Preparing Brass for future reloading... .38 spc & .357 Mag

[pjwphoto]

I am new to reloading and have been doing some reading online. Just investigating the topic, and am in need of some advice.

I have been saving my brass, .38 Special & .357 at this point it is straight from the range, I know it needs to be cleaned and de-primed. I am looking for a hand tool to de-prime the brass, can anyone suggest a product?

In addition I am investigating options for cleaning the brass, I am familiar with tumbling are there any other methods I can use before investing in a tumbler?

At this point I just want to prepare the brass for reloading and will move ahead in the future investing in a press, dies, etc.

Just looking to put my hands to work while I have the idle time.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mike_in_md]

Screw the die that deprimes and resizes the brass into the press...that's the only way to go imo.

 

[dist1646]

Get a tumbler for cleaning and invest in a carbide die set for sizing.

 

[Winterborn]

I would go this route:

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Cast-Reloading-Press/dp/B000NOQIFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359736931&sr=8-1&keywords=hand+press+reloader

A Lee Hand press will do it all using standard dies. You could buy a set of dies to resize/deprime:

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Special-Carbide-Silver/dp/B000N8LCHE/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1359737010&sr=1-2&keywords=38+dies

These will handle both 38 and 357 and has everything you need to re-load a case as far as dies go.

A cheaper option, if you ONLY want to deprime:

http://leeprecision.com/decapping-die.html

Using this in the hand-press you can de-prime anything, but it will not re-size the cases.

As far as cleaning goes, a tumbler will probably be the best bet (and cheapest) way to clean you cases. I use this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Master-Tumbler-Kit/dp/B000TTILBC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1359737272&sr=8-2&keywords=frankford+arsenal+quick-n-ez+case+tumbler

Good luck!

 

[jimbobborg]

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-metal-vibrator-tumbler-67617.html and Lizard Litter desert blend (at Petco) are the cheapest option for cleaning brass. A Lee die set and hand press will get you decapping and resizing while you're watching TV or whatever. Tumble and clean first, then decap/resize.

 

[browning guy]

I will offer this.

Bring yourself and your brass over I will show you how to tumble and go over some reloading with you.

 

[damifinowfish]

You want to clean the brass first, then deprime. If you deprime first then tumble, you will end up with clogged primer holes.

The Lee hand press is a great tool. It just needs a hole drilled into the ram to allow the dead primers to fall out. Otherwise you need to count every 20 cases and pull the shell holder to dump out the old primers.

enjoy

 

[rico903]

harvey deprimer tool. $50 and you don't have to sit at the bench to do it. You can do it watching TV. Google it up. Just tumble first. Or get a sonic cleaner and you can clean after depriming. I'm basically in your situation. Just want to prepare brass for awhile. Then prime with a hand primer. If I had the money right now I'd get a Stainless Steel tumbler, they seem to do a fantastic job.

 

[Deep Creek Rock]

I wouldnt waste money on a hand depriming tool, unless your annealing brass, and need water to enter the flash holes.

Your resizer die decaps/pushes out the spent primer. Why add unessecary processes ?

 

[6-Pack]

I picked up a cheap tumbler from SmartReloader (from China of course). It's held up well so far. If you are a fan of Harbor Freight, I've heard of people using one of their small drum tumblers for brass. But the HF and SmartReloader are about the same price.

Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-rotary-rock-tumbler-67631.html

SmartReloader: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004ZIO2FM/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1359816554&sr=8-1&pi=SL75


I clean my brass as soon as I get in from the range. I try to store everything deprimed, resized and trimmed. That way, all I need to so is prime, charge and seat.

 

[kalister1]

You can clean your brass with soap and water, put it in a small toaster oven when you are done to dry it.
You can de-prime with a block of wood with a hole in it to allow the primer to come out, using a small punch and hammer to drive the primer out. The flash hole is SMALL so use a small punch.

 

[Patriot]

You can clean your brass with soap and water

This is true. For the first couple months I was reloading I put my brass in a large empty pretzel jug and filled it up with water and dish soap. Then I shook it up until the water was black. I would drain it and repeat until the water was pretty much clear. I drained the brass as much as I could and hung it in a mesh laundry bag from the ceiling in my basement with a bucket below catching the water that dripped off.

It works very well and even now that I have a tumbler if I get a particularly dirty batch of brass I will still wash it like this first to get the majority of the dirt and whatnot off. The media lasts a lot longer this way too.

 

[afree1]

It really depends on how much you want to do at one time. I generally reload around 500 rounds at a time, so I want to do it quickly and efficiently, and therefore use the appropriate tools to get it done that way. If you only want to do a couple dozen or so, than the hand methods as mentioned can work OK.

 

[rico903]

I wouldnt waste money on a hand depriming tool, unless your annealing brass, and need water to enter the flash holes.

Your resizer die decaps/pushes out the spent primer. Why add unessecary processes ?

1) because he doesn't have a press or dies.

2) because you can sit on your sofa and deprime while watching TV and not be tied to your press and bench if you have one.

3) because he said he wanted to prep brass that he can finish later after he gets a press and dies.

 

[Patriot]

I wouldnt waste money on a hand depriming tool, unless your annealing brass, and need water to enter the flash holes.

Your resizer die decaps/pushes out the spent primer. Why add unessecary processes ?

1) because he doesn't have a press or dies.

2) because you can sit on your sofa and deprime while watching TV and not be tied to your press and bench if you have one.

3) because he said he wanted to prep brass that he can finish later after he gets a press and dies.

I 100% agree with DCR. Especially for pistol brass as the OP has stated he is interested in. You have to resize the brass before you can reload them which will deprime them as well. So, while yes you are right that he could sit on his sofa watching tv while he deprimes the brass, he would be making unnecessary amounts of work for himself.
The OP would gain nothing by depriming beforehand IMO.

 

[Deep Creek Rock]

I 100% agree with DCR. Especially for pistol brass as the OP has stated he is interested in. You have to resize the brass before you can reload them which will deprime them as well. So, while yes you are right that he could sit on his sofa watching tv while he deprimes the brass, he would be making unnecessary amounts of work for himself.
The OP would gain nothing by depriming beforehand IMO.

Not to mention depriming brass is a dirty ordeal. There is lead in primer residue, which you will be putting allover your sofa, living room, TV area etc. If you look at the bottom of a press,in the primer catch area you'll see lots of carbon reside from popping primers when you decap.

Im not trying to come off like a smartass or jerk, just my take on it.

There are certain uses for deprimers, but for general reloading use for something that is part of the normal reloading process, its not worth your time.

 

[Patriot]

Im not trying to come off like a smartass or jerk, just my take on it.

Same here. Just trying to save the OP some time.

 

[damifinowfish]

I picked up a cheap tumbler from SmartReloader (from China of course). It's held up well so far. If you are a fan of Harbor Freight, I've heard of people using one of their small drum tumblers for brass. But the HF and SmartReloader are about the same price.

Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-lb-rotary-rock-tumbler-67631.html

SmartReloader: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004ZIO2FM/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1359816554&sr=8-1&pi=SL75


I clean my brass as soon as I get in from the range. I try to store everything deprimed, resized and trimmed. That way, all I need to so is prime, charge and seat.

Don't waste your time on either of these two companies. I went the cheap route and the Smart Reloader tumbler lasted all of about 18 months. Don't get me started on China Harbor. Had one of their saw blades come apart and scored up a really nice heavy duty commercial saw.

I started with the Lee hand press for about $30 as my press with an old towel on my lap deprimimg, sizing, and expanding brass in front of the TV. Never really saw a mess. The only thing extra I did was plan to vacuum the next day.

When using water in the brass clean process I deprime first. This will prevent water from pooling inside the case. An opened flash hole will let the water drain out. Plus it will help clean the primer pockets. For drying wet brass I just use one of those small mesh bags found in the laundry section of the dollar store. You get 3 bags for a dollar. I made the switch to ultra sonic cleaning.

 

[eddy8888]

Check out RCBS, Lee and several other reloaders. www.midwayusa.com

Depriming is only one part of reloading ammo.

 

[rico903]

With the hand deprimer he can deprime the brass, inspect it and clean the primer pockets w/o having a press. No doubt the depriming and sizing can be done in one step on a press but he doesn't have one. My understanding is the OP wants to do as much as he can until he gets a press.