The "How To" of Ammunition Reloading

Now that you have all the equipment you need to start reloading ammunition, and it's all set up and ready to go, what's next?

I'm going to start by assuming that you have previously fired brass cartridges you want to work with. That's even better, because we can get started from the very beginning.

The first thing you want to do is run the brass through your cleaning tumbler. For years, my dad and I have used shredded newspaper and a little bit of Brasso metal cleaner dripped in on the the mix. This works just fine. Throw in your brass, then take a couple sheets of newspaper, (non-glossy) and shred them into 1x5 inch strips or smaller. Drip in the Brasso on top of that. Once started, allow the brass to tumble for about 45 minutes to an hour for a good cleaning. When the process is done, separate out the brass from the paper. Carefully look into the inside of the cartridges to make sure there isn't any paper stuck inside. If there is, a small wire with a hook bent on the end will get it out. If you want to avoid this, you can spend the money for professional media that you could just pour out. Once done, start placing your brass into your cartridge holder, filling up only one side. Get out your lubricating die, and pump a few sprays of lubricant onto the pad. Take a cartridge and roll it a few times on the pad. You don't want it dry, and you don't want it wet. Just enough to keep it from sticking in the die in the next process.