Perfect quality brass for reloading. Start to Finish.
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- Опубликовано: 15 янв 2025
- Detailing the steps I take to make bottleneck brass as good or better than from the factory. Primer pockets, annealing, trimming and polishing. I have thousands of cases that need processing, so why not turn on the camera while I do some.
For those looking for the trimmers, here is a link to the seller: www.ebay.com/u...
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Opening song: "Circled in Snakes" by 'Before the Damned'. Used with permission. Tell them they need to release their new album!!!!
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First video on reloading I've seen where someone shows how to inspect the brass and actually show the different kinds of problems to look for, thank you!
Dude, I love your narration🤣. That was classic! Reloading is almost like a religion. Everyone is right and all others are wrong. There is no "right" and reloaders must asses their needs before the checkbook comes out. The needs of a weekend plinker is vastly different than a 1000yd benchrest guy and most of us fit in between these guys. Take for instance, accuracy is extremely important to me but I hunt and do some plinking. I had to look at what mattered most and which loads were first. For me, hunting. It's a really great video! You have managed to crank out beautiful cases with tools that are affordable. I learned a few things from it and I have been handloading for 35 years. Cheers, and thank you!
My grandfather showed me the process when I was really young, but I only remember bits of it, however, it was something that really stuck with me, a way to remember him. I shoot thousands of rounds in competition, but I almost enjoy the reloading process more than the shooting. Almost.
I am glad you enjoyed the vid, and it's nice to connect with those that "get" that reloading is as enjoyable as improving your shooting skills.
First time viewer but HAD to Sub after watching this. I'm a stickler (Retired Military) for precision on any job I engage with and being a first time Reloader, I found your video absolutely remarkable. Job well done Soldier! Thank you for sharing this with intimate detail on brass inspection and issues. That's exactly what I needed to confirm.
Really good video, I've been reloading for 50+ years, I thought I knew all that was needed to know, but thanks to your video, I picked up a few more points. My sincere thank you!
I’ve been reloading for over a decade, and still learn something new everyday. This video was not only super informative, but hilarious as well! I especially liked the German Shepherd torture scene! (I have two GSDs btw, so I’m biased!)
The best Video about .223 brass preparation on the Internet❤️👍🏻
Great video. For drying brass I use an old dehydrator. It has 4 shelves and can hold a lot of brass. About 2 hrs and it's done!
I've looked at those in the store, but it comes to a point where I have too many bulky gadgets with limited use in the workroom. It's probably the best solution to make sure the insides get dried out. I jumped the gun once with a batch of 7.62x54r and half of the rounds had messed up ignition, that was a time consuming mistake.
I use the Lee quick trim. There are some tricks to it. But it does everything. I also use a Black & Decker hybrid cordless drill / screw driver.
Nice video. Your video gave some fantastic step by steps. Good job. I’ll be sure to check your other vids.
Good to see someone with a sense of humor make a video like this 👍
Dammit I was being completely cereal the whole time!!!
Excellent video! I am new to reloading so seeing your process is so helpful. Showing examples of what you’re looking for and how you deal with them is what I need in this stage of the game. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Give Southern Shine Media a try. I find it cleans better and faster. Two hours max. Gets the primer pockets really clean and doesn't get stuck in the case. It'll get in there but after you dry them it falls right out. Never gets stuck where the pins can. A little bit messier but a good separator will have no problems. I ditched my pins years ago. Made the switch and never looked back. Great video. TY
I will look that up for sure. I like that "better than new" look, especially on my precision rounds (6.5 creedmore, .308), and the pins don't get stuck like the pins do, but if I can find something even better.... I have a 6.5 reloading video partially in the works, so maybe I'll see if I can pick some up for that. Thanks for the tip!!
If shot in same chamber then cases once fire formed from 2 uses are good to go right?
Some folks do a full resize after the fifth use and check shoulder bump to .002. Others don't bother. Like every hobby there's different levels. Right?
I shoot .223 out of several different chambers so I always full length resize...that said I DO get split necks from time to time which I likely wouldn't if I didn't FL resize so much. In my ARs, the chambers seem quite loose, so when I go to shoot out of my CZ bolt action, they won't chamber. That's the only reason I do it. If I had just one gun I used I would FL resize yeah probably every 5 reloads or so.
I think this is the most informative video on reload prepping I've seen.
I use an old hair dryer to dry my brass in a kitchen sieve. Set it in max heat and speed. Shake the brass around in the sieve while drying. Takes about 45-60 seconds to dry all the brass (25-50 pieces)
I only wet tumbled when I go scavenging for range brass at first I would do it for two hours then I noticed it was messing up the case necks so now I do it for 30-40 minutes and I use Brass Juice does a great job.
I use the ugly annealer and don’t quench my brass I allow it to cool in a bread pan.
I will have to check into the case trimmer been on the fence on buying a Giraud I load a lot in one sitting.
I have to admit, The only brass I ever hit with the heat is 5.56 cases (I used to buy CRATES of the chinese surplus). I found I was having split cases and some shoulder issues when resizing, so I just added the step when fully processing 5.56 to 223 (ence the primer pocket swager step). I also do TONS of rounds at the same time (9mm and .223) for competition. Once trimmed, I never find that wet tumbling ruins the case mouths (again, the chinese 5.56 usually has really rough crimps, so the trimming smooths those out). I find I only have to trim once in the lifetime of the brass, so it could be something you borrow, and just replace the cutter head when you return (I've done 100,000's of rounds on one cutter head, but they do eventually wear out, and are fairly inexpensive).
I use the franklin arsenal case trim and prep center. For swaged primer pockets I use an electric screw driver with a reamer. Works on small or large primers and you don't have hundreds of dollars tied up in specialty tools.
Take a look at the Giraud power trimmer, the Bench-source annealer, and a larger quantity tumbler such as the Frankford arsenal model.
The Giraud only works with full sized brass, and you get all three processes of trimming, chamfering, and deburring done exactly the same every time, based upon indexing off the shoulder.
Utube the Benchsource annealer to. I think you're heating the brass too far down the case.
When you consider how fast and consistent these machines move you along, you'll find them priceless!
By the way, I started with Girauds triway trimmers for each caliber. This even gets old. I now change out the cutting heads on the power trimmer, locking in my setting for each caliber for quick switch as needed.
I will admit something...I only did the annealing stage so that the transformation into shiny brass was more impressive ;)
I have so much 5.56/.223 that I really only trim, swage and resize the brass, and even then usually only once, but I'll take a look into the power trimmer. I'm aware of I think the lyman or hornady(?) one, but it looked to gimmicky for my tastes, but I've never heard of the Giraud so I'll for sure check it out. Thanks for the feedback! :)
You made a very methodical, and thorough video of the process. Great job!
That was a fantastic video! Very informative as I’m just about to start reloading some 223! Great work and appreciate you taking the time to make and post this for us!!
Thanks! Good luck on the reloading. They are powerful rounds, but at least they are really hard to double charge, which is a real concern with some rounds. However, over the years I have saved literally thousands of dollars by reloading over buying even bulk bricks of .223 It's totally worth it.
Some excellent points. Keep in mind case gauges read SAMMI spec only. If one is neck sizing, and or bumping their shoulders for better accuracy, they won't work. Also when measuring measure case length with the gauge in your hand don't push case in with your hand. More accurate to insert case and place on hard surface, they take your measurement. As for annealing, it is best to do this before the case is sized and I also recommend Templiac 700 degree heat paint to set up proper flame temp and time.
All good tips, although, wouldn't putting stress on the shoulder and neck AFTER annealing defeat the purpose of relaxing the metal?
Also note that these are intended more for visual enjoyment than any kind of real instruction (for legal purposes). That said, the only round I really take care of is 6.5 Creed. I shoot everything else so much that almost everything counts as a plinking round (I just need alphas, I don't shoot MOA very often). I have a bergara that is sub MOA (If I do my part) but I baby it because I don't want to burn out the barrel. I have a savage in .308 that's so worn I think I could drop a bullet out if I just tipped it too far forward :)
The reason to anneal before sizing is to make the brass uniform and consistent, which then let's the sizing die to have the same spring back after it has done it's work - in theory all then have the same work hardening done anyway so should have consistent neck tension.
I've been cleaning brass for 30 years with a vibrator and corncob media, plus an occasional capful of Dillon rapid polish, ignoring that the interior isn't shiny clean. Going the wet tumbling is way too much chasing diminishing returns. FYI, I earned my NRA high master card with brass cleaned this way. I did uniform and clean primer pockets, but just for long range match brass. For across the course, that made no difference.
I with hold judgement for F-class shooting brass prep where rinsing the brass with holy water is probably a secret step to winning, but suspect a simple sprinkling of the loaded ammo is sufficient.
Perfect balance of entertainment and education. Definitely subscribed and your brass looks amazing. Maybe I'm not tumbling long enough bc I do what you do just for 2 hours instead of 4.
Make sure you have the lemi-shine in there, and yeah the extra couple of hours really makes a difference.
I do everything with a case tumbler and ground walnut. The extra drying associated with wet tumbling and dealing with the pins was a non-starter for me. Also I use the RCBS swager that fits on the press. A bit harder to use, but a lot less expensive. That would be one item I would potentially swap out as sometimes it really sticks in the primer pocket and almost requires violence to get the cases out.
I upgraded my single stage press to the Hornady Iron and it has a bigger ram and my RCBS swagger won't work so I bought the Lee swagger and so far I'm impressed. The Lee uses a Belvill spring set up and separates the case by itself. Yes I was skeptical at first but after several thousand rounds it still works perfectly and is so easy to use I swag all brass the first reload. Sorry Brad but wet tumbling is the only way to clean brass case's.
I must have been lucky so far I have ran into that with rcbs.
Brad I had the same issue swaging my brass. I just cut about a 1 inch ringlet off of a 1 inch piece of pvc and the the piston goes through on the down stroke. On the upstroke, the pvc ringlet catches the swage cup and pulls the brass off the swage tool. You just have to be careful, not to drop the swage cup and the brass to the floor and catch them once the ringlet releases them. I've since purchased an H Case Prep center that has all the bells and whistles that does that for me now. But I still have my hand trimmer and single stage brass swager, just in case. Happy Loading.
Sorry Joe, but wet tumbling isnt the only way to clean brass. 9mm vs 45, Ford vs Chevy. I put em in the tumblr overnight, clean as a whistle. I dont thinking wet tumbling would make them any cleaner and even if it did, it wouldn't make them more accurate.🙂 @joecat101
Great vid!! I think I would loose my mind if I had to trim that much brass so I think I would invest in a three way cutter to so I could trim and deburr in one step!!
Lol! Yeah, it's not a fun job. I've been recycling the same ~500 brass on the .223s for a few years now. They were definitely starting to get long in the tooth.
For your pin media problem, try "Southern Shine Media" gets in everywhere but doesn't get stuck anywhere.
I've been looking up alternatives that have been suggested, but haven't found anything promising, I'll check them out!
Using a dehydrator works really well for drying out the casings.
I’ve noticed if I anneal to long or hot my cases will crush or squish down when seating bullets. Also there is no case neck tension. It’s like they got too soft from annealing. I use my HF rock timber’s as well.
Funny you say that, I get a lot of "you don't know how to do this", but I've seen it done by 3 separate people, and each did it completely different. I went as close to the machine that does it automatically as I could, and I tend to get a LOT of reloads out of my bottleneck brass (which is why I showed the step). I figure to each their own, everyone is an expert. One person said the case had to be near molten, and there's just no way that's correct. Maybe my method does nothing, but it doesn't hurt the brass as far as I can see... and I shoot .223 a LOT. :)
@@High_Caliber I normally count to 10 or until it barely starts to look pink. I have the blue colored crimp remover. Usually takes 2 times rotating the brass to get the primer hole crimps flattened enough to accept a new primer without flattening it from using to much force to seat it. I bought another 1000 virgin LC brass right before they ran out of their last run about 5 years ago. Box is set aside and using the other box currently. Saves the drama. Was a little over a $100 for a 1000.
Well look at that a man that doesn’t need to drop 3000$ on area 419 aesthetics, getting the job done just as well. You sir, are doing a great service showing how to get it done without having to explain to the missus why the cards maxed out again 😂
I’ve been debating dropping the $ on a giraud or Henderson trimmer to do the cut, chamfer, and deburr all in one. I hear RCBS makes a triway trimmer that does it too, for much much cheaper but I haven’t heard anyone rant and rave about it like the other two so who knows. That’s one of those credit card killers though so for now, we do it this way.
Tip of the hat to ye sir 🎩👌🏼
The way I look at it, trimming is something I rarely do more than once, and it's likely because of manufacturing specs, not case stretch, so I didn't spend the $ on a fancy piece for that stage. I'd put money into the press and caliber setups. Besides, in this economy, all of my $ goes into primers. Glad you enjoyed, cheers!
G’Day Mate, I really enjoyed your video and appreciate the advice about using a magnet to make sure the pins are removed.
Quenching brass in water after annealing has no effect unlike most metals. It won’t hurt it but there’s no benefit.
Additionally, a little spray with “Finish” a type of dishwasher rinse aid mixed with water will stop any water marks on the brass while drying.
Happy reloading, good health 👍✌️👌🤞👊☝️
Dropping the cases into water does stop the heating process though so the cases soften more uniformly over the entire batch. When I anneal I set up a couple dozen cases along my sink and heat with a propane torch. When the rainbow color drops below the shoulder I hit that case with a dowel into the water in the sink and do the next case. I've done about 20 five gallon buckets of .5.56 brass that way. Including redoing cases after 3 or 4 reloads. I also anneal 5.56 cases that I cut down to 300 blackout. That way they are softer when forming. The cases don't get annealed that low at the factory.
Excellent content. Thank you for your time.
10:02 because they are often made from 430 series ferritic Stainless which is quite magnetic due to its higher Iron and ferrite content and lack of nickel (though they could be one of the other 400 series martensitic stainless's like 410 for example as they too are magnetic but only slightly and their cost makes it unlikely... They are much stronger, harden-able and heat treatable grades which is why they are used for "Stainless" barrels and actions),
When most people think about non-magnetic stainless steels, they are thinking of 300 series (Austenitic Stainless) which aren't classified as being magnetic, although cold working them will cause them to becomes very slightly magnetic in the cold worked zone.
Also, as some who works in the metallurgy field, if you are not getting the necks and shoulders area of the brass to a faint but noticeable glow, you are wasting you time as you are doing nothing in regards to annealing (not even slightly). Annealing is a factor of both temperature *AND* Time and while brass will anneal at temps below glowing, the time it has to be held at that temp is rather long. Annealing temperature for brass doesn't even start until about 550°F and at that temperature, it has to be held there for a minimum of an hour to anneal. Even at 800°F, the time required is to get down to 100HV is about 30 minutes. Its not until you get between 1000 and 1100°F (noticeable but faint glow) that you get in the the seconds of time that it takes to get down in the low 100HV range which is where you really want to be to prolong case neck life. Even then, it should be done after every firing because the harder it is when cold worked (i.e., sizing and then firing), the more like a crack will form.
For example, I did a test a few years ago on some Lapua brass (since Lapua is known for its quality and its all I use if its available) and took 10 cases 5 of which would never be annealed and 5 of which would be annealed after every firing to see what kind of life difference there was. The 5 that never where annealed (other than what Lapua does at the factory) lasted between 7 and 9 firings before all 5 were crack. On the other hand, the ones that were annealed after every firing made it to 18 firings before they were trash and they weren't trash because of necks cracking, they were trash because the primer pockets opened up to the point that I could push a primer in them with thumb pressure and they would fall out on their own after firing. If the load was lighter, I have no doubt that they would have easily went 25+ firings.
All in all, its easy to build an induction annealer to make the process really quick and more precise than a torch. No need to spend a ton on an AMP annealer. I built mine for around $50 if memory serves me correctly... It was several years ago so its a bit foggy as to what the cost really was but I know it was under $100
This is fantastic. I may do an update as I plan to shift my technique (and do a bit more reading). I was really hesitant to go red hot on cases, since their integrity is sort of required, but I have seen some signs of stress that I thought I shouldn't be, so what you say makes sense.
@@High_Caliber Yeah, you want to get them to a faint but noticeable orangish red glow (best to do with the lights out / dark room).
Brass will start to glow very faintly at about 950° to 975°F but even at that temp, it has to be held there for about 20 seconds to get any appreciable annealing. It needs to be closer to 1100°F for annealing to the point of being down in the low 100HV range within a second or two. Again, time at temperature is what is critical when it comes to annealing pretty much all metals, not just the temp itself.
The goal for case necks (like what Lapua for example shoots for) is in the 95 to100HV range (HV is just Hardness Vickers, or "Vickers" scale hardness range) and getting it to about 1100 to 1150°F for about 1 sec will typically get it right at about 100HV because brass cools pretty quickly
People do get nervous with case annealing and concerns with case head separation but its lack of understanding about the time at temp aspect, not just the temp that makes the difference and even getting the neck and shoulder region to a noticeable orange glow (but still not a bright glow moving into the yellow color range) will not subject the head and lower body region to a high enough temp at a long enough time to do any sort of annealing to it.
Now yes, you can over anneal, you don't want to get the case into the yellow color spectrum as that will be enough heat to achieve a full anneal (70HV or lower) which you want to avoid.
This is where induction annealing really shines. With a timer controlling the induction current, its easy to work up to the right amount of time to get a very consistent anneal within a few seconds max depending on the cases (different cases will need different times due to total mass difference and neck / shoulder wall thickness). For example, with some .223 brass I have, it takes my annealer 0.9 sec. to get them to anneal to the right level where as some 300WM cases I have take about 2.6 sec. to get a good anneal. For any given case, the longer it take to get the neck and shoulder to a necessary temp, the more heat that propagates down the body which still isn't really a problem link many people fear because the time spent at even 500°F (fit was let to even get that hot) is too short to cause any appreciably annealing further down the body and into the head region. I mean, sure, it might cause a change of a few HV points but this isn't an issue because we are talking going from like say 190HV down to 187HV which will have virtually zero difference on strength.
@@CJ-ty8svYou're a fountain of knowledge. Thank you.
Great stuff man. Thanks for posting this. I’ve been loading 9mm and 45Auto for a while on my Dillon 550c. Just getting ready to start 223 and this info answered many of the questions I’ve been thinking through. Appreciate the content 👊
Great video ive been using hornady brass in my .223 no issues. I also have range brass on standby mostly lake city
A little late to this video, and I appreciate the content.
Straight citric acid is cheaper than lemishine.
Chips instead of pins. They don’t get jammed in the neck.
If the case has a dented neck but fits in the case gauge, it’ll fireform out.
I sort my primer pockets with a gauge. There are some head stamps that seem to have overly tight primer pockets. I’ll ream those out too.
I've actually been looking for smaller pins, but every company I found with them, doesn't ship to me (Canada). Now as for the lemishine, I actually use it in my dishwasher, so taking a couple of tablespoons a year from that doesn't hurt too much, but I do agree, citric acid likely works just fine (and also works on so many other things). I picked up the swager just for uniformity. I found that some primers (S&B I think?) were really finnicky about pocket size, so one good run with the swager and it's pretty much good forever after that. Thanks for the comments, youtube hates me and my content so it's only interacting with other hobbyists that make it worthwhile. Cheers!!
In the final step you said you used a fan to dry the brass. Maybe try putting all the brass into a metal pan and placing in the over at 225 degrees for an hour. It has seemed to work fine for me for years.
I used to dry in the oven, but I sometimes go through a thousand rounds in a week if I'm practicing for a match, so it's more cost efficient to just let it sit and run under small fan. I'm in a very arid place so it dries quite quickly, although the oven method does do a better job of making sure the inside of the cases are dry.
1000 rounds in a week, well I sure envy you and I can see why you would want to air dry.@@High_Caliber
Stainless pins are magnetic because you have 2 types of SS. Ferritic and austenitic. Ferritic is a magnetic SS. Austenitic is non-magnetic SS. Your SS pins are a Ferritic SS.
Kind of figured it must be something like that, as the quality of the pins seems to be really good (no corrosion after years of use), so I didn't think it was just an added in alloy. You learn something new every day! Cheers!
Can be identified by what series SS it is.
Every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new. This was no exception. I have watched reloading videos ad nauseam and have learned new things, but with yours I learn new things and am very much entertained - with your tongue-in-cheek humor and your general approach to life. Love your dogs, they are still puppies, sort of. Question - is the art work behind the workbench (where the tumbler was) your own work. Very nice art! Thank you for your efforts.
LOL! I forgot all about that pic in the garage (we moved to the woods a couple of years ago), I believe it was from EBAY, look for vinyl gun wall stencil, I'm sure they still have them.
I Do have plans for more videos, my time has just been completely sucked up by the change of life (I've never lived in the wilderness before, it's not as easy as the brochure said it would be), but I'm really starting to settle into it now. Thank you for the kind words, it is appreciated. Cheers!!
A couple suggestions. 1) get a larger better tumbler. 2) SS pins can be purchased as micro pins that won’t jam up in necked brass, even .223. They even clean out the primer hole. They are around the size of a caraway seed. I would like to get a better close up, of the brass, from the primer hole swagger tool. I just power chamfer mine then tumble afterwards. But that removes some metal. An alternative might be better. I’ve done a lot of .223 and most of the brass I find at the range is shorter than specs. But it doesn’t seem to affect its performance. I just have to set the shorter ones aside and lower the crimper a tad for those. Oh, BTW there are machines out there for annealing brass necks that work on multiple sizes, that will do around 10 - 12 a minute.
I have tried several times to get the smaller pins, but all of the companies that supply them won't ship to Canada, so I've been stuck with the larger pins. As for the larger tumbler, space is always at a premium, we moved and I'm overflowing with "stuff" from our previous house. I used to just use the reamer on the primer pockets as well, but noticed a large pile of shavings every time I did it, so I figured go with the swager, it more or less just compresses the pocket, and I haven't had a single issue with seating primers since. I used to have trouble with S&B primers and I think Remington(?), and now they all just work. I REARELY anneal brass, I have pails and pails of it, I did it for the visual more than anything...secrets of hollywood I guess lol!
Learned a lot. Thanks for sharing!
I may have missed something, but would it be better to anneal prior to resizing so the brass is softer and less chance of the resizing process inducing stressors/fatigue in the brass?
Possibly, but I like to make sure any unfired powder is out of the case before I take a torch to it. Very likely I didn't heat the brass enough in this either.
I thank you for the info!! I Want to stat to learn about Re-Loading ammo. But, What are you actually looking at Around Time Stamp 13:02min? What were you actually looking at? ( They all looked the same to me. )
I was checking to see if there was a crimp ring on the primer pocket that could be swaged out. It just makes it so much easier for subsequent reloadings if the crimp is removed.
Great video and great looking brass
I live in south FL. A few hours in the sun dries everything.
haha I'm up in the rocky mountains now. We've still got 2 feet of snow, takes a little longer up here :)
First, let me say thank you for the video. I have been considering reloading for my 6.5 CM and 6mm ARC, but after watching this video I am not sure that it is a good idea for me. For the amount I shoot I can afford to buy Factory ammo, which for me I think is a safer option. Again, thank you. This was an extremely informative video.
I love springers. Especially these high quality European springers. I’d be much more likely to reach for one of these over a pcp (which are also great too.
That is some pampered brass, right there 😉 Regarding annealing, I think the predominant school of thought is that if you don't get the temp high enough for long enough, it's the same as not annealing at all (i.e., it's useless). Take it FWIW.
I hear you. In my limited experience with annealing, ones that I got red hot seemed more prone to splitting at the neck after just a couple of reloads, so usually, I just skip that step, and use them until they show signs of stress. I've got buckets of .223 kicking around from the days we could find crates of it for decent prices, I just thought the annealing step looked cool for the vid. This is more a visual creation than an educational one if I was being perfectly honest. Telling people HOW to do things can be used in court if something goes wrong.
@@High_Caliber Yeah, red hot is bad. But I get you on having enough of certain cartridges to not anneal. I do the same myself with most, though I've played around with some cheap annealing methods. Unfortunately, I don't have the "problem" of shooting so much that I have to be conservative on brass cycles.
Funny. I trim and is caliper to verify case length. I usually ream with hand reamers even when processing a lot because swayed brass sometimes springs back. But once cut out it never comes back. I tumble now because I can but for the first decade or so I didn’t have a tumbler and didn’t tumble at all. Only cleaned when the case was extra dirty, like I got from the ground out of the mud. But if your budget is higher and your tolerance demands are looser your methods will work but I can get my cases within 1-3 thousands. You’re not doing it wrong but not doing it how the new budget tied reloader will do it.
For crimps I got a Black & Decker five piece set of chamfer/countersink tools that can mount to a drill, and it makes short work on those crimps.
Another issue is "Once Fired Brass" that should be honestly called "Previously Fired Brass" because if the brass has been fired and reloaded more than once, it's not a "Once Fired Case".
Military brass is most likely only fired once.
I used to do the same, until one time the brass caught, and the mouth had split..and it sliced me up pretty good. I had then only used the hand deburr tool, but the swager is just so satisfying, one of my favorite steps now.
Use ZEP citrus cleaner from HD in the gallon jug. It makes it cleaner and never have to clean the pins. I also use stainless cips and it will not jam like pins
You should try trimming and sizing in one shot with a Dillon trimmer and size and trim die. Lubed cases sized and trimmed in one operation. You do need to decap separately though! It cuts case prep time by a lot. It is well worth the initial investment. Dillon has dies for other calibers besides 5.56 too. With 300 blackout you can size a 5.56 case to the 300 blackout neck and trim the entire 5.56 mouth and shoulder off in one operation. Connect a shop vac to it and all the shavings are cleaned up as you trim.
Thank you for your video.
Noob question here, but at 13:13 you said "Once you've resized brass once it rarely needs to be done again." But then you said, "So the next time around you're just depriming and resizing . . . " Is something missing here? I have a feeling you didn't mean bottleneck rifle cartridges only need to be resized once, or did you? Like I said, I'm new to rifle cartridge reloading (reloaded pistol ammo for years) so resizing bottleneck cases is new to me. Thanks!
Resizing in the first sense meaning the shortening, and in the second, means pressing back into it's original dimensions after firing. I should have said "once trimmed, it rarely needs to be done a second time".
@@High_Caliber Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification, and for taking the time to make these videos.
Very good vid. Thanks.
I anneal my brass, size, trim and take crimps out with a RCBS swage die. I trim with Tri-way trimmers. I find it keeps everything more consistent. I also measure each headspace after sizing to be .002"-.005" from my chamber.
Hornady has headspace gauges that work great. They also make bullet comparators to measure the bullet from base to its surface area. I measure each bullet and keep them within. 0005". I weigh the bullets as well.
After that, i clean the brass to finish it. I keep track of all my load data so i can adjust different bullet lots. They come in different lengths and your OAL needs to be adjusted. Longer bullets need to be seated longer, and shorter ones need to be seated deeper. Its all about keeping track of your math to keep everything consistent.
If i could do things differently, i would buy a better annealer, use a concentricity gauge and possibly roll size.
Do you mean the case gauge that I use at 0:47 into the video?
Annealing isn't all that complicated. Yes, you can get as fancy as you want, and be as precise on the temp as you want. However, PRACTICAL annealing is simple. Heat the neck and shoulder area with a torch until the torch flame changes color. That's plenty. Drop into water and done. You can put a socket in a hand drill and at slow speed keep the case turning while heating and then just tip it into water. The socket serves for rotation and to protect the bottom of the case. Or you can set your cases upright in a water bath to 1/2 case length. The water bath serves as a heat sink to protect the bottoms of the cases, and when finished heating you just tip the case over. Either method works well.
Advantage (s)? More reloads per case, and even amount of friction on the bullets for better overall consistency.
Like the vacuum seal idea!
The secret is to get really good quality bags, I found the cheap amazon ones lose vacuum over times, so I spent some extra $$ on a little bit thicker plastic.
Try the “flake” stainless steel pins.. that is what I use…turns out great..
man your intros are getting better and better(though still waiting on the secret video)
Thanks! Obviously still trying to figure out the direction of the channel, format, etc, so using that "too soon" would be a waste.... I have a stack of "ideas" in a file here, but I want the production levels to be high enough, and to be honest, the audience to be a bit more established, before I Try zany things...but it's the zany things that make a channel stick out. I'm sure we'll chat about it next week when we visit your side of the planet. ;)
oh...and this intro was just so that I could use the intro song... Circled in Snakes". I know the band, and they have another album recoreded...I'm hoping to help them get it released, they remind me of a five finger death punch kind of band (and they are good friends with jason hook so go figure). Such a great debut album, so much talent.
@@High_Caliber haha looking forward to it.
Awesome video. I wish I could get my brass that shiny.
You can do it!
Finally! You answered my question as to why my brass was coming out dark and orangy (if that’s actually a word!) hot water!!
The colder the water the better. Sucks for your hands, but good for the brass :)
You should definitely try the RCBS military crimp remover chucked in a drill. It's cheap and only cuts the crimp, leaving a champher around the pocket. Better than your original 2 step process, not sure how it compares to swaging the pocket. I've got the press mounted swaging kit but haven't tried it yet.
I used to use a hand cutter, and it just seemed to take away a fair bit of the primer pocket material, I'd end up with a pile of brass shavings, that's why I went with the swage, it's compacting the metal instead of scraping it out. Not that I've had a lot of primer pockets blow out in my day so probably fine to do it either way. I'll say this...the primers seat so much easier when swaged than cut. I used to have to chamfer each primer pocket to ensure the primers didn't seat at an angle.
@@High_Caliber one of these days I'll have to try the press mounted swager and compare the two, hopefully some time soon.
I love reloading, but it take time, patience, and a lot of different tools. It's a matter if you you have the time to do it. If you live in a Winter climate, that's what you do when you don't have to be outside much.
Your right there Gerry. Winter ya, mid Saskatchewan Canada. Long winters. Done up 6300 IVI 5.56 brass so far!!!!! ( thinking I’ll shoot less targets now! ) got sore fingers!!! Ha. Ha.
Great video, super informative - thank you!
its interesting to see how other reloaders go about the process... You gotta get a larger wet tumbler bro, id go crazy doing 40-50 cases at a time. Good stuff tho!
I thought about building one for 5 gallon pails, but honestly, I sort of do it when I'm home from a day of shooting. Now, if I could mix and match brass, that would be a whole different matter, but now, if I do 9mm or 45 with .223 the cases cement each other together. I also wonder if all the pins would end up inside the cases. I've been looking for new smaller pins.
Got a link to those trimmers?
Here's a current one for the .223, same guy sells the .308 and probably a few more.
Good communication from him too. I didn't include a link in the description as i figured it would change over time. www.ebay.com/itm/122992786444?hash=item1ca2f0fc0c:g:QOwAAOSwQYZW1KHg
Looks like the link for eBay doesn't exist anymore, do you have another contact
I anneal every time. Hardness testing will reveal that you should, and the results show up in my SDs/ESs and groups
Bell jar. Refrigeration tech vacuum pump with vented exhaust. Brass in a bucket on the bell jar base. Every trace of your RO water boiled off and gone in a few minutes.
I've actually upgraded to an RO/DI rinse cycle, and I moved to a place with humidity levels that are often below 20%. I monitor the TDS to ensure It's always 0, which means there simply isn't anything to be left behind. I just throw them on the deck for an hour.... spotless :)
Great video. I have a bunch of 9mm brass that is ready for the tumbler however it has been a long time since I sized it so it has lanolin based lube really stuck on them. I wet tumble using the same tumbler you do and on the last batch it didn’t take the lube off. Cases came out black and sticky. What can I add to help break down the lube? I use dawn dish soap and lemishine.
I would try 99% isopropyl alcohol to break down the lanolin. I don't think that would react at all with the brass. If you have enough spares just junk the batch, but if you're short on reloads try that. You really would think the lanolin wouldn't survive the pins.
@@High_Caliber thanks. I’ll have to give that a shot. Last night I tried to add a bit of industrial degreaser by zep, tumbled for 2 hours then dumped it and just ran water with dawn dish soap for 12 hours and they came out beautiful this morning. Also there are videos with guys using woolite laundry detergent. Supposed to take any lanolin based lubes off really well.
Maybe I’m missing something. I have been reloading for almost 50 years ( Shotgun,Rifle, Pistol).
I always have used a dry tumbler (Corncob or walnut media). Is wet tumbling that much better? The dry media will take off lube (If the media isn’t used up ). Great video!
@ yes wet tumbling will make your brass look brand new. Also it cleans the primer pocket really well if you use stainless steel media and a bit of laundry detergent.
If the case has a crimp ring I just chambered it back on a 45 degree and then set primer and it works great . No issues on 200 rounds of 308
That's how I used to do it too, but the swager tool is just so satisfying to use...
Great video! Love to see another person who values shiny brass as much as I do! That being said do you find that handling the brass after cleaning slightly tarnishes them over time? I wear cotton gloves when handling clean brass for this concern (I have OSD traits when it comes to how shiny my brass is)
I moved to an arid area and it REALLY helped with retaining the shininess. I've also been known to touch up rounds before a match with some steel wool, so I feel your OCD pain.
Some steps i do the same , but the wet metal tumbler i do not use . After sizing and depriming my brass i clean my primer pockets , measure brass lenght and trim the ones that need to . After that everything goes in a dry tumbler 2h with Lymann corncob if that is ready in a sock and in the familly washing machine after iwashed it i dry it @ 140 degree celcius in an oven.
no moist , corn dust or wax on my cases
I gave up on any kind of dry tumbling as I was breathing in a large amount of lead gas, to the point that it affected my health (which is how I found out...multiple bloodtests). That's how I found wet tumbling in the first place.
thank you for the feed back , i to have a high lead count in my blood (+10)but i think it is from the shooting gases itself . @@High_Caliber
So how many times fired before you need to trim seems to be a norm...?? And what you don't full length size everything... seroius question from a newbe
That was the first time I've ever seen a dog take interest in a laser pointer.😅
They are absolutely insane with that thing. I've got 3 now, and all of them will destroy each other and anything around them when that laser comes out. I should shoot a vid of just how ridiculous they are :)
@@High_Caliber You should! My dogs acted like they couldn't see it and wondered why the cat came busting in on them in a frenzy and couldn't figure out what it was chasing. Had me thinking dogs can't see lasers until I saw this. Lmao!
Great video thank you!
Awesome video, thank you.
Can you add a link, or brand name to those brass trimmer die bodies?
www.ebay.com/usr/wi_rifleman
@HIGH CALIBER thank you.
Have you ever tried changing a bottle neck cartridge to straight wall cartridge?
It's never come up, I've always been the kind of guy to have tons of whatever brass I need on hand. I can't see it being that tough though, just rough cut the brass like brake line, trimming to length and go. It would make a neat video.
To soften metal (annealing brass or casting lead) the metal should be allowed to cool as slowly as possible, not water dropped. I've seen a few people doing this and I have no clue where the idea comes from. I haven't been able to find any of the guys who anneal religiously mention a single word about water dropping.
I've also had much better results with longevity of brass done this way as opposed to brass that I haven't done, so I plan to continue on with this method, personally. The biggest reasoning is not wanting to have red hot brass rolling around on my table with the stray powder, random primers etc, this takes care of that issue from my point of view, and it seems to work.
@@High_Caliber if it works keep it up. I probably wouldn't anneal brass around flammable stuff if I could help it. Just dropping them in a metal pan works too, that's what most people do immediately out of the flame. If you end up getting interested in the science of annealing, "Reese On The Range" is a metallurgist on here that breaks it down pretty good. If you want to try induction annealing in the future "DIY Induction Annealer For Under $200" is a great video along with his tips and tricks follow up video. You don't have to anneal, and if what you're doing is good enough for you, keep it up, but if you decide to get into it those are some pretty good places to start.
You realize your probably the only person who isn't using dawn ? I mean the cleaned up the worse oil spill in history in Alaska !
That was one of the greatest sponsorships in the history of marketing.
1 out of 4 alaskan geese recomended it in the 80s
Thanks, nice tips.
Most utilities stainless steel like even stainless steel tech screws or self drilling screws will still have enough Ferris metal in them to make them magnetic for their uses a very high-grade stainless will not have that that’s why the pins are magnetic I’ve also heard some times when those pins are new for the first few cycles you’ll get a little bit of discoloration on them which will eventually wear off. So I am assuming, because I do not have a wet Tumblr yet, that would probably be the small amount of carbon steel in the stainless
Very likely, and good thing they do, as it would be much harder to get the pins out of the cases if they weren't magnetic. I DID notice that there was minute rust and discoloration when the pins were new, but since then they've been perfect, and they're a few years old now.
@@High_Caliber Yeah I had stumbled across the video where some guy had said the first time or two they might get discolored but it will go away
Really enjoyed the video, learn something everyday. My concern is stress lines, you say specifically on Winchester, but I seem to notice it on several different brands of cases. I have heard others simply say dont worry about it. You’re the first to point out it is a sign of possible case separation. Is that imminent case separation or something to be aware of after a number of firings? Thanks for the tutorial
Winchester brass have been the ONLY ones that I have ever had separate at the base, and in more than one rifle caliber. Now to be fair, winchester doesn't sell its ammunition to be reloaded, AND they also DO sell empty brass cases FOR reloading, so maybe it's intentional, but while I've had a lot of cases split at the case mouth, only Win brass failed in the chamber. I just think it's something in their manufacturing process that the other companies don't seem to have an issue with. Just personal preference, I just put the winchester into the brass bin.
Stainless Pins will pickup with a magnet because there is not enough NIckel in them.. Metal is called Stainless Steel with variable amounts of percentages of Nickel, Hence the more nickel the less a magnet will pick them up.. These pins have just enough Nickel to keep them from rusting. Nickel is expensive so they blend in just enough to get the job done.
You funny guy. Good video. Good looking dogs. 👌
Thank you! :)
Souther shine media are much Smaller than regular pins ins a do an amazing of cleaning the primer pockets and dint get stuck
I have tried to order from them (T&B Bullets) before, and they simply don't ship to where I am so I'm stuck with the larger pins :(
@@High_Caliber I ordered directly from them on Facebook.. I would try there if you haven't already
Are the metal pins needed? When preparing 223's. I use washing machine detergent which cleans brass inside out
the pins scour any carbon left, ARs are mighty dirty beasts, and I can't get any kind of real shine without them. That said, if you're not worried about looks and they run in your rig, I don't know as if you would need the pins.
first step I always do is clean out the primer pocket as the spent powder is very dry and will just fall out
I got tested a few years back, and I had high levels of lead in my blood, most of which could be attributed to reloading, and since the primers often (always?) have lead in them, I don't go anywhere near them after they've been fired. It's the same reason I don't dry tumble anymore, I want to encapsulate the lead dust. It took over 4 years for the lead levels in my body to drop, so do be warned. It was a random health issue that they couldn't diagnose which is the only reason they even did a full blood test and found it. Lead is dangerous.
@@High_Caliber I wear a mask did you ? Same mask as the one I wore for Covid !
@@High_Caliber lately I have been cleaning my brass in my Sonic cleaner and find if I cycle the brass four times @ 30 mins./cycle the primer pockets get cleaned out perfectly. Out of100 cases I need to do a little cleaning for say 5 as the primer pocket will have still a small amount of powder residue.
EXCELLENT VIDEO...
Great video!
I love when I see other dudes use their kitchen tool aka vacuum sealer for their gun fetishes.
Would you happen to have a link for the quick case trimmers? I couldn’t find them on eBay or Amazon. Thanks
He doesn't have any up for sale at the moment, but this is his ebay page. Perhaps contact and see if he has some kicking around? www.ebay.com/usr/wi_rifleman
@@High_Caliber thank you very much!
Because there is both ferris and non ferris stainless steel. That is why some are magnetic. Stainless has a lot of iron in it.
Good video! Multiple comments to feed Al Gore's Rhythm 😎
Try using a deep socket for your drill and then your torch can sit on the bench and when case reaches temp you just dump in water instead of putting each peace in the drill
Fantastic video
Great video
Thanks!
with regards to brass recycling, brass. Recycling should be scrap bin?
do you use that swaging contraption instead of grinding out the various crimps you showed in the video?
Yes, I used to grind out the crimps, that just made it a whole lot easier. Only needs to be done once in the life of the brass though, so kind of limited use unless you are processing TONS of range brass....
@@High_Caliber looks better than the grinding option. Thanks.
Is your stationary drill out of whack or is the trimmer not straight?
It was a while ago I did this, but I did have to replace the bearings on the spindle about a year ago, and the easy trim dies are plastic, so they move and stretch a bit. Good eye on you though, I ended up buying a drum sander so that I don't have to use the press for side-pressure activities near as much. The chinese bearing races were garbage on that press, found some "made in america" bearings and now that press is better than it's ever been. Cheers!!