Reloading order of operations

N

NJRaised

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 7, 2021
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Port Murray NJ
#1
Real quick… for those of you guys running a FL bushing sizing die and a mandrel. Are you mandreling/trimming before or after you tumble to get the lubricant off? I’m dry tumbling with corncob. Running 223 rem.

Currently my operation is:
Deprime
Tumble clean (corncob)
Anneal
Lube
Shoulder bump w/ FL bushing sizing die
Mandrel
Tumble to remove lube
Trim/deburr/chamfer
Prime/charge and seat bullets
 
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#2
I have a somewhat similar process. See below:

NJRaised said:
Deprime
Tumble clean (corncob) - I use an ultrasonic then dry
Anneal
Lube
Shoulder bump w/ FL bushing sizing die
I wipe down the cases to remove lube
I add some powdered neck lube for the mandrel/trim steps
Mandrel
Tumble to remove lube - I see people do this, and I've never seen the need (it's time consuming) if you adequately wipe down - somewhat lube dependent
Trim/deburr/chamfer
I add Neolube #2 as a neck lube
Prime/charge and seat bullets
Click to expand...
 
#3
NJRaised said:
Real quick… for those of you guys running a FL bushing sizing die and a mandrel. Are you mandreling/trimming before or after you tumble to get the lubricant off? I’m dry tumbling with corncob. Running 223 rem.

Currently my operation is:
Deprime
Tumble clean (corncob)
Anneal
Lube
Shoulder bump w/ FL bushing sizing die
Mandrel
Tumble to remove lube
Trim/deburr/chamfer
Prime/charge and seat bullets
Click to expand...
Currently my 223 operation is:
Tumble clean (rice)
Anneal
Lube
Shoulder bump w/ FL sizing die
Tumble to remove lube
Prime/charge and seat bullets on Dillon 550
 
#4
NJRaised said:
Real quick… for those of you guys running a FL bushing sizing die and a mandrel. Are you mandreling/trimming before or after you tumble to get the lubricant off? I’m dry tumbling with corncob. Running 223 rem.

Currently my operation is:
Deprime
Tumble clean (corncob)
Anneal
Lube
Shoulder bump w/ FL bushing sizing die
Mandrel
Tumble to remove lube
Trim/deburr/chamfer
Prime/charge and seat bullets
Click to expand...
Very close to what I do. I don't clean until AFTER I anneal so that abrasive oxidation residue left behind from the annealing doesn't wear on my sizing die or produce more resistance to the sizing process than need be.
 
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#6
For me my operation is:

Deprime
Anneal
Tumble clean (wet with steel pins)
Lube
Shoulder bump w/ FL bushing sizing die
Mandrel
Trim/deburr/chamfer
Tumble (Dry tumble) to remove lube

This is just for my range / class 556 brass that I load on my Dillon 650
 
#8
Corncob tumble
Anneal
Lanolin Lube
Deprime/size/mandrel (one step, thanks SAC)
Spray with acetone to remove lanolin
Trim/chamfer (single pass through giraud)
 
#9
I used to:

Size/deprime
Tumble
Anneal
Clean primer pockets
Trim/chamfer/debur
Brush neck
Mandrel
Prime

However, after seeing recent YouTube videos regarding seating pressures with the annealing, I think I'll switch up my process to annealing first and see if it makes any difference.

It is hard to switch things up because I've had such good luck in the past. However, I make it a point to never be married to any process because it creates bias. Bias defeats potential. I've got plenty of data to fall back on, so if there's an improvement - I'll see it. If not, I'm out 200 - 250 shots so no big deal.
 
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#11
I don't use bushing dies, but do use a mandrel. The big consideration is removing inside case neck lube before bullet seating.

Deprime - Universal decapper die
Tumble - Walnut & Flitz
Anneal - Ugly annealer for large batch, or Map/Pro torch for small batch
Lube - Hornady One-Shot. Really ensure inside case necks are lubed
Size - Decapper/expander removed. "See though die"
Chamfer/clean primer pockets (Trim if necessary)
Mandrel - smooths out the anneal grit inside of neck
Remove inside neck lube - Acetone on q-tips swabbing inside case neck
Seat bullet
Tumble - loaded rounds 20-30 min in same walnut & Flitz media. Or remove by rolling batches of 10 across acetone soaked shop towels.
 
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#12
I am changing things a little bit, what I am going to settle on is:

1. Anneal
2. Deprime by hand so I can feel primer pocket holding
3. Lube ( imperial now, maybe going to alcohol and lanoline for a more uniform inside neck lubrication
4. Size and mandrel ( thx SAC )
5. Corn cob or rice tumbling for 3-4 hrs
6. Clean pocket deburr&chamfer neck
7. Prime ( check with The precision primer gauge)
8. Powder load
9. Seat bullets
 
#14
  1. Anneal w/ AMP/Aztec - Do this first because annealing leaves abrasive residue
  2. Tumble 1.5-2 hours in corncob with Lyman Turbo-Brite - removes/polishes anneal residue as well as clearing carbon/crud
  3. Lube with Hornady 1-Shot in a rectangular plastic container
  4. Resize/deprime station 1 / mandrel station 2 on Dillon RL550 progressive
  5. Tumble 20 minutes in separate tumbler/corncob, pick media out of primer pockets as needed when finished
  6. Prime with Frankford Arsenal hand priming tool
  7. Put primed brass in loading trays, apply Imperial Dry Neck Lube with Q-tip (dipping case necks into the little beads-applicator-container wastes too much lube ad makes too much mess to suit me; I've also tried dipping the bullet base into the dry lube).
  8. Charge each case with powder, put back in tray, stick in a bullet ( Dillon measure dropping .1-.2 light, mounted in separate tool head, trickle charge to weight - I'm too cheap to buy an autotrickler for my FX-120i scale).
  9. Seat bullets.
 
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