de-priming brass

[M1966]

Hi, Is there a way to de-prime brass without a press? I have bunch of my old brass and access to a tumbler only, so I was thinking that I'd clean it and then put it away neatly until I get around to buying all the equipment and learning the ins and outs of reloading. Thanks

 

[drgrant]

Nobody deprimes brass as part of cleaning, at least not normally. On most presses depriming and resizing is done in the same operation, even if you are running a single stage.

-Mike

 

[M1966]

Even better, I'll clean 'em and worry about the primers later....THANKS!

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

It is obvious you've not read a single reloading manual yet.........I suggest you start there before laying hands on anything.

 

[M1966]

It is obvious you've not read a single reloading manual yet.........I suggest you start there before laying hands on anything.

Not a one...never said I did. Looking to clean it up is all.

 

[Sprocket]

If you don't have a book - start the tumbler and read up in this forum for a few hours (easy to do I assure you) - search out your caliber specifically and the process in general

Other resources are RCBS, Lee and Hornady web sites to name a few - the manufacturers all want you to use their products but they all will be very helpful and you may see a lot of redundant information but you will see something in one that will not be in the other

Good luck on taking the next step

 

[NavelOfficer]

Is there a way to de-prime brass without a press? ...

Yes. Lee has a simple punch and shellholder (normally for .223 and .30 caliber) that can be adapted for depriming most boxer-primed cases. http://leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1271508153.2517=/html/catalog/casecon.html See "Decapper and Base" picture.

You can adapt the same set-up for berdan-primed cases, but use a punch without a pin (of specified diameter) and water. RCBS makes a berdan decapping tool also.

If I lost you, read a manual before proceeding!

 

[highscore]

Yes, you can deprime without a press. Navel Officer has given you an example of what they are all about. Yes, people including myself do deprime as the first step in reloading although I use my press for rifle brass where I am going to prep the primer pocket and inside of the flash hole. I use a modified Dillon powder measure die to do this. As long as your going to run something through the flash hole to clean out any junk later, you can deprime whenever you want. May not always be the most efficient way but it's your time and it would be a waste of time with pistol brass.

 

[Mr.T]

Hi, Is there a way to de-prime brass without a press? I have bunch of my old brass and access to a tumbler only, so I was thinking that I'd clean it and then put it away neatly until I get around to buying all the equipment and learning the ins and outs of reloading. Thanks

A simple answer to this question would be at minimum you should find an old Lee hand press and a sizer/deprimer for the caliber(s) of shell you wish to deprime, either before or after you tumble. The chief benefit of tumbling first is to better see if the case looks structurally sound enough to warrant any further prep towards reloading.

It is obvious you've not read a single reloading manual yet.........I suggest you start there before laying hands on anything.

While this is a valid, if perhaps just a tad harshly put point of concern, (he has not indicated that he had any intent to do any reloading) perhaps he just looking into starting a small side business providing clean de-primed brass it does remind me of the training session for Radio Shack employees regarding the customer who came in three times in fairly short order, first to buy an inexpensive wall phone for the home, next to buy a cigarette lighter DC power cord, and finally to bring in the melted phone which had been attached to the DC power cord to try and make a car phone...

Sometimes the unasked question can be the most important one.