How do you prep your new brass?

[tacotime]

Lately I have just been neck sizing only the bottlenecks, checking for excessive length with a Lee gauge, deburr if needed, and loading.

Straight wall cases get a partial full length sizing, length check, deburr, flare and load.

I read somewhere that new brass should always be full length sized, but why?

 

[tomisu]

I always full size new brass, trim if necessary and debur even if I did not trim. I find that new brass is usually the right size, but the necks are dinged. Once in a while I will find some that are out of size. It is best to full size to establish a known starting point.

 

[J Miller]

I shoot multiple guns in the same calibers. ALL my ammo MUST WORK in ALL my guns. Therefore I full length size everything.
The only exception is the .303 Brit and I have only one of them. So I neck size some of the ammo.

As for case prep, rifle:
Shoot
Tumble clean
Size / decap
expand / bell
trim if needed
inside / outside chamfer case mouth if trimmed
clean primer pocket
prime
powder
seat bullet

Repeat as desired.

Handgun brass gets the same treatment except the trimming and chamfering stage.

New ammo is the same except handgun brass gets checked for length and trimmed if needed, and then inside and outside chamfering. Almost never needs trimmed.

Joe

 

[Chief 101]

Lately I have just been neck sizing only the bottlenecks, checking for excessive length with a Lee gauge, deburr if needed, and loading.

Straight wall cases get a partial full length sizing, length check, deburr, flare and load.

I read somewhere that new brass should always be full length sized, but why?

I have prepared new brass your way for many moons and have seen no reason to change, that said, the only new brass I have purchased in the last few years has been some 204Ruger by Remington and found myself doing the same with that. Others opines may vary...

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi.

As a general rule all my new and "new to me" brass gets the full length sizing, trim, chamfer treatment. That's rifle or pistol... (ok, I won't lie: I'll let the 9mm slide!)

From there, pistol brass is usually good to go for a long time, if not "forever."

I'm a clone of Joe (J Miller) in that I have a single .303 Brit and it gets neck sizing w/ a Lee Collet Die after it's been full length sized the first time. When it needs another trimming, it will be full length sized before that trim.

Other rifle brass gets full length sizing as it may be shot in one of several rifles. A few years ago, I started to anneal it at about five loadings, and that's extended the life enough to be a worthwhile use of time.

Rick C

 

[WESHOOT2]

If the ammo is in any way intended for 'work', rather than 'fun', I add some prep steps.
I always size new cases.
If serious, I deburr the mouth, maybe trim a batch to a standard length, and defuzz the flash hole.
If accuracy is a huge part of the ammo's intended work uniforming the flash hole on pistol case can help. Really.

 

[gunhaus]

Cool topic! Answer depends on the application, but here's how I did a batch for a customer who wanted to start out right with his new varmint rig:

1000 new WW 204 cases
1. sort by weight into batches of no more than .2 gr spread
2. Check length, and set to trim for equal uniformity
3. Check neck thickness for uniformity (Mass produced factory brass almost always has lopsided necks)
4. Set up to "partial neck turn" (For a factory chamber neck turning the full diameter of a case will result in an undesized neck which will work the brass way too much and will shorten case life dramatically. To prevent this while still getting uniform necks, find a really concentric case from the lot, and one that seems really lopsided. Set the neck turning tool to take brass from about 1/2 the diameter of the neck. This should just barely kiss the really good cases, and go maybe 3/4 or so around the really bad ones. Any more than that - Chuck the case.)
5. Deburr and chamfer the neck
6. Uniform the primer pockets. ( I don't really believe this contributes much to accuracy, but the squared up, uniform pockets clean really nice and have a very solid "feel" when you seat your primers)
7. deburr the flash holes

-John

 

[Rclark]

Mostly load straight walled pistol/revolver cases.

New ones always get full length resized for uniformity. Only extra step before the resize is de-burr the case mouth and eye ball the primer hole to make sure it exists and looks about the right size . Only done once. Off to reloading....

 

[Bucks Owin]

I'm in the persnickety camp too, I trim for uniform crimps and to square the case mouth, deburr and size. The flash hole is eyeballed on every case...I agree that paying attention to priming pays big accuracy dividends! I rarely uniform pockets on handgun cases unless I spot a QC slip, but rifle cases for target/varmit use get every pocket uniformed...(And necks reamed after first firing)

Tip: A round wooden toothpick (at least the ones sold at Wally World) make a dandy "flash hole feeler gauge" and will clean the hole on fired cases... :wink: )

Just my slow but sure MO... :wink:

 

[PO2Hammer]

Straight wall cases get a partial full length sizing, length check, deburr, flare and load.

I read somewhere that new brass should always be full length sized, but why?

If you don't full length size it when new, It will be longer after you fire it and full length size it, throwing off your crimp and seating settings.

 

[MidLife]

All brand new and once fired handgun brass I size and then trim, chamfer, deburr and uniform the flash hole. I'm then set for the life of the brass. I use a RCBS motorized brass prep tool that makes quick work of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBUyMruT8zE&feature=player_profilepage

 

[96/44]

I guess I am the odd one here, I take em' out of the bag and load em'. If I notice dents in the necks, I'll neck size them, but that hasn't been an issue very often.

 

[44shootist]

I treat it like once fired and take all the steps of prep. them I'm never sorry I didn't do one of them and my ammo usally always all right.

 

[sp]

Depends.....

Lapua, Norma, & Nosler brass just a casual visual inspection

Winchester & Remington - visual inspect (throw out 1-3%), size out dings in neck mouths, trim to same length, chamfer neck mouths, then load & shoot. Full length size not needed for new brass.

OR if you want more accuracy make neck walls uniform by outside turning just to dimensions shown in loading manuals. Turn down too much and brass will not have enough neck tension when reloaded.

I think messing around with primer pockets & flash holes is mostly a waste of time. If it looks right it will be right.

Of course if you want to shoot .066 groups with 173 gr GI surplus match bullets out of a .300 Win mag brass will need every treatment known.

 

[Tx gun runner]

I guess I am the odd one here, I take em' out of the bag and load em'. If I notice dents in the necks, I'll neck size them, but that hasn't been an issue very often.

+ 1 ...... after firing them with a med load , I size , trim and work on pocket primer . I've had bottleneck case if trimmed before firing end up shorter then spec .

 

[WESHOOT2]

Flash hole uniformity affects accuracy......