I have been wet tumbling my brass with steel pins for several months now. I am sold! This is, IMHO, the best way to clean brass. I have been de-capping the brass before tumbling, cleaning, rolling in a towel to remove excess surface water, and then placing in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes to dry. This has worked well and I have no complaints.
But, my brass cleaning volume is ramping up as I am beginning to shoot more and more. The de-capping before cleaning is becoming a real chore. My question is this,,,,,,Is it necessary to de-cap prior to wet tumbling? I have seen varying opinions on this. My questions are:
1) If I do not de-cap prior to cleaning, Is there an issue with water being trapped in the primer pocket and causing a problem during/after loading? Wet powder, wet primer, etc.
2) To alleviate any concerns over this, what would you folks recommend as far as drying, to eliminate any potential moisture related issues in the primer pockets? Oven drying (time/temp.), etc.
3) What are the opinions on all of this? Primers in or out, moisture issues, drying techniques, etc.
Thanks in advance!
