Cleaning Case Lube Off Loaded Rounds

[1slow01z71]

Whats the easiest way to do it? On my precision stuff I stainless tumble after sizing before I prime and charge but Ive started loading my high volume AR rounds on my Dillon and while it is much faster to load the rounds, wiping off the case lube sucks. I tested a loaded round in water for 3 days and when I pulled it down there wasn't any water in it. Im thinking about throwing a 100 at a time in the tumbler with just warm water and dawn to remove it. Im using Dillon case lube and hornady one shot if that's makes a difference. Just wiping them down with a towel still leaves a bit of a film on them that annoys me and gets my cases really dirty since I shoot suppressed most of the time. Theres got to be an easier way.

 

[nuclear_shooter]

I'd just grab a dry media tumbler. If you're putting a fully loaded round into a wet tumbler than that *sounds* like a terrible idea but maybe I'm wrong. You could also do sizing as a separate step (but still in the prog press).

 

[1slow01z71]

It doesn't sound like the best of ideas but Ive tested a loaded round soaked in water for days and it was dry. If I fill the tumbler up all the way with water the rounds wont be beat up. Im sure there is a better way thus I posted the thread. Im trying to stay away from buying a regular dry tumbler as Ive already got the ss and an ultrasonic cleaner. The loading bench is starting get full of crap but if that's the best way to do it I will.

 

[elfster1234]

you can purchase bulk / cheap white 100% cotton towels from walmart... spread the finished ammo out on the towel and spray down with non-chlorinated break cleaner and move the finished ammo around with the palm of your hand & then re-spray ammo again with the non-chlorinated break cleaner & fold over towel & pick up each end of the towel with each hand like a hammock (as in the video below)... re-spray and work ammo if needed... works wonders with pistol ammo also to make it look nice & new. The break cleaner will dry in an instant. I would only do this with bulk spray and pray ammo.. I would never do this with precision rifle ammo. Precision ammo should never have lube on the brass when seating the bullet.

go to 1:10 in this video for an example:
RELOADING TIPS.. Case failures what to look for when reloading pistol amunition. - YouTube

Whats the easiest way to do it? On my precision stuff I stainless tumble after sizing before I prime and charge but Ive started loading my high volume AR rounds on my Dillon and while it is much faster to load the rounds, wiping off the case lube sucks. I tested a loaded round in water for 3 days and when I pulled it down there wasn't any water in it. Im thinking about throwing a 100 at a time in the tumbler with just warm water and dawn to remove it. Im using Dillon case lube and hornady one shot if that's makes a difference. Just wiping them down with a towel still leaves a bit of a film on them that annoys me and gets my cases really dirty since I shoot suppressed most of the time. Theres got to be an easier way.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

You sound convinced, so. Whatever? But, in all honesty, you have a "problem" I never encountered in 46 years of handloading.

Besides, I use such a small amount that it's not difficult to wipe off all traces of lube. Good luck. BB

 

[1slow01z71]

you can purchase bulk / cheap white 100% cotton towels from walmart... spread the finished ammo out on the towel and spray down with non-chlorinated break cleaner and move the finished ammo around with the palm of your hand & then re-spray ammo again with the non-chlorinated break cleaner & fold over towel & pick up each end of the towel with each hand like a hammock (as in the video below)... re-spray and work ammo if needed... works wonders with pistol ammo also to make it look nice & new. The break cleaner will dry in an instant. I would only do this with bulk spray and pray ammo.. I would never do this with precision rifle ammo. Precision ammo should never have lube on the brass when seating the bullet.

go to 1:10 in this video for an example:
RELOADING TIPS.. Case failures what to look for when reloading pistol amunition. - YouTube[url]

Yeah all the ammo I load in the Dillon is mass consumption stuff for the most part. Im going to try out some of my 77gr 223 loads on the Dillon loaded like I do the 55gr and 300blk to see if I can tell any difference. All my big bore stuff gets made on the rock chucker so its not as big of a deal. That "hammock" method seems to be the ticket. Ive got a ton of non-chlorinated brake clean for cleaning automotive parts and it works great. I actually used some to clean my cases before but just had them laid out on a towel. Some brake cleaner along with the hammock method looks like the ticket. I use Dillon carbide pistol dies so I don't have to worry about the case lube on pistol ammo at all fortunately. With any luck I should have an entry for you bolt gun and semi 30 shot contest this Sunday if the wind dies down like theyre saying.

 

[1slow01z71]

You sound convinced, so. Whatever? But, in all honesty, you have a "problem" I never encountered in 46 years of handloading.

Besides, I use such a small amount that it's not difficult to wipe off all traces of lube. Good luck. BB

From the little bit of testing Ive done it seems like it would be fine but figured there was an easier way like what elfster posted. I use six squirts of DCL per 200 rounds of 223 so I wouldn't exactly call it excessive but maybe more than others. Pulling a stuck case out of a die doesn't sound like fun so Im fairly generous with the case lube.

 

[deadnbrkn84]

Throw them in a dry tumbler for 30 mins. Done

 

[elfster1234]

that sounds awesome my friend and im looking forward to it! I purchase my non-chlorinated break cleaner from menards for under $2 and it last a LONG time. The above method takes all of a minute to do & I will usually store my spray and pray ammo in zip lock bags unlike my precision ammo.

Yeah all the ammo I load in the Dillon is mass consumption stuff for the most part. Im going to try out some of my 77gr 223 loads on the Dillon loaded like I do the 55gr and 300blk to see if I can tell any difference. All my big bore stuff gets made on the rock chucker so its not as big of a deal. That "hammock" method seems to be the ticket. Ive got a ton of non-chlorinated brake clean for cleaning automotive parts and it works great. I actually used some to clean my cases before but just had them laid out on a towel. Some brake cleaner along with the hammock method looks like the ticket. I use Dillon carbide pistol dies so I don't have to worry about the case lube on pistol ammo at all fortunately. With any luck I should have an entry for you bolt gun and semi 30 shot contest this Sunday if the wind dies down like theyre saying.

 

[former naval person]

I do as elfster does...except I dampen the towel before hand with Naphtha from the paint store, and tumble the rounds in the "hammock" back and forth for about 20 times and dump the rounds into a box. Cheap and dries within a minute.

 

[Wazzu]

If you can swing the cost and space, a dry tumbler really is the most effective and simple method, IMO.

 

[Pinecone]

Vibratory tumbler, corn cob media (KayKob from Pet Smart works well) and a couple of capfuls of Dillon Polish.

Tumble for 15 - 20 minutes.

If I prepping once fired mil brass, I decap and size on one pass through the Dillon, then tumble, swage primer pockets, then load. But I still tumble for 15 minutes to remove any fingerprints or other stuff that may cause corrosion.

 

[polish handgunner]

For cleaning cartridges I use a cotton towel or rag moistened with Hoppes #9.
A slow process but it gives me the opportunity to check each cartridge.

 

[lightman]

If its a loaded round, I usually lay them on an old towel and spray them with electrical contact cleaner and rool them around. Any solvent or degreaser like brake cleaner or carb cleaner will work. Anything like alcohol or mineral spirits from the paint dept will also work. I once knew a commercial loader that dumped his loaded ammo in a can full of varsal or something like it to cut the lube. I would hesitate to submerge loaded ammo for very long, but he never seemed to have ammo returned. I guess a tumbler with corncob or walnut would work if the tumbling action did not damage the tip of the bullet.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

First of all, "generous with the lube" runs contrary to everything I practice. Eventually that lube will migrate into the upper reaches of your sizing die and cause dents in the shoulder.

Second, submerging in any liquid just sounds like trouble and I don't think a spray is much better. Some aerosol cleaners attack plastics and WD40 is known to eventually contaminate primers.

Then we have the controversy of vibratory cleaners. Some think it's not good for the priming compound and there are those that go to great effort to prove otherwise but....all of this is so easily avoided with a soft treated cloth. And, BTW, in my process, any excess lube should be removed before primer seating.

I use lube very sparingly, never had a stuck case, but I have a die I loaned and the dick returned it with a stuck case. It's still there. There is a lesson there somewhere? BB

 

[Ridgerunner665]

For cleaning cartridges I use a cotton towel or rag moistened with Hoppes #9.
A slow process but it gives me the opportunity to check each cartridge.

I do the same, except I use acetone...the kerosene in #9 leaves an oily residue.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

[cavemanlrrp]

Not sure if this will help in the OPs situation.
I single stage. Pop primers, sonic, size. To get most of lube off cases before I trim...

I use the leg off old sweat pants sewn up on one end. Drop in the cases and work them around.

After trim, etc. then vibe with corn or walnut. Now they are ready to prime and load.

Best
caveman

 

[pmclaine]

Throw them in a dry tumbler for 30 mins. Done

+1

Im loading my first .223 on a Dillon S1050 right now. I have like 7 1 gallon containers filled with dry tumble cleaned brass. Im processing on a dedicated tool head with an RT1200 trimmer. The processed brass goes back into the corn cob for 1/2 hour tumble to remove the lanolin lube.

The next step will be some serious ammo crankage when I set up the load tool head.

 

[ccoker]

Paper towels and brake cleaner
Cheap, works

 

[Bill Larson]

Windex