Depriming

[JerseyJD]

What do you folks do about depriming for black powder cartridge at  SASS matches? I was thinking about getting the Lee hand press with a universal die and depriming before soaking either at my cart or at the reloading table.

[Jefro]

Howdy Jersey, I don't know of anyone that deprimes except at the loading bench. I rinse mine with dish soap and hot water, when they are dry they go in the tumbler. After that they go straight to the loading press, deprimed on the up stroke and primed on the down stroke. Good Luck


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[joec]

I'm wondering myself as I just recently picked up a complete setup of 2 Lee Pro 1000 loaders as well as tumbler etc. I'm not sure what to use to deprime spent shells with before putting in the tumbler to clean. This is all new to me but eventually plan on doing not only 45 Colt but 45 acp and 9mm with the setup.

I see someone answered before I finished posting. So thanks.

[Tascosa Joe]

I use a RCBS Universal Depriming die.  I dont put my cases in water until after I deprime.  At that point I wash them and then they go to the Tumbler with ceramic media.  I have had good luck with this system.

[Noz]

I deprime and size before tumbling. I like the primer pocket to be clean.

[rickk]

I drop them in soapy warm water for a while, rinse, dry, deprime with a LEE universal decapper, let the primer pockets dry out, tumble.

[Lucky R. K.]

I am going to play Dick Dastardly here and give you a commercial.  If you de-prime by hand you need on of these.  I have sold them to BP shooters all over the US and four other countrys.

With the proper de-priming punch it will deprime any caliber from .22 thru .50 and any length up to 3-1/4".  The brass in the picture is .500 BPE x 3".
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http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l361/decapper/hand.jpg

[Abilene]

I know just a few people who deprime at the range.  I'm like Jefro (except I reprime off the press).  Drop the empty cases into water w/dish soap at the range, rinse at home and dump into wide flat cardboad box to dry, then tumble.  Deprime while case is resized on the press, then hand prime and reload.  Never a problem yet with dirty primer pockets.

[Wagon Box Willy]

I see reference to a lot of BPCR guys depriming either right at the range or shortly thereafter.  I assume that clean pockets remove one more variable in precising loading and shooting.

Willy

[Dick Dastardly]

Brass goes into a soap and water mix in a  wide mouth bottle at the match.  Gets shook up now and again.  Drained and tumbled wet in DD Ceramic Porcelain media for three hours, then drained again and dried.  If I'm in a hurry I put it in my shaker with dry media for an hour, otherwise I just let it dry in a mesh bag.  Please note that I said tumbler and shaker.

The primers get pushed out on the progressive press and priming happens there also.  No worries after many many thousand rounds loaded and shot with black powder.

DD-MDA

[Blackpowder Burn]

I deprime before cleaning with this tool, which I bought from Buffalo Arms.  I deprime, then run the cases through an ultrasonic cleaner, dry and reload.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/slm_depriming_tools_pr-4015.aspx

[Cliff Fendley]

I'm just getting into loading BP cartridges and I'm wondering what the big deal is, do they corrode bad or something if they arent cleaned right away?

I've never deprimed smokeless brass before tumbling and it gets done when reloading. Isn't that why sizing dies have decapers made in them?

Generally when you push a primer out a new one will slide right in. On precision rifle brass I play close attention to the primer pocket and flash hole but for pistol target ammo never felt it was a big deal.

[Dick Dastardly]

What you said Cliff, is true.

DD-MDA

[Fairshake]

The BPCR shooters are doing a lot of things different than a SASS shooter needs to. They also anneal the cases before loading and most SASS shooters would not even know how.
It's good practice to put your cases into some water with a liquid soap while at the match. Not after each stage but after the match and before the ride home.
I myself use a three gallon bucket from Home Depot that is filled with about a oz or so of Dawn/OXY and a oz or so of lemon juice concentrate and about one gallon of water.
I don't deprime them before they go into the water mix. They get a washing machine type of action in the rear of my 3/4 ton truck in the hours ride home.
When the top is removed the water will be coal black and have a very bad smell. Rinse until the cases flow clear water. The cases will have a black splotched look but don't worry they will look like new if cleaned in a rotary tumbler with either ceramic or the new SS pins being sold.
The proper method is to put  your cases into the tumbler and cover with enough media so that they can't be seen. Add enough water to cover about 1/2 inch or so above the media. Add a good squirt of the same Dawn/OXY and a teaspoon or so of Lemi-shine. Tumble about 3 or so hours and your cases will look like new after being drained into a colander and rinsed with clean water.
If you doubt the cleaning of the lemon juice concentrate, just take a fresh fired case that has been used with real BP and drop it into some in a small container. You will see the BP residue coming out of the case. Later David

[joec]

Great informative thread guys and much appreciated. I recently purchased a fellow NCOWS members 2 presses both Lee Pro 1000 as well as everything else ready to start reloading. I plan on loading my 45 Colt loads with black powder/substitute also. I will be doing 45 acp and 9mm with smokeless later once I learn all of the ins and outs of it. This was one of the questions I had also. It seems his method for doing brass is pretty much the same as Dick's also, so I will give it a try. Is their a soap product one should avoid or is something like Dawn Liquid dishwashing detergent fine to clean the brass in?

[Cliff Fendley]

Off topic but Joe I have a brand new 4 hole turret that I believe fits those presses. I'll bring it to the convention and if it works you can have it for when you set up for the other calibers.

[Grapeshot]

I purchased a depriming tool I saw advertised in HANDLOADER Magazine.  I'm in Iraq now, so I can't give you a picture, but the tool will deprime everything from .32 ACP to .458 Win.  I use it to deprime my .45 Colt and Schofield ammo and .44 WCF when at matches.  I also deprime both my .45-60 and .45-70 cases after shooting BP out of them.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Grapeshot,

I agree with depriming before tumbling, but I don't like to take time away from posse activities and palaver during a match.  When I get back to the ranch I'm plumb tuckered and just put my brass in the tumbler with the primers still in.  Hey, it works, but if I took the time to knock the primers out the CP media  would clean the primer pockets for me.

DD-MDA

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I have tried most procedures that have been suggested.  It is important that the BP residue is neutralized/removed without too much delay.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is an observation I have made.  If primer residue is soaked in any way it seems stuck there!  I deprime as soon as convenient and scrape each primer pocket with a small screwdriver then dump them in the "soak". The residue comes out as a dry dust.  A big job for a full match, and then I might skip it.  For a few rounds it just makes the result neater.  Now that I have an ultrasonic cleaner I will see if I can skip that step for good.

Fairshake;  I like your idea of lemon juice concentrate.  It must be the citric acid at work.  I would think that some vinegar would accomplish much the same.  I wouldn't leave cases in any sort of chemical other than H2O or a soap solution for very long.

[joec]

Off topic but Joe I have a brand new 4 hole turret that I believe fits those presses. I'll bring it to the convention and if it works you can have it for when you set up for the other calibers.

Well check it out Cliff, thanks.