Hello All,
I'm new to reloading and tumbled my first load of 9mm brass, using RCBS Formula 1 walnut. I was reading about tumbling pistol brass with or without spent primers in. I left them in, and got a few casings with media in the flash hole. Do you just de-prime those, and clear out the media? Do you worry about media in the primer pocket that maybe you can't see? How do you clean your Pistol Brass, with or with out primer?....Thx

You'll get even more media stuck in the primer pocket with them out. It's really not important to clean the pocket on pistol brass.

If your decapping pin can push a primer out, the walnut won't be a problem.

Now you can get them both out at the same time or do the same thing twice, that part is up to you.

I'm not sure what the problem is here. I decap my brass before tumbling. In 100 cases I will have about 20 of them with a piece of media stuck in the flash hole. I just push pick at it gently with a hook or a nail and move on. I don't know what you mean about media that you can't see. This flash hole is not a tunnel; you see the media or you don't.

Even if something is left in there, it won't matter a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by NikonUser:
I don't know what you mean about media that you can't see. This flash hole is not a tunnel; you see the media or you don't.

Even if something is left in there, it won't matter a bit.

Yes I can easily remove the media when tumbling with the primer out, but I did it with the spent primer in, and was asking if some media managed to get in the flash hole and was trapped, because the primer was still in, and you couldn't see it, would it matter. Based on what was stated above, I'll just deprime during the loading sequence, and any media should just come out with the spent primer.....Thx

Exactly why you leave the spent primers in. Any stuck media will be ejected on depriming.

I would rather spend a few minutes to check for media in the flash hole than wipe the Imperial Wax off the cases.

Wait, never mind, this isn't rifle brass, it's pistol. No lube.

I inspected each case as I took it out of the tumbler, those with media in the flash hole I simply tapped on the workbench and the media fell out. I de-primed before tumbling so that the primer pocket would, in theory, get cleaned up a bit, but honestly it didn't make much difference.

I don't decap before cleaning, but I wet tumble so there is no media to worry about. And I have an Evadry to gather up any excess moisture.

quote:

Originally posted by NikonUser:
Wait, never mind, this isn't rifle brass, it's pistol. No lube.

I always lube mine, it reduces the handle effort a lot. And the press cycles more smoothly. But I use Oneshot, which you don't need to tumble off.

quote:

Originally posted by PPGMD:
I don't decap before cleaning, but I wet tumble so there is no media to worry about. And I have an Evadry to gather up any excess moisture.

quote:

Originally posted by NikonUser:
Wait, never mind, this isn't rifle brass, it's pistol. No lube.

Yeah, I have a Titanium Carbide sizing die for the 9mm. No lube needed. And you know what I think of One Shot.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: NikonUser,

I use lanolin/alcohol spray lube for pistol brass with carbide dies. As above you don't need it but it makes the process smoother with less effort.

I post load tumble for 15 min in corn cob to knock the lube off.

IMO.. 90% of the reason to tumble/clean the cases is so they size/decap easier. If you're doing that before you're cleaning them, you're just waisting your time. If you're decaping them, then cleaning them, then sizing them, you're just wasting your time.


(the only time I do that is with black powder)

quote:

IMO.. 90% of the reason to tumble/clean the cases is so they size/decap easier.

I do it because I don't run dirty brass through a size/deprime die.

I do own a universal decap die that doesn't do any sizing, only deprimes. I am almost certain there has never been a 9mm case inside it.

For decades I use the pistol brass from the tumbler to the 550 Dillon,its not a problem.
The only thing is the primer channel gets dirty with dust from the primer and flash hole and it drops in the priming station.
I have an air chuck mounted above my presses.
I cant stand dimpled primers in my brass.
I in the older days kept a small paint brush to brush off occasionally
Rifle brass matters to me much more and it get the rock chucker treatment,back to tumbler after it is trimmed and de burred.then to the dillon for my plinking loads.
Hunting loads gets special treatment back on the Rock Chucker

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I don't decap before cleaning, but I wet tumble so there is no media to worry about. And I have an Evadry to gather up any excess moisture.

If you don't decap for wet cleaning, then you are only getting partial benefit from the extra hassle. Decapping prior to wet cleaning, unlike dry tumbling, does clean the primer pocket, if you care about such things.

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Originally posted by fredj338:
Exactly why you leave the spent primers in. Any stuck media will be ejected on depriming.

Bingo, I learned this lesson the hard way when I started reloading.

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:

quote:

I don't decap before cleaning, but I wet tumble so there is no media to worry about. And I have an Evadry to gather up any excess moisture.

If you don't decap for wet cleaning, then you are only getting partial benefit from the extra hassle. Decapping prior to wet cleaning, unlike dry tumbling, does clean the primer pocket, if you care about such things.

I don't. I mostly use wet cleaning because I do a 5 gallon bucket of brass at a time using a common cement mixer. And I don't have to deal with media or the dust that comes with media.