Resize after wet tumbling?

[Engineer1911]

As we wander and meander down the Path of Successful Reloading, you soon notice the many minor trails leading off into the wilderness. Ultimately the same final destination is reached, but not everyone gets to the range at the same time.

Be Safe, enjoy your hobby, and find what works for you. Just remember, "Don't File the Primer ! ! "

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

As we wander and meander down the Path of Successful Reloading, you soon notice the many minor trails leading of into the wilderness. Ultimately the same final destination is reached, but not everyone gets to the range at the same time.

Be Safe, enjoy your hobby, and find what works for you. Just remember, "Don't File the Primer ! ! "

OUCH!!! That's good advice

 

[SMSgt]

I'm not one for wet cases. I run my cases in plain ground walnut for a short time to get the dirt/sand off and then run then again for a final cleaning after resizing. On round two I add a few drops of NuFinish polish and run until clean and slick.

 

[tlawler]

I like shiny brass with clean primer pockets, so I deprime before wet tumbling. I used to really hate depriming with a decapping/sizing die and I was always worried about damaging the die. Then I discovered the Lee APP with a universal decapping die. I can blaze through dirty brass at the rate of more than 1K an hour once it’s set up right. Then once it’s tumbled and dried, I prime and store it.

Lee APP - YouTube

 

[BigBill]

I decap with the little open sided cheap lee press first. As I do this I run the decamped dirty cases in the tumbler with the walnut media, next I clean the primer pocket and resize the case. Then flare the lip of the case, next trim the case length. Then it’s in the tumbler again with corn media and brass polish. Then prime the cases. Then I use the lee pro 1000 progressive press to charge and seat the bullet I like new looking reloads.

 

[kbm6893]

Does anyone just plain omit the pins while using a sure-fire formula for a cleaning solution and still come out with clean, or at least relatively clean, primer pockets?

Tumbling without pins will certainly work, but if you want factory new looking brass you need the pins. Even using the pins won’t always clean the primer pockets if you overload the tumbler with too much brass.

But certainly clean enough to reload is possible with no pins. I just figure if I’m going through the trouble of wet tumbling I might as well go all the way and use the pins.

 

[kbm6893]

As we wander and meander down the Path of Successful Reloading, you soon notice the many minor trails leading off into the wilderness. Ultimately the same final destination is reached, but not everyone gets to the range at the same time.

Be Safe, enjoy your hobby, and find what works for you. Just remember, "Don't File the Primer ! ! "

How did that happen?

 

[Jeff Napoleoni]

I reload 38/357. I decap and wet tumble all my brass. I use a vibratory device with stainless steel .035 pins, water and a little dishwashing soap. Then I rinse the brass and pop it in the oven. It comes out clean and dry. After that, the inspection of individual cases occurs during the rest of the reloading process.

 

[Maurice H]

Resize dirty brass? Not on my equipment. Resize twice? Ridiculous. I de-cap, wet tumble with pins then size, etc. Simple.

 

[kbm6893]

Resize dirty brass? Not on my equipment. Resize twice? Ridiculous. I de-cap, wet tumble with pins then size, etc. Simple.

If you already wet rumble a quick tumble without pins gets them clean enough to deprime and resize. I tried the universal Depriming tool and it works, but it’s two times at the press instead of one.

 

[mus]

Can carbide dies really be scratched? According to Richard Lee in his book Modern Reloading, that's impossible - the cases would be scratched if there's sand/grit sticking to them AND it gets between the carbide ring and the case wall, which is unlikely because it would probably just moved down along the case by the resizing action.

FWIW here's my process for pistol/revolver:
- deprime/resize
- flare
- wet tumble with pins + tepid water + dishwasher liquid and citric acid
- air dry
- reload

There are never any dings (nor scratches) on my cases...