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Posted: 3/6/2009 5:05:56 PM EDT
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I'm getting together all the stuff I need to get started reloading. Will be almost exclusively 5.56/.223 and 9mm for the foreseeable future. While I've found most of the information on what I need to do the actual reloading, I'm having trouble determining what case prep. steps are "mandatory" and which are just good for precision/match rounds.
I will be mainly reloading "plinking" ammo. No bench/ 3-gun/work/etc. Just shooting stuff out in the hills for the most part. 
For this sort of thing, what steps do I need to do as far as case prep? I do have some .mil brass so swaging is a must I assume. How about tumbling brass? Sizing? Thanks. |
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Tumbling removes the grit on cases.
If not removed, the sizing die will become scratched. Once scratched, every case run through the die will be scratched. 
For auto rifles, all cases must be FL (full length) resized. Then lube cleaned off. Back to the tumbler for this. Case prep steps, Tumble clean. Lube and size. Tumble off lube. Remove primer crimp if necessary. Only done once per case. Check case length, trim if necessary. Get a reloading manual, I suggest the Hornaday #7. It has a section with "how to reload" with pics. Also read all the info at the top of the page. FAQ's, Tutorials, ect. Debur case neck inside and out. Check flashole for blockage, remove tumbling media if necessary. Prime. Charge case with powder. Seat bullet. Crimp if that's your method. |
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For 9mm it's really simple. I just tumble clean, then put the brass through the press. No lube necessary with carbide dies, no trimming needed with straight wall cartridges typically. It's really easy and fast.
For the bottle-necked cartridges like .223 you have to do what they said above. Except you don't HAVE to trim every time with an autoloader if you get the x-die from rcbs... just the first time. But you do have to lube the cases and all that stuff mentioned. Both cases would be for plinking. If you want to get the best accuracy/consistency you would want to be more careful and do stuff like weigh each charge, etc.. Also, if you want to load bulk ammo, esp for your 9mm, a progressive is the way to go. It took me almost 8 hours to load 500 rounds of 9mm on a single stage, you can do that in 1.5 hour easily with a progressive. (I got the hornady) For my rifle though I use the single stage because I want to be more careful and there are more intermittent steps like lubing and cleaning it off, etc.. |
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Quoted:
So what you are saying is that aside from crimping, everything is a must? There are no steps that aren't absolutely required to prep a case even just for bulk plinking rounds? Damn.  If you're referring to the steps that Dryflash laid out, all that is just the basic stuff you have to do for a bottleneck reload. Clean the cases, deprime and resize, tumble again to remove the lube, trim to size, chamfer and deburr the case mouth, and reload. You have to do that anyway. The extra steps for "precision" loads might include cleaning the primer pocket and uniforming the flash holes, and probably other stuff that I'm not even aware of. |
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I appreciate all the info and clarification on the case prep steps. I guess I'll be going the Lee Turret Press route now since the need to buy all the case prepping equipment will put other brands out of my price range.
Oh, and I got the Hornady reloading handbook ordered as well since I don't currently have any books. 
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Quoted:
For 9mm it's really simple. I just tumble clean, then put the brass through the press. No lube necessary with carbide dies, no trimming needed with straight wall cartridges typically. It's really easy and fast. For the bottle-necked cartridges like .223 you have to do what they said above. Except you don't HAVE to trim every time with an autoloader if you get the x-die from rcbs... just the first time. But you do have to lube the cases and all that stuff mentioned. Both cases would be for plinking. If you want to get the best accuracy/consistency you would want to be more careful and do stuff like weigh each charge, etc.. Also, if you want to load bulk ammo, esp for your 9mm, a progressive is the way to go. It took me almost 8 hours to load 500 rounds of 9mm on a single stage, you can do that in 1.5 hour easily with a progressive. (I got the hornady) For my rifle though I use the single stage because I want to be more careful and there are more intermittent steps like lubing and cleaning it off, etc.. Note for the OP, 9mm is not a straight walled case. |
| Depends on how cheap lazy or risky you want to live. Whan I first started I did not have a tumbler. All I hade was the Basic Lee single stage kit. Oh... thats still all I have. I get my brass tumbled by a friend now for speed. Prior to that I chucked a case holder in my cordless drill. Let it spin and used a clean brass brush on the inside and steal wool on the outside. It took about 5 secs per round once it was up and running but sure was a PITA. BTW it was alos a good chance to do a quick visual on every piece. I also quickly learned no to try and make my brass glow in the dark shinny. |
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I do exactly what dryflash says....
except for my plinking AR ammo...I do not worry so much about the initial polish (I still tumble them)...I spent the extra money for carbide dies...they usually do not scratch...I did scratch a carbide neck sizing die though... My bolt 223 is a different story...only necked sized, matched and weighed brass...bla bla bla...My best is a .77", 5 shot group , through my PSS 700 with Sierra 69grn match pushed by Varget....at 300 yards... and again what Mark says...learn the basics before you move up...it is much more fun... |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
For 9mm it's really simple. I just tumble clean, then put the brass through the press. No lube necessary with carbide dies, no trimming needed with straight wall cartridges typically. It's really easy and fast. For the bottle-necked cartridges like .223 you have to do what they said above. Except you don't HAVE to trim every time with an autoloader if you get the x-die from rcbs... just the first time. But you do have to lube the cases and all that stuff mentioned. Both cases would be for plinking. If you want to get the best accuracy/consistency you would want to be more careful and do stuff like weigh each charge, etc.. Also, if you want to load bulk ammo, esp for your 9mm, a progressive is the way to go. It took me almost 8 hours to load 500 rounds of 9mm on a single stage, you can do that in 1.5 hour easily with a progressive. (I got the hornady) For my rifle though I use the single stage because I want to be more careful and there are more intermittent steps like lubing and cleaning it off, etc.. Note for the OP, 9mm is not a straight walled case. 
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Quoted:
Note for the OP, 9mm is not a straight walled case. Really? They look pretty straight to me. Does that ever so slight "crease" halfway up really make a difference? Sometimes, it can be a factor......... The 9mm case actually does have a slight taper to it. But, for most of us who don't split hairs (and for the purposes of this discussion)............I'd also consider it a "straight walled case." Aloha, Mark PS..........-GunNutJuell- YES, for me too............I don't normally worry about trimming straight walled pistol cases. They get run through the carbide die set and get re-loaded........simple and fast. |
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