When to clean your ammo while realoading?

[Joker]

When I started to learn to reload it was using a single press from a friend of mine. He has always just used the single stage.
The way he taught me how to reload was:
1) Deprime
2) Tumble the cases
3) Clean out the primer holes
4) Put new primer


Well I was thinking about the guys who use the progressives. They do not have a chance to clean the cases at all from the second they de-prime.So is what I am doing absolute necessary or can I go ahead and put the new primers in as soon as I take the old ones out?

 

[Regulis7]

For range ammo I do not bother with cleaning the primer pockets. Ammo used for hunting or serious target shooting I take the extra time to clean the primer pockets.

I run my spent cases thru the tumbler before I de-prime... lesson learned.... I spent several hours picking stuck media from primer holes after running about 500rds of de-primed 9mm rounds thru the tumbler. :shock:

 

[V65Magnafan]

I use a Lee progressive press, so I clean my brass before de-priming.

Hee's a tip: Cut up a sheet of used fabric softener and add it to the dirty brass before tumbling it. After the cleaning, you'll find that the brass is extra clean and lots of black junk is collected by the fabric softener sheets. Just make sure that they are used--not new.

 

[rotarymike]

With a single stage, I tumble after sizing, depriming and trimming.

With a progressive, I think I'd have to tumble first, like the guys above.

 

[Frost]

I use both types of press depending on what I am loading.
I always tumble first.
The dryer sheet trick works well, I don't bother cutting it up. (does it work better in small pieces?)

I also tumble my loaded ammunition.
I only run it for a few minutes to get a coating of silicone on the outside.
This keeps it shiny and causes no problems I have seen.
I have seen discussion on whether or not the tumbling would break down the powder and change it's burn characteristics.
It has not had any effect I can see, as I said I only run it for a few minutes though.
I suppose if you ran it overnight it might be different, has anyone tried this?