38 Special - primer removal before SS tumbling?

[Rsadams]

+1 on depriming before tumbling but I don't hardly use my wet tumbler anymore unless it's just filthy a normally dry tumble in Walnut media.... If I do use my wet tumbler I will remove the spent primer becouse the inside and the pocket will be like new... Plus water will get into the old primer and then they need to be removed and dryed before loading...

 

[divingin]

Depends on what you want to end up with. Plusses and minuses to each.

In years past, I've processed pistol brass by:

1. Range pickup brass, straight to the press to reload.
2. Range pickup brass, dry tumble, reload.
3. Dedicated (matched) brass, dry tumble, reload
4. [not often] Dedicated brass, wet tumble, dry brass (dehydrator), reload.
5. [normal routine now] Dedicated brass, decap, wet tumble, dry, reload.


Dry tumbling will knock most loose stuff off the outside of the cases. I value my sizing dies too much to skip cleaning (at the very least) the outside of the cases now.

Wet tumbling will get the inside of the case clean. Wet tumbling without primers will get the primer pockets clean.

Wet tumbling with primers will make it tougher to get the cases dry (make sure you get the pockets dry, or you risk watering down the new primers going in.)

Wet tumbling tends to take longer than dry tumbling, and comes with the added time to dry the cases.

It's your brass and your time; decide what you want to end up with and go for it.