I have gotten back into reloading after a long time and several things have popped up that I don't remember dealing with in the past. I guess it could just be that I am getting old... I reload primarily pistol and shotgun. In the past I had a friend who cleaned my brass when it needed it, and I don't remember dealing with this. I recently bought a Berry's dry tumbler and really like how it cleans. I am using Lyman Walnut hull medium.
1. Once everything is cleaned, do I need to do anything to get rid of the dust that is left over inside the case? If so, what are some suggestions?

2. Should I deprime before I tumble? If so, do I need to worry about anything getting caught inside the primer pocket?

3. Also, in the past, I really don't remember keeping track, but how often do you inspect your brass for holes or blowout?
Because I was worried about having some walnut pieces stuck inside a case, I decided to look at each case. After I reloaded and shot my first reloads of both 38 and 45 ACP, all once fired brass. Out of probably 300-400 rounds of 38's, I found 8 cases with small pinhole or slightly larger holes in the sides of the cases. The brass was all from Winchester factory loads that I shot for the first time. My reloads were all target loads on the low end of what the manual recommeded, using Titegroup and Autocomp, so they weren't Hot loads. I know that not everyone checks every pistol casing, every reload, but this has me a bit concerned. Did i just get some bad cases? In the years past, I really don't remember this being an issue. From my memory, it was pretty obvious when a case went bad, not these small little holes that you really didn't notice unless you were carefully inspecting them. Thoughts?

No.
Yes.
Yes.
Look at each case for defects before you load it. Since I do not deprime before cleaning, I never have to inspect the flash holes for walnut shell particles in there, but if you do, and you should, then you have to inspect them too.

Welcome to AR!
1. I do not worry about the dust. Has not been a problem.
2. I always deprime before I tumble so the primer pockets get cleaned also.
3. I always try to inspect my brass before loading the case feeder on my Dillon 650. It seems some of the new brass is not as heavy or thick as older brass. I seem to have a lot more case failures than in years past. My target loads are on the mild side also.

I always clean brass first before de-priming. I know many say that is wrong but when I tumbled with media I hated getting it stuck in hole.

With rifle if it is single stage I use a carbide cutter to clean up the pocket. Pistol I don't worry.

With pistol I don't inspect the cases much. I usually find cracked cases when I am loading magazines and that is rare. However where I am really careful is at the powder inspection on the progressive press. I make sure that the level looks perfect and occasional after I have charged the case I have found stuck rocks or other crap in the case and then I discard.

This is only because I load pistol in higher volumes. Just finished up a batch of 30,000 9mm rounds last month.

I know my method is not the norm. But I have been doing it this way for 26 years and it works for me.

quote:

Since I do not deprime before cleaning

Last thing I want to do is take a crappy case and run it into my die to deprime. I don't feel the tumbler really cleans the primer pocket anyway. So I clean inspect size and deprime and inspect again before I install the primer.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

Since I do not deprime before cleaning

Last thing I want to do is take a crappy case and run it into my die to deprime. I don't feel the tumbler really cleans the primer pocket anyway. So I clean inspect size and deprime and inspect again before I install the primer.

On my high volume pistol rounds I don't care if my primer pockets are clean. And yes I do probably break a de-priming pin maybe every 20ish thousand rounds. But it is worth it for me to not have to check every case before dumping the bucket full into the case feeder.

quote:

On my high volume pistol rounds I don't care if my primer pockets are clean. And yes I do probably break a de-priming pin maybe every 20ish thousand rounds. But it is worth it for me to not have to check every case before dumping the bucket full into the case feeder

I'm old and confused. Aren't we on the same page? Looking back I did leave out a few commas.

No, I wet tumble (no pins unless horribly dirty), dry them on old bath towels overnight, don't inspect a thing, dump them in my case feeder and start cranking the handle. Only inspect carefully each case after powder is dropped. Run usually around 800-1000 rounds an hour.

Pistol I clean thousand at a time. I use treated walnut. I have a vibrator cleaner I use to rattle the brass around in get most all the media out. I resize and the punch takes care of the primer flash hole. I use a prep case machine to clean the pockets. cant remember ever having a miss fire. When I reload I have all my cases prepped. now that I have a loc and load my method may change.

quote:

Run usually around 800-1000 rounds an hour

Man you are just too fast.

Since I have a single stage I'm a LOT SLOWER.

I simply run my pistol brass thorough the tumbler. Shake out the walnut and used a carbide die. So I do look at the brass as I slip it in the shell holder. Then again later when I prime using a handheld unit, bell the mouth etc. Is it a serious inspection probably not. But being single stage I run about 1000 cases through each stage as I go.

I can sure see how that wouldn't work with an automatic unit.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

Run usually around 800-1000 rounds an hour

Man you are just too fast.

Since I have a single stage I'm a LOT SLOWER.

I simply run my pistol brass thorough the tumbler. Shake out the walnut and used a carbide die. So I do look at the brass as I slip it in the shell holder. Then again later when I prime using a handheld unit, bell the mouth etc. Is it a serious inspection probably not. But being single stage I run about 1000 cases through each stage as I go.

I can sure see how that wouldn't work with an automatic unit.

When you gun runs at 700-900 rounds a minute you need something a bit faster. Haha

I don't do nearly the volume some here do but I use SS media. Decap before tumbling. Comes out looking brand new making it easy to spot major defects.