You got me there trailer, Never heard of anyone tumbling anything in your typical home run of the mill brass tumbler wiithout media. In fact, I haven't seen a tumbler meant for polishing, without media. But thats me.

Not for polishing , just removing sharp edges, but the run can’t be forgotten or the items will get beat up pretty good...

It really depends what I'm shooting. If I'm loading up for my 20BR, I'm starting with Lapua brass. The flash holes are drilled and the primer pockets are already very uniform, so after the cases have been run through a series of forming dies and an ironing die, I just trim to uniform length, chamfer, load and shoot. For my 300WinMag, I full length resize the new brass, trim to uniform length and chamfer, uniform primer pockets, deburr flash holes, sort into weight groups, and load. For my 7-08AI, I use Winchester .308 brass necked down to .284 a little at a time until I get a crush fit (cases tend to last longer than starting with 7-08 brass), deburr flash holes, uniform primer pockets, trim to uniform length and chamfer, neck turn just enough to remove the high spots, and sort in weight groups, and load. While a deer shot with a cartridge with a case prepped this way will not be any more dead, I believe that my custom rifles deserve custom ammo. I've spent too much on the rifles to not be particular with my handloads. Besides, I enjoy reloading.

You really don't have to be as anal as I am when reloading, but it is generally a good idea to deburr the flash holes. Sometimes there is a genuine brass trap door interfering with primer ignition. Deburring flash holes needs to be done only once, and it tends to eliminate that occasional unexplained "flier."

That doesn't explain the rediculos weight variation and length difference, no tumbler can cause that! This is just piss poor QC, and nothing else. As long as shooters continue to buy this crap it will not improve. We all know Remington is capable of far better quality!

I've been buying new Remington brass lately and found it to be in lots better shape that Winchester brass (I order all my stuff from Midway USA).

I always neck size if the brass is in good shape, and if its dinged up a bit I will full length size, debur, an trim if necessary.

Depends on how much time you are willing to devote to your case prep.
I would highly recommend a good book for your leasurely reading, "Handloading for Competition" by Glen Zediker.
I have been reloading since 1961, and thought that I was fairly will inforned as to handloading.
After reading his book, I implemented some of his steps from various chapters.
I found that you can make "crappy" Winchester brass into some very accurate and good hunting loads if you willing to put in the time and effort.
I have shot an .270 Win. for 45 years, and have never experienced results like I got after reading the book.
I chronograph all my loads, and the difference was well worth the time.

Load results: S.D. = 6; Extreme Spread = 14; Grouped @ .708" @ 100 yds.; 2965 FPS; Hornady 140 gn Interlock w/58.2 gn H4831SC, CCI-200.

Old data was: S.D. = 22; E.S. = 57; Grouped 1.534" @ 100 yds.; 2993 FPS; same bullet, primer, 57.9 gn 4831SC

Good luck, and good shooting

FL size, trim, deburr anddo the flash hole. Like trailer RP Brass based on availablity.

I don't resize new brass, i DO run the expander ball through the neck and back out to "true up" the necks. I then (most times) chamfer the necks and load...

You can "feel" if the expander ball hits a "loose" one that would need sizeing, but it rarely happens to me...

I "rarely" crimp rifle cases (other than straight walled cases) so i don't bother to trim new cases before the first fireing.

I've had very good service out of Rem. and Win. brass, but i haven't bought any lately either... I've always found Norma brass too soft for my likeing, same with Wby. brass, but i haven't boughtthose lately either.

DM

What's the big difference between full sizing and neck sizing? I mean, except the obvious, how much more time does one take than the other, and how big of a difference does it make? Any special tools?

Well, you got two different dies. One that only sizes neck, and one that sizes neck, shoulders and body. Thats about it. You don't have to lube neck sized brass. Which is a time saver. You have to only shoot neck sized brass in the gun fireformed in. Drawback. Also neck sizing alot can knock neck runout (concentricity) out. Only tools are the dies.

The way DM does it is really best. Neck size, fireform, and then you got a piece of brass to work with.