ending up in & on the machinery of the press.

I don't de-prime first.
I do keep a air hose handy to periodically blow out the dust & grit that falls under the loading plate/disc.

I de-prime on a single stage press, then ultrasonic clean, dry, lube, yadda yadda. This gets the primer pockets clean and keeps the primer dust out of the progressive press.


Edit: I have found that brass that has gotten wet and allowed to dry for extended periods of time, sometimes the walls of the primers will corrode to the side of the primer pocket. This results in the bottom of the primer "popping" off, leaving the side of the primer cup stuck in the primer pocket. Another reason I de-prime before washing my brass.

It depends how anal you are.

I used to shoot a lot. Never needed sparkly brass. Never cleaned a primer pocket on pistol brass.

What works for me does not work for everyone.

If a picture is worth 1000 words then two pictures will save you from having to read and get convinced, even more:

https://i.postimg.cc/tTMn3qs3/IMG-2829.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/sDZ7Jh9v/IMG-2748.jpg

Two things....1. bling and clean is pretty and keeps your tools and guns clean, and pretty primer pockets means you don't have to use a primer pocket cleaner separately....plus 2. the wet polished brass dries way faster without primers in the pockets.

I use the APP for depriming before wet polishing alright, but I also use it for swaging military brass as done in the first picture. (7.62 LC brass) My bench swager is way slow in comparison, and the APP does the job just as good if you follow Lee's directions very carefully. I wasn't that impressed at first with swaging, but then I decided to read the directions carefully....doh....much better. If I was set up to cast my own boolits I would do that too.

The best part of an APP is case/bullet feeder. Unheard of on a single stage press.....someday all single stage presses will have one.....really speeds things up.

Don: I loaded without bling for 40 years....no it isn't necessary. What can I say......bling improved my attitude. Better attitude better shooting. Even better now that my eyes have faded. Would not go back....but to each their own....:)

But what would I use for the first hole on the Lee Loadmaster?

probably using an extra hole for seating the bullet with one die and crimping with another as next step would allow for a sensible solution, but it's my 2c. without knowing the caliber, your reloading needs, etc.
btw, I like depriming and washing the cases first, because the sooner I get rid of spent primers and related residues the better. my presses, dies and lungs don't need that dust.

I understand this will not help with what to use your APP press for , but I found the loadmaster to be a wonderful machine to run large batches of brass through prior to washing them . With a universal decaping die alone in the tool head .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GWS

If a picture is worth 1000 words then two pictures will save you from having to read and get convinced, even more:

https://i.postimg.cc/tTMn3qs3/IMG-2829.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/sDZ7Jh9v/IMG-2748.jpg

Two things....1. bling and clean is pretty and keeps your tools and guns clean, and pretty primer holes means you don't have to use a primer hole cleaner separately....plus 2. the wet polished brass dries way faster without primers in the holes.

I use the APP for depriming before wet polishing alright, but I also use it for swaging military brass as done in the first picture. (7.62 LC brass) My bench swager is way slow in comparison, and it does the job just as good if you follow Lee's directions very carefully. I wasn't that impressed at first with swaging, but then I decided to read the directions carefully....doh....much better. If I was set up to cast my own boolits I would do that too.

The best part of an APP is case/bullet feeder. Unheard of on a single stage press.....someday all single stage presses will have one.....really speeds things up.

Don: I loaded without bling for 40 years....no it isn't necessary. What can I say......bling improved my attitude. Better attitude better shooting. Even better now that my eyes have faded. Would not go back....but to each their own....:)

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Buddy, I just had to say. " That's some Proud Brass!" I strive for that but, never looks that good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Electrod47

Buddy, I just had to say. " That's some Proud Brass!" I strive for that but, never looks that good.

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Honestly I think that's new brass. None of it looks to ever have been reloaded.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wilecoyote

probably using an extra hole for seating the bullet with one die and crimping with another as next step would allow for a sensible solution, but it's my 2c. without knowing the caliber, your reloading needs, etc.
btw, I like depriming and washing the cases first, because the sooner I get rid of spent primers and related residues the better. my presses, dies and lungs don't need that dust.

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I already have that. The 2nd process on the Loadmaster HAS to be the one that sizes/primes. So what can you do before sizing/priming?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

I already have that. The 2nd process on the Loadmaster HAS to be the one that sizes/primes. So what can you do before sizing/priming?

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The first station is set up to size and remove the primers , the second station is to prime the case .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toallmy

The first station is set up to size and remove the primers , the second station is to prime the case .

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So the first station would be useless...

Sounds like you have plenty of good advice. Here’s what I do:
For range pick up, wet tumble without pins. This puts a coating on to stop tarnish and is ready to store for a later date.
My previously shot brass, dry tumble with lizard litter, deprime, then wet tumble with pins. Helps keep my dies clean.

Yep sorry

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

So the first station would be useless...

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No. On the APP you’ll want to use a universal decapping die and not a sizing die. The brass is dirty at this point, running it into a sizing die would be exactly what you’re trying to avoid. So the first station on the progressive still sizes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stopsign32v

But what would I use for the first hole on the Lee Loadmaster?

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Well, the loadmaster (I have one) is unique in that it primes at the top of the stroke, unlike any other press, and that changes the press to a 4 station, not a 5.

Presses than prime on the bottom of the stroke (2nd station) can actually have the powder drop/flare die in the 2nd station too.
So, the 2nd station preforms 2 functions (prime/powder drop), the Loadmaster...nope.

The way I see it, if you want to utilize both the 1st and 2nd station on the LOADMASTER you will need to pre-prime off the loadmaster.

I have reconfigured my Loadmaster to prime on the BOTTOM by simply adding another element.
This didn't work out well as the press is designed to feed the primer over the primer pin on the up stroke.
I have since reverted back to priming on the top though.

To prime on the bottom
I added a short length of chain that I hooked over the priming arm at the bottom of the stroke and short stroked the shell plate up to tension the chain and pull down on the priming arm, priming the case.
Push the lever forward, returning the shell plate to the bottom, unhook the chain, continue.
Here's a pic:
Attachment 303230
I still have the chain on the press and have posted pics many times, but no one ever asked about it. [smilie=s:
What made it awkward was I had to reach around and fiddle with the primer feeder to get a primer over the pin to seat.

I don't usually post about my failures, but this might interest someone else to try and convert a Loadmaster to bottom prime...or not.
I'll start another post about de-priming before wet tumbling for a different reason that has not been mentioned yet.
jmo,
.

I wet pin clean and I do deprime in advance. Not so much that I want my primer pockets spotless but I find that my brass dries much faster without old primers in place. I rely on hot Florida sun to dry my brass, nothing mechanical. Without doing something else I gotta wonder how you could be certain the water that made it into the primer cup was fully dried.

I always deprime and clean brass first.

I would not wet tumble without removing the primers. If you store your brass you will have "ringers" when you remove the primers. The face of the primer will be removed and the primer walls will stay in the pocket.

I'd set up the APP with a universal deprimer.