Tumbling/cleaning media gets stuck in flash holes. I clear it with a small punch. Just wondering what the result would be if it was left in. Anyone get curious enough to test this?

I've never tested any reloads with media in the flash holes. To avoid the problem I tumble my brass before deprimng. If there is any media left in the flash hole it's removed when resizing/decapping.

If you polish/clean before sizing, how do you remove case lube?

I do not get into mortal combat with reloading, I use tumbling media, it gets stuck in the flash hole. I inspect all of my cases, when the flash hole is plugged I clean it with a primer punch.

I also have a flash hole gage, if I do not measure the diameter of the flash hole before reloading the gage is useless.

F. Guffey

quote:

If you polish/clean before sizing, how do you remove case lube?

Brice, I tumble after sizing.


F. Guffey

I deprime my rifle cases before I clean them. After I tumble cases in media, I wipe the media dust off the cases with a towel.

Most of the time I do not deprime pistol cases before I clean them.

Then when I size the cases the decapping pin will remove anything in the flash hole.

All of my pistol size dies are carbide, so no need to lube them.

I remove case lube from my sized rifle cases by wiping them with a towel.

I have been using bees wax to size lately and dont find the need to tumble after sizing.I just use a rag to wipe-rub each one a bit and their done.
When I used imperial sizing wax I needed to tumble.

I run into the same problem but I use a toothpick and clean them out after tumbling.

That's why you size after tumbling. True, that doesn't clean the primer pockets, but that is they way I have always done it. No worries about plugged flash holes and I prefer to size clean brass. For black powder brass, I wash in vinegar, deprime, then tumble, then size.

Some say that the primer pockets clean better when they are tumbled decapped compared to when using the primer pocket uniformer tool alone.I do both.I use anything to push out what media is blocking the hole.

True; but I do not clean them at all. Except on black powder rounds.

Some of the steel polishing media is reported to clean flash holes and not hurt the brass... Stuff is a bit expensive fore my taste.

I size then polish, THEN clean flash holes with a flash hole uniformer chucked in a drill...brass moves when fired EVERYWHERE IN THE CASE INCLUDING THE FLASHOLE...and I get a bit of brass removal in flash holes at EVERY sizing/cleaning...I also do a thorough inspection and clean the holes at the same time.

Benchrest prepping cases every firing IS a chore and not needed or required for general hunting or for the general hunter, but I find whacking the flea, on the fly, on the hide of my victim is infinitely more satisfying than just poking one into the proper place and just killing it...kinda like finessing a 30 ft putt or doing a two bank, 3 ball 9 ball shot and collecting a couple C notes.