Cleaning Brass

[Dixie Dude]

Do you guys clean your brass before you decap?  I bought a universal decaping die, decap then clean.  Also, do you clean your brass after resizing to get the lube off?  I read you just wipe it off. 

[Tom W.]

I'll de-cap, clean re-size, trim and re-clean. May be a bit anal, but I like my brass clean enough so I can see any flaws in it that may be hidden if it wasn't cleaned.

[corbanzo]

clean, cap & size, trim - i do clean the primer pockets and flash holes manually though.

[LaOtto222]

I clean my brass first, then decap, then clean pockets. I have been using corn cob as a tumbling agent and it gets jambed into the case and does not pour out some times, by decapping after wards, I make sure the case is empty. I do not think it matters a whole lot which you do first, just make sure the case is empty and the flash hole is clear. For the most part, I wipe the cases after full length sizing. I depends on if I get lube inside the neck or not if I retumble. I neck size as much as possible and use carbide dies for straight walled cases. I really do not like to lube unless I have to.

[Glanceblamm]

Like the others, I do like to clean first.
What it will do is to remove the grit that can scratch the inside of your sizing die which would in turn, start scratching all of your cases.

[Dixie Dude]

Thanks guys, I think I am going to do like Tom.  Makes sense to me. 

[Graybeard]

I clean first in treated walnut hull media, then size/deprime and trim if needed. I have an RCBS Trim Mate and RCBS powered sizer for those chores of trimming, deburring, chamfering and cleaning primer pockets. Then with bottle necked cases that have lube on them I place them into a second vibrator cleaner with corn cob media which removes the lube and gives them a nice bright shine.

[AtlLaw]

I clean first in treated walnut hull media, then size/deprime and trim if needed. I have an RCBS Trim Mate and RCBS powered sizer for those chores of trimming, deburring, chamfering and cleaning primer pockets. Then with bottle necked cases that have lube on them I place them into a second vibrator cleaner with corn cob media which removes the lube and gives them a nice bright shine.

+1 exactly!  Well, I don't have a trim Mate or powered sizer, but I do the same thing by hand... 

[ihuntbucks]

Clean,decap,size,clean again,trim,load,shoot 'em up......repeat............Rick

[Tom W.]

HOLY MOSES!!! Someone liked what I said!!!!! I ain't gonna know how to act for the rest of the week!

[Dixie Dude]

Don't push it Tom.  War Eagle!!!

[SingleShotShorty]

I use a universal depriming die then soak them in apple cider vinegar for awhile then dry them and it's into the tumbler. After they have tumbled awhile then I resize, trim to length then into the tumbler again for a high shine.

[Hook686]

Different strokes for different folks ...

I do not pick up 'Range brass', so all brass is brass that I fired from its beginning. I've taken to cleaning maybe once every 4, or 5 reloadings. I examine, then tumble in a wet tumbler (water and very small amount of low suds detergent), dry, de-prime/resize, prime, seat bullet and roll crimp magnums/no crimp (just taper from seating die) non-magnums.

I'm happy, since I spend more time shooting rather than re-loading.