Use to load pistol, new to rifle. Have to use a full size die?

[Djstorm100]

I use to reload on a Dillon 650 but only did pistol calibers. Mostly 9 and 45acp. I sold off my press and few other things when I wanted to get my insulin pump.

I'm loading pinking and match ammo for my 18inch Ar

Anyway I have a ton of .223/5.56 brass so I bought a Lee single stage (going to have a Dillon 650 again in few months) to I could start processing brass. My concern is, is it ok to lube up dirty brass and run it through press. I would think it is not a good idea. Would need to tumble first, lube clean brass up, size and deprime, toss in tumbler again to get lube off?

Does once fired brass (out of Ar's but half is not ran in my gun) need to be full base or will a short base die work? Trying not to over work the brass so I can get most life out of it.

So this, is there for any problem processing the brass this way?
1) decap and tumble
2) lube Size and tumble again.
3) Toss in tumbler (using a rotary with SS media)

Shiny new cases with clean pockets ready to be trimmed/debured/chamfer

Just doing these steps because I have several thousand pieces of brass and it is going to keep me busy for a long time. Plus I'm finding my self getting more in to the precision game and single press IMO is needed.

[markm]

My concern is, is it ok to lube up dirty brass and run it through press. I would think it is not a good idea. Would need to tumble first, lube clean brass up, size and deprime, toss in tumbler again to get lube off?

Yes. Tumble, size, then Tumble again.




Do once fired brass (out of Ar's but half is not ran in my gun) need to be full base or will a short base die work? Trying not to over work the brass so I can get most life out of it.

You're not over working the brass with a small base die. You WANT TO work the web/head area to ensure it's work hardened. It's the Shoulder/Neck that should be softer. And that's worked the same with either die.


So this, is there for any problem processing the brass this way?
1) Lube dirty cases up.
2) Size and deprime case
3) Toss in tumbler (using a rotary with SS media)

Makes ZERO sense to me. Buy a cheap decap die. DECAP, TUMBLE in SS media, then run through your operations with clean brass. Shit... if you do all that other stuff with dirty brass... might as well just skip the SS media step because all you're getting is finished cosmetics.... and not keeping your dies and press clean.

[Djstorm100]

Yes. Tumble, size, then Tumble again.





You're not over working the brass with a small base die. You WANT TO work the web/head area to ensure it's work hardened. It's the Shoulder/Neck that should be softer. And that's worked the same with either die.



Makes ZERO sense to me. Buy a cheap decap die. DECAP, TUMBLE in SS media, then run through your operations with clean brass. Shit... if you do all that other stuff with dirty brass... might as well just skip the SS media step because all you're getting is finished cosmetics.... and not keeping your dies and press clean.

What is the Web exactly? The head is area the primer is located at. If the web the area between the case body and head?


Ah! I wasn't aware that there was a die that just did decapping and not decapping and resizing in the same motion.

[Ryno12]

So this, is there for any problem processing the brass this way?
1) Lube dirty cases up.
2) Size and deprime case
3) Toss in tumbler (using a rotary with SS media)


That's essentially how I do it. I think most people tumble their brass as the first step like Mark said. I started doing that initially but I found it was a waste of time for me. I primarily shoot in my back yard. My brass is always landing on grass or snow & honestly doesn't look any dirtier than before I shot it. Certainly their is powder residue & some gun lube on it but it's so minute that it's barely noticeable. If it's excessively dirty or I pick it up from somewhere else, I'll give it a quick rinse in my slop sink. My normal SOP though is lube, deprime/size, ultrasonic clean, case trim, misc prep, etc. I may or may not tumble... depends on my mood but I usually do, then reload. That's just what works for me but I think I'm in the minority.


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[markm]

What is the Web exactly? The head is area the primer is located at. If the web the area between the case body and head?

It's the curved transition from the case head into the case wall.


Ah! I wasn't aware that there was a die that just did decapping and not decapping and resizing in the same motion.

Easily my most often used die. EVERYTHING I run goes thru that die first. NOTHING ever hits my other dies before being SS tumbled. Everyone has their own approach, but only mine is right! :sarcastic:

[Ryno12]

Everyone has their own approach, but only mine is right! :sarcastic:

:)

When I started having to schedule my reloading around my kids nap times is when I realized I needed to streamline my process. The more steps I could eliminate, the better. Nothing's worse than getting the press set up, Chargemaster filled, beer cracked open & then hearing "waaa waaa" in the baby monitor.


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[Djstorm100]

:)

When I started having to schedule my reloading around my kids nap times is when I realized I needed to streamline my process. The more steps I could eliminate, the better. Nothing's worse than getting the press set up, Chargemaster filled, beer cracked open & then hearing "waaa waaa" in the baby monitor.


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Just turn the monitor off :haha:


What do you guys use for brass lube? I've read on here people use Pam as a cheap way of doing it. Something that is homemade or being able to get at Walmart would be a huge plus.

[Ryno12]

I use the Hornady spray lube. It's available to me locally at a hardware store. I tried some Lee paste at first but again, too time consuming. I use those Frankford Arsenal shell holders. I give a quick spray, flip upside down in an extra holder, spray the other side & done. I went from practically a 10 min process with the paste to a 10 sec process with the spray.


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[markm]

DCL. (Dillon Case Lube) Best product ever. Nut jobs make their own... Not worth it to me. I just buy it.

Hornady pump bottle one shot is the worst product in reloading EVER. I think the aerosol works, but I've not tried it.

I blew my one shot up with tannerite I was so pissed at that garbage.

[Djstorm100]

With my brass and range pick up I would need to run all of it through a Full length size and not just bump the shoulder back. This is to make sure all the brass are relevantly the same size, correct? I would only shoulder bump if I knew that case was fired out of the rifle I was reloading for?

[markm]

With my brass and range pick up I would need to run all of it through a Full length size and not just bump the shoulder back. This is to make sure all the brass are relevantly the same size, correct? I would only shoulder bump if I knew that case was fired out of the rifle I was reloading for?

All AR ammo needs full length sizing. In fact if you don't use a case guage and set the die up right, you'll get ammo that you can't eject manually if you want to clear the chamber.

And oversizing the brass will lead to premature case failure. Get a case guage.

[Djstorm100]

So FL is used to bump the shoulder back and/or full size it? I'm under the impression I can bump the shoulder .003-5 and be good to go.






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[markm]

Full length squeezes the case down and bumps the shoulder back to spec. There is NO REASON to avoid FL sizing for AR, and a great many reasons TO DO IT.

[Djstorm100]

I'm also reloading for bolt gun too. Never mention that though lol


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[markm]

I'm also reloading for bolt gun too. Never mention that though lol


For .223, It doesn't matter. I load for bolt gun too. EVERY single round gets sized exactly the same. Accuracy is not hurt by this.

On .308 and 300 WM, I set the die to the gun, but .223 must function across the board in all guns.

[Djstorm100]

Set the die to the gun ? How so? Thanks for all the help Mark!


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[markm]

Set the die to the gun ? How so? Thanks for all the help Mark!


For .308, if I just set the die to a guage, the brass separates prematurely. So I find a piece of brass that wont easily chamber and then I turn the die down until it fits just right. (that's just my simple guy's method) You can buy all kinds of instrumentation to determine the exact bump and blah blah... but at some point you have to back off on the science, and use a little bit of the art of loading.

[anachronism]

If you don't clean your brass first, grit from the cases will eventually embed itself in the dies. This will scratch every piece of brass you size in it. You do need to tumble cases before resizing. I noticed one thing you're missing. 223 cases need to be trimmed with almost every loading. Over length cases in an AR can be disastrous. To lube your cases before sizing, toss a handful or two of brass in a one gallon zip top bag and spray a couple of pumps of Dillon case lube on them. Seal the bag, and shake for a few moments to distribute the lube. This will get lube inside enough cases that you're unlikely to have to lube inside the case necks. You should however wipe the lube off the case neck and shoulder before sizing to prevent lube dents. There will be enough lube left on the neck to prevent any stickiness. My case prep procedure is:
1- tumble
2- lube and size
3- tumble again
4- ream/swage primer pockets

Store in bags until ready to load.

[Djstorm100]

I'm just depiming and sizing on a single stage and I've got 4k brass and 4k of ammo to shoot lol.

But depriming a dirty case should not be a problem?

[markm]

But depriming a dirty case should not be a problem?

No damn it. There's nothing but a pin punching out the primer. No surface contact to the case to grind grit into things.

[yellowfin]

I use Pam as my sizing lube, or even Walmart generic brand cooking spray. For .223/5.56, it's entirely adequate and lasts forever. Something mentioned above but bears repeating with further emphasis: when doing this particular caliber YOU WANT A LEE DECAPPING DIE AND USE IT ALWAYS because of the large (er than other calibers) percentage of brass having crimped primer pockets. I scavenge range brass as the source of 80%+ of all the brass I load--absolutely refuse to pay for it for common calibers when it's that easy-- and easily a third to half or more of what's left on the ground that people don't want is crimped because they don't want to put up with it and/or don't reload anyway so that's what was mass produced (surplus now or at one time or off of production lines thereof).

[Djstorm100]

I use Pam as my sizing lube, or even Walmart generic brand cooking spray. For .223/5.56, it's entirely adequate and lasts forever. Something mentioned above but bears repeating with further emphasis: when doing this particular caliber YOU WANT A LEE DECAPPING DIE AND USE IT ALWAYS because of the large (er than other calibers) percentage of brass having crimped primer pockets. I scavenge range brass as the source of 80%+ of all the brass I load--absolutely refuse to pay for it for common calibers when it's that easy-- and easily a third to half or more of what's left on the ground that people don't want is crimped because they don't want to put up with it and/or don't reload anyway so that's what was mass produced (surplus now or at one time or off of production lines thereof).

I deprimed 1000 cases last night on a single stage...fun stuff. Did my first batch of wet tumbling for 3 hours. Some cases had a little tarnish (blue/greenish tint) think I may have put too much soap in there or something. I placed the cases on a towel and rolled them around to dry them off. Just let them stay there overnight.

[Ryno12]

I deprimed 1000 cases last night on a single stage...fun stuff. Did my first batch of wet tumbling for 3 hours.
Sooooo, you don't have a life?

:)



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[Djstorm100]

Sooooo, you don't have a life?

:)



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Haha I started at 1130-12 and didn't stop until 330am. I got in a rhyme while watching tv on my desktop... I think I added too much lemi shine. The yellow dipper that comes with the .223 dies is what I used to measure the ldmi shine.

[Ryno12]

Haha I started at 1130-12 and didn't stop until 330am.

So from noon to 3:30 am the next day?


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[Djstorm100]

So from noon to 3:30 am the next day?


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1130pm-12am (midnight) to 3:30am. smarty pants

[Ryno12]

1130pm-12am (midnight) to 3:30am. smarty pants
:D

You're an animal. No way I can process 1000 cases in that timeframe. Single stage or progressive. No frickin way.


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[Djstorm100]

:D

You're an animal. No way I can process 1000 cases in that timeframe. Single stage or progressive. No frickin way.


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Well to be honest it was 955 but 1000 sounds better LOL

[Ryno12]

Well to be honest it was 955 but 1000 sounds better LOL

Well, that's like 10 mins.

:p


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[Djstorm100]

How does this look? Shoulder been bump down .003 but case gauge is hard to read. Looks like it need a little more.268942689526896


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