• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Reloading process order

DLT

Silver $$ Contributor
Do you guys anneal, size then tumble ? Or anneal, tumble then size and why do you do it your chosen way ? I hardly ever tumble my brass, I heard or read sometime ago that a vibratory tumbler would dent case mouths that was already sized is why I never sized then tumbled. I’m trying to get consistent seating pressure is why I ask. I’m going to get a stiff nylon bore brush for the case mouths and see if that was to help any. Thanks
 
Last edited:
I stopped tumbling after my tumbler died a few years back and I have been very happy ever since and my sizing dies even happier. That residue from the media I was using was creating havoc with my sizing dies.

All I do now is clean the necks with 0000 steel wool which I've always done, even when I tumbled, then wipe the cases with a shop rag that has some mineral spirits. Works outstandingly and I don't get that media all over the place and in my slippers causing foot difficulties. ;) As an added bonus I can manage my cases better and I have one less piece of equipment and consumable (media).

One thing I found helpful is before sizing, I use a stiff nylon brush to brush the inside of the necks to remove any excess carbon. I use a low RPM drill and can process 20 or 40 cases in a few minutes which is my normal batch for reloading. I don't know if this improves neck tension, but it seems to reduce the drag on the sizing button. Polishing the sizing button also helps.

I don't anneal so I can't comment on that.
 
Primal Rights has done a great series (in-depth) on case prep and load development. He tested the impact of timing of annealing in process and its effect on bullet seating force. It was informative and backed up by data in nice graph. Video links below.

Preferred Technique 1
The only step that mattered for consistent, repeatable seating force was to anneal first, tumble and then size. He is not using steel pins, but rather softer media.

Test 1
He tested tumbling first (dirty dirty brass) and then annealing, but the results were definitiely worse (inconsistent and greater seating force curves).

Test 2
He then tumbled to clean brass, annealed, 2nd light tumble to knock down any artifacts/debris (biproduct of annealing) in case neck, and then sized. These results were notably better than Test 1, but not as good as his Preferred Technique. If you are shooting suppressed or using range brass then this is the probably the best procedure.

Impact of Case Prep Order - When to Anneal

Primal Rights - Order of Operations
 
Oso said:
Primal Rights has done a great series (in-depth) on case prep and load development. He tested the impact of timing of annealing in process and its effect on bullet seating force. It was informative and backed up by data in nice graph. Video links below.

Preferred Technique 1
The only step that mattered for consistent, repeatable seating force was to anneal first, tumble and then size. He is not using steel pins, but rather softer media.

Test 1
He tested tumbling first (dirty dirty brass) and then annealing, but the results were definitiely worse (inconsistent and greater seating force curves).

Test 2
He then tumbled to clean brass, annealed, 2nd light tumble to knock down any artifacts/debris (biproduct of annealing) in case neck, and then sized. These results were notably better than Test 1, but not as good as his Preferred Technique. If you are shooting suppressed or using range brass then this is the probably the best procedure.

Impact of Case Prep Order - When to Anneal

Primal Rights - Order of Operations
Click to expand...
He is the reason I’m asking members here before I jump down the rabbit hole. He claims the rice media smoothes the interior case mouths from the oxidation that annealing causes. I’m wondering if it could help me out. I don’t have an amp press but I can feel a difference in my press on some cases. Yes before anyone asks….. I anneal every firing, size with a bushing die, and have what I consider quality brass.
 
de-prime in separate press to keep grit out of loading press.
anneal or not if i clean in walnut before annealing, it leaves a red residue in the neck that does not all brush out.
clean in walnut, de-primed cleans primer pocket also
run uniformer in primer pocket
size, trim if needed and de-burr inside and out
clean in corn cob to remove case lube
prime, charge, seat
 
When you resize your cases, you lube them, inside the case neck and outside the case to the shoulder. Then you force the expander into the case neck. At the top of the stroke, you crush the case neck undersized and then on the down stroke expand the neck to the proper size to grip the bullet. So basically, in the act of resizing the brass, you've work hardened the case neck three times. Why would you do all that after you annealed the case to relieve the work hardening on the brass?
I personally tend to the sizing processes first. Then clean any and all lube from the case. After that, I tumble to polish and dry the brass. I find it easier to anneal clean brass.
You never want any lube to contaminate your chamber. You could induce bolt thrust issues.
After annealing, you should notice how smooth it is to seat bullets into the case. When you start getting resistance seating bullets, it's time to anneal again.
The only thing better is to buy a Lee collet die, do away with the lube and the expander ball. If you are loading for only one rifle, this is the way to go, in my opinion.
 
jwv2001 said:
When you resize your cases, you lube them, inside the case neck and outside the case to the shoulder. Then you force the expander into the case neck. At the top of the stroke, you crush the case neck undersized and then on the down stroke expand the neck to the proper size to grip the bullet. So basically, in the act of resizing the brass, you've work hardened the case neck three times. Why would you do all that after you annealed the case to relieve the work hardening on the brass?
I personally tend to the sizing processes first. Then clean any and all lube from the case. After that, I tumble to polish and dry the brass. I find it easier to anneal clean brass.
You never want any lube to contaminate your chamber. You could induce bolt thrust issues.
After annealing, you should notice how smooth it is to seat bullets into the case. When you start getting resistance seating bullets, it's time to anneal again.
The only thing better is to buy a Lee collet die, do away with the lube and the expander ball. If you are loading for only one rifle, this is the way to go, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
you relieve the work hardening to set up for a consistent sizing process. this is why it should be done before sizing.

if you are that worried about the work hardening, then just anneal before and after lol
 
Tumble, anneal, decap, wash (I use a large gallon container with isopropyl alcohol, electric blower to dry a handfull at a time), inspect, lube, size (shouldered cases rest in die for a few seconds each), trim, rewash, reinspect, prime, load.

Tumble is fine, change media when it gets too dusty, decap after tumbling so no media in flash hole, wash after tumbling so no media or dust gets in sizing die, wash after trim to get rid of sizing lube and any trim swarf. Inspections because it's way easier to throw away a piece of brass before you spend any more time on it or prime/powder it.

Consistency is the key. Or at least it works for me... :)

Iso alcohol because it is less toxic and cheaper then other solvents, flashes quick and doesn't stink up the house, obviously if you are sensitive wear gloves and mind it is flammable.
 
My process:
Clean (vibratory tumbler - corncob media)
de-cap/ clean primer pockets
anneal (AMP annealer)
F/L size using Imperial sizing wax
Mandrel
Rince in acetone
lube necks with Neo-Lube #2
Load

PopCharlie
 
1 wipe carbon off outside of neck and shoulder with alcohol on a paper towel. (I don’t want to bake the dirt onto the neck when annealing)
2 anneal
3 lube with slight coating of ballistol (none on shoulder) size & deprime
4 tumble in corn cob for 20 min to remove lube. (I hate wiping cases)
5 trim & chamfer
6 lube inside of necks with moly alcohol mix
7 expand necks with mandrel
8 clean primer pockets
9 prime
10 add powder & seat bullet

I would love to get rid of the moly lube on the inside of the necks but my observation is that annealing tends to burn out the carbon in the necks and remove some of the lube properties. The moly helps with the mandrel expanding and the residual allows me to get a good consistent “feel” when seating the bullet.
Annealing helps reduce spring-back in the shoulder and neck when sizing (better headspace consistency) and extends brass life.
I only tumble enough to remove lube and not enough to damage case mouths. I also trim and chamfer right after this so it would help negate any case neck dings.
I believe bullet seating depth is a key to accuracy therefore I am fanatical about consistent headspace and BTO measurements.
 
De cap and size in one step, wipe down the cases with a paper towel sprayed with a touch of alcohol, clean pockets, chamfer, brush out the necks and load um, verify seating consistency with accuracy one comparator to .0005
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Classified Ads

Forum statistics

Threads
164,974
Messages
2,187,452
Members
78,620
Latest member
Halfdeadhunter

Share This Page

Back
Top