Brass prep

I had been reading about tumbling brass before decapping. The idea was to prevent the media getting stuck in the primer pocket. This is a small pain but not a huge issue.
So, I figured I would give it a try. The media I use is walnut.

I took 100 of the spent 308 cases, then washed, dried and tumbled. After tumbling, I even took the step to wipe of the media dust off each case and then tapped each case, neck down, to ensure no media was stuck in the case. I then decapped in a decapping die.

Anyone do this?? I won’t do it again. Created a mess in and around my press.

It seems that some media had gotten into the flash hole. The media was jammed into the primer and it also created a bunch of dust and particles in and around the ramrod.
I now have to inspect each case to ensure there is no media still in the cases.

I just use a decamping die first then wet tumble brass. Primer pockets are cleaned also.

That's the only way I do it.

I throw the fired brass in the tumbler and separate with a Dillon media separator. If it is rifle brass that will need to be trimmed, I size and do so. Pistol brass gets loaded.

You said “nope” meaning you don’t do this but then say you do this.

Do you have the same issue with media in the flash hole when you decap? What type of media do you use?

I never put decapped brass into a dry tumbler as it’s too much trouble to get the media from the flash holes.
I use Sinclair brand media with Isso polish added and never noticed much debris at all?
I loaded 500 9mm that were just simply tumbled and sprayed with One Shot then ran thru Dillon 650 and loaded.
Didn’t notice any dust or media on machine.

When I decap brass it goes to the stainless steel media wet process so that it gets pockets cleaned which doesn’t happen when tumbling dry. I decapped and cleaned 2000+ pieces of 223 brass this weekend while piddling around.
I am getting enough ahead so when the Lyman Apex 10 shows up I can play for a while.

Brass keeps the primers in when going in the dry media.
Then size.
Then use a primer pocket brush in a drill press to clean the primer pockets.

Brass going in stainless media (which is just range pick up) will get decapped then into the stainless media. Then sized.

After that, my brass does not see stainless media again. I want carbon inside the necks as a dry lube and to hopefully prevent cold metal welding.

Always tumble my brass with the old primer in place. Then decap and resize. Never been an issue. However if I decap then tumble, I get clogged flash holes.

I won’t put dirty brass in my dies so I tumble before sizing. I use very fine walnut media it’s for reptiles. It completely flows out of the case and never gets clogged. It’s like sand works like a charm

I have tried it lots of ways. I settled on using a universal de-capping die. Tumble in corn cob media to clean. Primer pockets get somewhat cleaned but I still have to knock a few boogers out. Run through sizer with de-capping pin in sizer. De-capping pin is left in sizer to clear most flash holes of any lodged media. There may be a piece or two of brass, out of a hundred, with a piece of media still in the flash hole. Anyway that is the system I like best.

Edit to add: a used fabric softener sheet thrown in with the media will keep the dust to a minimum.

Your problem is from them not being 100% dry when they're tumbled. I hate dry media in my primer pockets too so I decap first with a Lee universal primer remover (does not size) before I wet tumble in boiling water, a drop of Dawn, and 1/4 TSP of LemiShine (no stainless pins). Then I dry, size, load. Dryer sheet knocks down dust but doesn't prevent flash holes and primer pockets from getting jammed with media.

I've never tumbled reptiles before. do they get cleaner that way?

I always deprime and resize before I tumble. I use the walnut reptile media also. I don't have issues plugging the primer hole but I do check before I prime.

Decap then dry tumble. Dryer sheets do help with the dust. I have a flash hole deburr tool on my case master that I use to push put any stuck media while I'm chamfering. Quick and easy.

Why was I not notified of this reptile media?

Is it that much better? Is it very expensive?

Id bet its cheaper than normal tumbling media.... and i bet you can actually buy it now too lol

I load on a smaller volume than probably a lot of yall. I have a universal decaping die, then i tumble in corncob media because that is what i bought the first time and I still havent used it all up (will never buy corncob again) after tumbling i go through the lot with a tooth pick and clean the media out of the pockets, wipe dust off size trim etc. I usually sit on the couch with the family watching TV when doing the pocket check trimming and chamfer and deburr. My little boy likes to sit and help.

Wet tumble only range pick ups, resize and mixture of corn and walnut 50/50 , hardly ever have primer pocket issues.

What’s this cleaning and polishing you speak of! I just wipe off the case after I seat the bullet!

I deprime, wet tumble and dry cases, anneal, resize, trim and then dry tumple again. I know it's time consuming and maybe a little overboard but my brass looks brand new.

Harbor freight walnut media with a couple capfuls of pinesol, fabuluso, or a squirt of brasso.

I have had media stuck in flash holes before. I also dont care if the primer pocket gets cleaned or not. I load everything on a 550. I really dont like having to handle brass twice if I can avoid it.

I always do the following:

** If very dirty range pickups, I run the brass with dawn/water thru my wet tumbler **

1. I dry tumble brass before they go into my dies. (old primers are still in).
2. I resize all brass on my progressive press (With only the resize die in station #1).
3. After resizing and brass trimming, (If its bottleneck - I put it back in the tumbler to get all lube off the case)
4. When I load cartridges at this stage, I have a universal decapping die in station #1, so any media in flash hole doesn't matter. (Not that I've ever had *ANY* issue with walnut media in the flash hole. Even if there is, the ignition of the burn & pressure still sets off the cartridge). (Again I reload on a progressive press most of the time)

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You can buy a #15 pound bag at Petsmart of Lizard Bedding for like 10 dollars? Or something near that. Its all crushed walnut.

Reptile or Lizard walnut media is very cheap and does a good job. I buy it at Walmart in the pet department. Just be sure to use some dryer sheets to keep the dust to a minimum. I cut one Bounce sheet into 5 straps and toss them into my tumbler. I change the sheets out when you start noticing a little dust when pouring the media and brass into the separator.

1. de cap in decapping die
2. tumble
3. size
4. neck expander with graphite powder beads
4. trim if needed, chamfer
5. prime

What's wrong with carefully manually inspecting each rifle case looking
for flaws and any debris inside the case or the flash hole ?

Is it really that hard to do for some people?
I know it can be tedious, but how else could you
assure yourself that the case is in the optimum
condition to load, or if it needs to be trashed?

Nothing at all. It's just more time consuming crap to do, and I dont have time for it.