Deprime before cleaning brass?

[rabbitdave]

I just picked up an ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight and wanted to clean some brass I have. Do I need to de-prime the brass before cleaning it? Can't find anything on this.. Seems like it would make it would be the right thing to do.

Any help for a complete beginner would be welcome.

 

[ZbornacSVT]

Only if you care about cleaning your flash hole and primer pocket. Otherwise, pop those soggy primers out after the fact.

 

[warthog]

Many do, I don't unless I am going to wet tumble them in the stainless media rotary tumbler.

It tend to allow a lot of small bits of corn cob to get stuck in flash holes that then need to be poked out and I am not that worried about how clean the pocket itself is since it really doesn't matter. Once it is all nice and shiny, I poke out the primers, reprime them and reload them. That's my way, and just one of my ways. Ask a hundred reloaders and you'll get at least two hundred methods.

 

[indyjohn]

I just picked up an ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight and wanted to clean some brass I have. Do I need to de-prime the brass before cleaning it? Can't find anything on this.. Seems like it would make it would be the right thing to do.

Any help for a complete beginner would be welcome.

Competition shooters will say absolutely yes. Plinkers don't care and really if you're not concerned about a half minute POI you shouldn't be either.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Pistol brass, I tumble before I size and deprime. Rifle brass, I size and deprime before I tumble as to remove the sizing lube. Unless you are going for extreme accuracy, a clean primer pocket is not going to affect anything.

 

[rabbitdave]

Thanks for the replies...explains the different answers I am seeing. Will be cleaning some pistol brass tonight.

 

[billybob44]

Ask a hundred reloaders and you'll get at least two hundred methods.

^^^Hog is right on this..

For ME-EVERY piece of brass that I have gets the spent primer removed with a Universal decap die before any additional processing is done...Bill.

 

[buzzined]

Many do, I don't unless I am going to wet tumble them in the stainless media rotary tumbler.

It tend to allow a lot of small bits of corn cob to get stuck in flash holes that then need to be poked out and I am not that worried about how clean the pocket itself is since it really doesn't matter. Once it is all nice and shiny, I poke out the primers, reprime them and reload them. That's my way, and just one of my ways. Ask a hundred reloaders and you'll get at least two hundred methods.

He is using an Ultrasonic cleaner, so no media to get stuck in the pocket.

If you are reloading on a progressive press and don't want to have to deprime the pull the out of the press to clean them then clean them first.

If you are using a single stage press then it really won't cost much more time and I would deprime then clean since you only doing one step at a time on the press anyways.

 

[Dodgehunter84]

I usually run my brass through my vibratory tumbler before I deprime for a short time, just to knock off any hard grime. Then I deprime and put them in my ultrasonic cleaner to finish getting them clean.

 

[mac45]

If I tumble, I don't bother to deprime first.
If I run 'em thru the ultrasonic, I deprime before I drop 'em in.
No so much that I'm worried about the primer pockets getting clean, rather the spent primers can hold a surprising amount of water. Even if you think the case is dry.
Makes a mess in the spent primer tube.

 

[Cowboy45]

I am very picky about processes.. I de-prime all my brass before I put it in the cleaner.. After I get a good quantity of brass I use a universal de-prime die and punch em out all in one sitting.. That way there all finished.. And I think the cases come out cleaner..

 

[ckcollins2003]

I decap before putting them into my ultrasonic cleaner, but it's only because I like to see the primer pocket clean. My thought on the matter is that I bought the ultrasonic cleaner to clean everything that a tumbler wouldn't. Therefore, I want the primer pockets as clean as the rest of the case.

 

[RSW]

I decap before putting them into my ultrasonic cleaner, but it's only because I like to see the primer pocket clean. My thought on the matter is that I bought the ultrasonic cleaner to clean everything that a tumbler wouldn't. Therefore, I want the primer pockets as clean as the rest of the case.

Agree. If using an ultra sonic deprime first.