Wet tumbling: deprime first or nah?

[Todd S]

I always deprime before wet tumbling. I used a universal depriming die. I recently bought this. Haven't tried it yet. But I can deprime a bunch while watching TV.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/FRANKFORD-ARSENOL-PLATINM-DEPRIME-TOOL/1969774.uts

 

[Trekker]

I tumble clean my brass prior to depriming, and this works for me since I have not had any issues with primer pockets gunked up such as to inhibit insertion of a new primer. I have just been reloading pistol brass to date (9mm/38spl/357mag/45acp), so perhaps gunked up primer pockets are more often encountered with 233 brass as jimbobborg alluded.

Since I have not had issues with the primer pocket, it makes sense to keep soot and grit away from my depriming/resizing die.

 

[BenL]

Tumble first, then resize.

 

[Praeger]

I de-cap before wet tumbling. The open flash hole speeds draining of water and drying of case. Not a game changer if you didn't.

 

[Sticky]

I de-cap before wet tumbling. The open flash hole speeds draining of water and drying of case. Not a game changer if you didn't.

Agreed.... I do this as well.

 

[Pinecone]

Eh, I've had to push primers out and clean the pocket a few times on 5.56 brass since the gunk inside prevented the primer from fully seating. Same with 9mm.

Hmm, I have never had this issue. Even after a number of reloadings of the same cases without cleaning.

 

[Boneuphtoner]

I'm still fairly new to reloading, so take this for what its worth...I have a Dillon Square Deal B...its a progressive, and the first station is a resizing and depriming operation. With a set up like this, unless there was some serious issue with cleaning the brass with the old primers still in place, I can't imagine depriming before tumbling. Perhaps I'm missing something, but with a progressive, I don't see how that would be practical.

 

[Pinecone]

Yes, it makes it harder.

I have different tool head setups for my Dillon 650.

If I am starting with once fired military brass (crimped primers), the first pass is Lee Univeral Decapping die to remove the primer, then sizing die to size. I tumble before with corn cob to remove grit, then after to remove lube.

After I swage the primer pockets, then the second pass through the 650 is no die in hole 1, and the normal powder die in #2, etc. So the case does nothing but ride up and down at Station 1, then get a primer and powder at Station 2. Bullet seated at station 4, crimp (if crimping) at station 5.

 

[OldSchool1959]

I decap with a die that is used only to decap. Then wet tumble. Then resize. Keeps the dies cleaner too.

This right here. I use the Lee universal decapper before tumbling wet with stainless media. Then I size with the appropriate die.