How serious do you get with this? Do you clean, polish, size, trim, or what?
Reloading - Case Prep
- Thread starter Frontiersman
- Start date
It depends on what I’m loading and what it’s for, but I might get a little overboard sometimes.
I almost always tumbler/clean/polish. I’m still using a vibratory tumbler like a dinosaur. I might clean them twice, before and after sizing, if I feel it’s necessary.
I hate seating a primer in a dirty pocket, so I have to clean pockets 95% or more of the time.
Usually full length size. For a very few guns, I’ll neck size and/or use Wilson bushing dies.
I do get a little casual about trimming. I hate doing it, even after I bought a used Giraud trimmer. I almost never trim handgun cases.
Weight sort. Here’s where I start to get persnickety. I will almost always weight sort rifle cases. How tight I keep those groups (within a grain, within .5 grain, etc) depends on what I’m loading for.
Sometimes I will do this with handgun cases, but only when I’m testing something where I want the least variables and/or there is a wide range of weights in a small case… like in 9mm.
Clean inside necks with a nylon bore brush.
I have uniformed a lot of primer flash holes, but have about given that up.
Primers almost always get seated with either a K&M or Hornady hand primer seater. Even .223 ammo for ARs and AUG. Dillon-loaded 9mm is about the only thing I don’t hand seat.
Neck chamfering when necessary.
If loading cast in rifle cases, which isn’t that much right now, I use a Lyman M die on the case mouths.
I almost always tumbler/clean/polish. I’m still using a vibratory tumbler like a dinosaur. I might clean them twice, before and after sizing, if I feel it’s necessary.
I hate seating a primer in a dirty pocket, so I have to clean pockets 95% or more of the time.
Usually full length size. For a very few guns, I’ll neck size and/or use Wilson bushing dies.
I do get a little casual about trimming. I hate doing it, even after I bought a used Giraud trimmer. I almost never trim handgun cases.
Weight sort. Here’s where I start to get persnickety. I will almost always weight sort rifle cases. How tight I keep those groups (within a grain, within .5 grain, etc) depends on what I’m loading for.
Sometimes I will do this with handgun cases, but only when I’m testing something where I want the least variables and/or there is a wide range of weights in a small case… like in 9mm.
Clean inside necks with a nylon bore brush.
I have uniformed a lot of primer flash holes, but have about given that up.
Primers almost always get seated with either a K&M or Hornady hand primer seater. Even .223 ammo for ARs and AUG. Dillon-loaded 9mm is about the only thing I don’t hand seat.
Neck chamfering when necessary.
If loading cast in rifle cases, which isn’t that much right now, I use a Lyman M die on the case mouths.
I start with inspection. Even with brand new brass I look for deformed cases, dents, gouges, cracks, wrinkles, folded case lips, out of round heads, etc.
New brass: missing or out of center flash holes; uneven necks, consistent case length …
New brass: I will then trim to a consistent length, de-burr flash holes, and full size for uniformity.
Turning case necks and reaming primer pockets along with weighing cases, I save for match grade ammo.
I try to keep lots with the same rifle. After firing I do a quick inspect and neck size, or partial size depending on the cartridge.
New brass: missing or out of center flash holes; uneven necks, consistent case length …
New brass: I will then trim to a consistent length, de-burr flash holes, and full size for uniformity.
Turning case necks and reaming primer pockets along with weighing cases, I save for match grade ammo.
I try to keep lots with the same rifle. After firing I do a quick inspect and neck size, or partial size depending on the cartridge.
