reloading... serious questions

Tumblers will clean your brass from one firing to another after reloading. It will clean the outside much more than it will the inside of the brass. As you are finding out there are lots of choices to be made in this reloading process. First like everyghingelse there are many brands, but the all do the same thing, clean brass. Some brands make two sizes, regular and extra large for large amounts of brass. Unless you are going to clean 300 or more brass at a time, say .223, you don't need an extra large unit, plus they cost more. A regular size will probably be fine. As far as brands its Chevey vs. Ford again. Everybody has their favorite brand. My first one and second one are the Frankfort model sold by Midway. Why that model, price. Look for them on sale from Midway. Seems like they are sell frequently. They are also a quality tumbler in my opinion. Why spend more than you need to?

Along with the tumbler you will need cleaning media. There are two kinds with two purposes. First there is walnut media for cleaning the brass. It's coarse and hard, to do the cleaning. Also, there is corncob media to do the polishing of the brass, which would be after cleaning step. Some guys do both steps. Personally I have only used the corncob for cleaning and polishing in one step. I recently bought a second tumbler to use the walnut media and do the polishing with the corncob in my second tumbler. Just curious to see if it really does make a difference. There is also a brass polish agent you can add to the media to help polish the brass more, which Midway also sells. Is it needed, it's up to you. It is not too costly and will last you awhile.

Two other items I got put onto by my son are a flash hole deburring tool and a primer pocket uniformer. The flash hole deburring tool removes any metal burrs left in the flash hole when the hole is made. Sinclairintl.com has both tools that I use. Flash hole deburring is a step you will only do once in the lifetime of the brass. The primer pocket uniformer is designed to cut the depth of primer pockets to the correct depth SAAMI specs. and also cleans the carbon out of the pocket after each firing. I was amazed when I used each tool for the first time how much brass came out with each step. You think the new brass is perfect, but I found out first hand it needs some improving before reloading. Lots of fellows will tell you these 2 items and steps I have just told you about are not necessary, but they do make a difference in the quality of your reloaded ammo and its performance.

The Sinclairintl.com site has both items I mentioned plus lots more to look at, most of which you don't need, but it's good resource.

You are asking the right questions. Keep them coming and keep on learning. There is lots to learn and you always keep on learning more.
 
I second the idea of a good tumbler doesn't have to be expensive. I use two for the same process. Cleaning and polishing. The reason for the tumbler and cleaning the brass is to keep any kind of foreign material from getting into your dies. The dirt and powder residue will eat up dies fairly quick.
I use Lyman cleaning compounds as they last a long time and can be regenerated if needed. I'm still on my first big containers after 5 years of competition shooting and reloading.
If you use good quality brass (Winchester,Remington,Starline), it can be reloaded numerous times unless you are using max loads all the time. If you are using brass from 'remanufactured' ammo, be sure and thoroughly inspect them for cracks or serious distortions.
Keep asking questions, no one has all the right answers and what works for one, may not work for you. Just stay away from max loads until you get proficient in the process and you will do fine.
 
by the looks of things one needs alot more than just a standard kit. if you want to do things right, and the best possible. each company has half a dozen tools or more for flash hole dedurring, and pocket uniforming. and half a dozen more gadgets for neck thickness,trimming,uniforming inside and out. then it seems there are hundreds of bushings, lol and bushings for those bushings.

i did check out the tumblers, they arnt to much. i think im going with one that has 2 containers, so i dont have to change medias. should i use the walnut with a cleaning compound and a corncob media with a polishing compound. or does it not matter what media i use with cleaning compound, or polishing compound?
 
ok im ready to order somethings, but i have more questions.
i have chose the lyman crusher II kit. but the dies i want are hornady. now you've all already answered that i can use those dies with the lyman press, but what about the shell holders? do i match the press or the dies? also im going to assume if im useing full length sizeing dies, then i dont need the neck sizeing dies. is that correct?

im not ordering any brass, primers,bullets or powder yet. i just want the equipment i need to get started. then ill read up on it all with it infront of me to get familiar with it. ive followed the advice from here and other posts. ive come up with a sizeable list because i dont want just the basics, i want enough tools to do all the steps to make the most consistant loads. even with all the gadgets, its alot cheeper than i expected! most stuff im ordering from midway, but a few things i actualy found cheeper at cabelas. thanks for your help guys! keep the ideas flowing, i know most people dont know how easy it is to start reloading, ive been thinking of it for years and now i have to,lol. so im sure your helping others when you are answering my questions.
 
broknaero, get the shellholders for the press that you are using. By the way, I really like the lyman manual for learning to reload. It was easier for me to understand as a beginner.
 
thank you. it seemed like a hardy press, and the kit that comes with it is looks pretty good. thanks for the advice. i can put in my first orders now. thanks.
 
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