Tumble before or after de-priming?

[flintlock hunter]

Why would you tumble then resize and tumble again?

I do it to be sure the resizing lube is removed, and to make it VERY shiny. I also use either Hornady media, (very fine stuff), or walnut shell media, to eliminate pieces of media blocking the flash hole. Just wiping the lube off the resized case doesn't really remove the lube completely.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Depends on whether I am wet tumbling or dry tumbling.

Wet - deprime then tumble

Dry - tumble then deprime; dry media gets in the flash holes.

 

[Dsmiley]

So which do you do?

My gas gun friends seem to all tumble before they prime, because the brass from gas guns like the AR-15 is much dirtier than bolt gun brass.

But my bolt gun friends all seem to deprime and then tumble.

Which is right, and why?

Bill

Gas gun I tumble. Bolt gun lately I have eliminated tumbling. Jus clean cases with a rag and load. Is faster and doesn't effect accuracy any. What residual may be left may mess a die up after thousands of rounds and I will just by a new die when that happens. My time, media, polish ect is going to cost more then the die.

 

[Two Trees]

De-prime, wet tumble and wet tumble again after sizing to remove lube.

 

[hoghunter62]

after

 

[338 dude]

Just trying to understand and my flame suit is on so enlighten me, but I always thought when metal is heated it expands when it cools it contracts and we try to size our brass to the thousandth of an inch in some cases.how can the expansion and contraction be accounted for and how do you trust you have the exact dimensions when you are completed. I anneal to soften the case and get more consistent sizing on top of adding life longevity to my brass ,I don't know why you would size it and then soften it.

 

[1varmint]

I tumble it before I size…Redding dies are not cheap. But in the winter around upstate New York the sound of that tumbler helps me get to sleep. We grow hops and veggies for market. Sometimes those young men working here stress me tfo

 

[misterc01]

Just trying to understand and my flame suit is on so enlighten me, but I always thought when metal is heated it expands when it cools it contracts and we try to size our brass to the thousandth of an inch in some cases.how can the expansion and contraction be accounted for and how do you trust you have the exact dimensions when you are completed. I anneal to soften the case and get more consistent sizing on top of adding life longevity to my brass ,I don't know why you would size it and then soften it.

Rule of thumb if no concete data.