Brass prep

[munkjack]

Hi all I'm just starting reloading and have a rew questions about the order of things??

Do you fully prep your brass before cleaning it or do you clean it first then prep it?

Also do you use a tumbler or an ultrasonic to clean your brass I ask this as at the moment I have tumbler with dry media in and struggle to see how you can be sure that there are no media particles left in the body of the brass I always brush out the necks??

Do you anneal brass before or after you resize and do you have to re anneal your cases every time they have.been fired.

Lots of questions as I say I'm relatively new to reloading.

Cheers in advance.

[Andrew]

Clean then prep.~Andrew

[Brillo]

I always clean before preparing just to ensure it's clean brass going through my dies, although most of my cleaning these days is just wiping the necks with 0000 grade wire wool.

I resize before annealing, which is done by a friend on his AMP. I then simply run a mandrel through the necks just to help ensure my crap shooting is consistent

[force64]

I remove the primers first then clean and prep.

[Re-Pete]

Remove primers, ultrasonic bath, anneal (every 3-4 firings), size, load.

 

RePete

[VarmLR]

Tumble, anneal (if needed but usually every 4th firing), de-prime and size, trim and chamfer if needed, then ultrasonic clean to remove all traces of sizing lube and get flash holes and primer pockets clean, dry, and re-prime ready for loading.

[Martin52]

Here's a good article that gives you an introduction to the process.

 

http://www.6mmbr.com/JGcaseprep.html

 

Practice on range brass to preserve your good cases from any mistakes.

 

Martin

[gbal]

The Jacob Gottfredson tutorial is excellent.

Step by step it gives the reasons,and the quite detailed methods employed,best practice, 2003.

JG was a top contributor to Precision Shooting Magazine,highly respected and informed,as you might expect from a Spec F vet,and very experienced sniper/Tact competitor,100-1000y BR shooter,and hunter. A maths degree and engineering masters does no harm either.

But it isn't OCD techy.As the last advice 'the big picture' emphasises,the shooter's skill matters.

 

Interesting to compare with 'best practice' in current Precision Shooting (which isn't BR or F Class etc) as in the Precision Rifle Blog,on handloading. For example,in 2015,only three of the top 100 PRS shooters did all of the optional brass preps-(annealing,neck turning,uniforming primer pockets and weight sorting),but 65% annealed,which was not even in the 2003 steps.

We may just have better components now,or more good equipment,or just differ on ' good enough' for purpose...(and some factory ammo is much improved);that said, there are still some choices - especially if the motivational drivers differ in their weighting between different shooters/hobbyists and probably shooting disciplines.

There probably isn't just one best way that suits everyone equally ,so check the menu(s). :-)

 

gbal

[munkjack]

Hi guys some great advise I like varm LRs approach to brass prep similar to what I do at the moment but I don't have a ultrasonic cleaner at the moment my biggest concern is that brass cuttings and other debris could be left inside the case and may interfere with the powder ignition?

Just on another matter some of the heavier weight bullets I have loaded for my 22.250 seemed tight in the neck of some of the cases not all just some to the point were the seater dye put a little circular dent in the bullet?? I have full length resized all the brass ready for first firing in my customised rifle And I was loading 75gr and 80gr A max

Any advise why this would happen on some of the cases and should I discard the rounds with the small dents in???

[Martin52]

....some of the heavier weight bullets I have loaded for my 22.250 seemed tight in the neck of some of the cases not all just some to the point were the seater dye put a little circular dent in the bullet?? I have full length resized all the brass ready for first firing in my customised rifle And I was loading 75gr and 80gr A max

Any advise why this would happen on some of the cases and should I discard the rounds with the small dents in???

 

It sounds like the inside diameter of your cases is not consistent. This will likely produce inconsistent neck tension and is the reason you feel different amounts of pressure when seating.

 

Is your custom die a bushing die, if so what size bushing are you using and what type of brass i? If not, do you know the diameter of the die neck ?

 

Martin

[Martin52]

....some of the heavier weight bullets I have loaded for my 22.250 seemed tight in the neck of some of the cases not all just some to the point were the seater dye put a little circular dent in the bullet?? I have full length resized all the brass ready for first firing in my customised rifle And I was loading 75gr and 80gr A max

Any advise why this would happen on some of the cases and should I discard the rounds with the small dents in???

 

It sounds like the inside diameter of your cases is not consistent. This will likely produce inconsistent neck tension and is the reason you feel different amounts of pressure when seating.

 

Is your custom die a bushing die, if so what size bushing are you using and what type of brass i? If not, do you know the diameter of the die neck ?

 

Martin

[munkjack]

Hi Martin it's not a custom die that I'm using I'm using an RCBS full length resizeing die on once fired federal brass

The rifel has a new 1in8 twist border barrel.

[Martin52]

ok, thanks for the clarification regarding the die.

 

Could be a few things going on here starting with variable spring back in the case necks, although these cases are only once fired (I assume in your rifle). Annealing might fix the problem.

 

Next, possibly not enough lube inside the case necks causing the expander ball to gall.

 

Thirdly, uneven case neck walls (I assume you are not turning the necks yet). In this scenario, a Lee Collet die may give you improved results, a relatively cheap fix and one that might produce straighter ammo as well as resolve the n/t issue.

 

HTH.

 

Martin

[VarmLR]

As above, could be inconsistency with lubing. Not enough can stretch cases and produce variable neck tension. Too much can result in dents in cases or if too much used inside the neck, not enough neck tension. It requires a consistent approach and sparing amounts. I dislike some lubes, including the Lee stuff, so chose to use Lanolin based wax instead (I get mine from HPS) which needs very little indeed, and I use a small plastic neck brush to apply a small amount inside the necks.

 

I'd advise a purchase of an U/S cleaner....they're less than £30, and some SeaClean. After sizing and trimming etc, a Q bud to remove any excess lube internally around the neck and a brass bore brush to clean the inside out of any filings, then U/S clean for 10 minutes or so gets the cases nice and clean inside and out (for me using my kit).

 

Always clean your dies fairly regularly to prevent a build up of lube and gunk forming as this can also create problems. I use brake cleaner (IPA in spray solution with one or two other chemicals).

 

+1 for the Lee collet die. It produces sized cases with surprisingly small runout even compared to some much more expensive options. Bear in mind that you will have to FL re-size after a certain number of sizings with the Lee Collet die, as with any other neck die.

[jcampbellsmith]

I deprime, anneal, steel pins clean, full length resize, trim, chamfer and finally ultra sonic clean. Regards JCS

[munkjack]

The lee collet die sounds like a good investment!!

I have been using imperial dry neck lube for the necks and RCBS case lube on the bodies wich I just dab on a little with my fingers and rub in what is strange is that it was only about half a dice out of about 50 that were thight I was carful to go gently when seating the bullet and turned the case several times before seating all the way to ensure even seating I'm using an RCBS persision micrometer die?

I've ordered myself a ultrasonic cleaner?

[chaz]

Clean brass up first. That way, you can inspect the state of the brass. Inspecting under a magnifying glass if your as OCD as me!

[deadcenter]

I tumble first, like to put clean brass through the die, also easy to see any brass faults. Then decap, size, trim, de burr, sonic clean, prime and load.

 

I use either imperial size wax or the soluble oil used for tool cutting on lathes and millers etc. I use it neat and very little is needed, and because it's water soluble it cleans from the cases easily.

[Catch-22]

Reloading is fun - a proper chance for me to geek out a bit.

This is the way I reload my 6.5x47 is as follows;

 

1. Visually inspect cases for any unsuitable (split necks, deep dents etc)

2. Deprime (no sizing, purely deprime)

3. Anneal

4. Quickly brush inside necks with nylon brush (only to get loose carbon off)

5. Scrape flash holes with Lee scraper thingy (I'm not removing any brass material as Lapua cases don't need it imo)

6. Tumble (basic walnut media - I leave it running all day while I'm out at work)

7. Remove cases from media and check flash holes clean & unblocked

8. Lube outer walls, shoulder & neck (Imperial wax - only s bit)

9. FL size (I have a custom Harrel Precision that bumps shoulders back 0.002" and sizes neck with bushing)

10. Expander mandrel (opens neck just a little, forcing neck wall brass inconsistencies to the outside, which supposedly improves neck tension consistency)

11. Back in tumbler for an hour to clean off size wax. Remove & check cases per step 7.

12. Trim cases (if necessary) and chamfer necks

13. Prime

14. Charge

15. Seat bullets

 

Sounds like a lot but I do many steps above in batches over several days, squeezing it around family time, so it's not that big a deal.

 

No doubt you'll read someone else who does it totally differently, but for me I think it gives good consistency.

 

Good luck - happy reloading

[munkjack]

Thanks guys I'm not far off some of your techniques just need to alter a couple of things.

As regards to the tight necks on the heavier bullets I've bought a Lee neck die which I'm waiting for once it turns up I'll report my findings do you think I should fire the ones that are tight in the neck?