Pistol brass: Tumbling with Primer?

[Yoshi]

Spent of course. Anyone tumble with primer or should they be removed first?

 

[101combatvet]

Spent of course. Anyone tumble with primer or should they be removed first?

I tumble with spent primers in.... no harm there.

 

[Mike3888]

Same here, no issues.

 

[DocSavage]

Most say that tumbling with primers is the way to go as it keeps the media from getting jammed in the primer pockets...

Doc

 

[Yoshi]

Thanks!

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

I've done it both ways. If the brass is not too dirty, I'll resize and decap first, then tumble for a nice shine. I use lizard litter and never get media in the flash hole or primer pocket.

 

[Caeb75]

I have done both. I currently wet stainless tumble, so everything gets decapped first.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Depends on your tumbling media. I use Lizard cob and Gel-Gloss cleaner. I leave the primer in to prevent all the hand picking of the primer pockets. I don't tumble enough brass here to make extensive measures of value, so, my method is practical for my needs.

However,

removing the primer prior can only help to clean the primer pocket a little better than going with a second process of a primer pocket tool.

 

[Jaybeez]

I have a universal decapping die that i use first, then tumble. I like clean primer pockets.

 

[inkd]

Either way is fine, depending on your type of media you may have to push the media out of the primer pocket if you deprime first.

 

[Mooseman]

I tumble with the spent primers in.

 

[j8064]

As I reload so many different calibers and types of cases, it depends.

Most cases get an initial tumble with the spent primer still in so I have cleaner cases to run through my de-capping/sizing dies. After that, cases get a second tumble to remove any lube and polish the brass.

 

[lx1x]

tumble with primers..

handgun loads.. i just process using progressive press... rifle.. i use single stage.. trim, chamfer and clean primer pockets.

 

[obiii]

I now tumble with primers removed, as I have switched to Stainless Steel Media. This ensures that I have brass that is clean on the outside, inside, and primer pockets as well. I have yet to have any pins stuck in a flash hole.

 

[silanehead]

+1 on decapping first, stainless cleans the pockets nicely.

 

[MDlineman]

I use a Harvey Deprimer and tumble with Bullseye .047 stainless pins. The smaller pins do not get hung up in the primer pockets. They clean the primer pockets and brass so well they look new. The Harvey Deprimer is a hand held tool that makes quick work out of decapping.

 

[rico903]

I use a Harvey Deprimer and tumble with Bullseye .047 stainless pins. The smaller pins do not get hung up in the primer pockets. They clean the primer pockets and brass so well they look new. The Harvey Deprimer is a hand held tool that makes quick work out of decapping.

Love the Harvey tool. Sit on the sofa, watch tv and deprime away. Never broken the rod on anything. Still using a tumbler so do that first.

 

[Pinecone]

For pistol, just tumble then load. Primers in for tumbling.

For rifle, I tumble to clean off the grit, then decap and size,then tumble to remove lube.

The guys using SS media, decap then tumble, as it cleans the primer pocket very well. I don't see much cleaning of the primer pocket using typical soft media (corn cob or walnut).