Lube on reloaded shells

[milprileb]

This is not a big issue but I do notice lube on reloaded ammo as the rounds
tumble off the Dillon 650 into a bin and when I later pull t hem out and test them all in a case gauge, I find residue on cases and of course on noses of bullets. Not so much a case using stick lube when lubing but definitely happens on Lee Liq. Allox lubed bulelts.

Don't like the gummy potential of that on ammo. I took a 50 rd batch and put in my old Thumbler Tumbler slow rotating drum with corn cob media. Let it roll for 15 minutes while I did other reloading tasks and pulled the ammo out.

No lube on bullets or case. No change of performance at the range.

Yes, I could have manually wiped them off with a paper towel and the lube residue is minimal and not a huge concern but...... nice clean ammo does function better and no residue mounts up in the magazines.

I dunno .... this seems to work okay. Anyone else have a opinon?:brokenima

[44man]

Clean is good for an auto. I shoot revolvers so I just wipe the brass, never the boolit. The right lube is messy so keep your seat die clean.

[x101airborne]

Guess Im just lazy, well, no, I AM lazy. I let my pocket wipe off the lube from my extra rounds while Im walking. It has never caused me an issue one way or another. Now rifle rounds are a different color horse. I ALWAYS de-lube my rifle cases.

[milprileb]

Well, I got a issue with 300 rds of 45acp in my pockets so that won't work for me. Its a technique though so good luck with the pocket cleaning method !

Getting back to the light tumble lube removal : anyone got an opinion on this as mine is it works and I see no issue here.

[Calamity Jake]

Don't like the gummy potential of that on ammo. I took a 50 rd batch and put in my old Thumbler Tumbler slow rotating drum with corn cob media. Let it roll for 15 minutes while I did other reloading tasks and pulled the ammo out.


I dunno .... this seems to work okay. Anyone else have a opinon?:brokenima


Now you have small amonts of media dust on the case/boolit and packed around the crimp, some of that dust is abrasive.

I'll use a rag or paper towel

[XWrench3]

i worry about lube on the outside of the brass, and on the bottom of a boolit. if there is lube on the brass, it will eventually get all the way through the firearm, and collect dust /dirt / grit. and that will eventually lead to a jam, probably at the least oppertune moment. on the bottom of the boolit, for obvious reasons. foul the powder, no bang.

[milprileb]

Well, the roll of paper towels will just have to solve the potential problem
and I can live with that. Another labor of love you know.

[Doby45]

One of the best methods I have heard of is to take an old towel and place your loaded rounds in the center of it and then apply some denatured alcohol or mineral spirits, finally pick the towel up so it forms a hammock and then shift it side to side so the rounds slide back and forth in the hammock.

[jonk]

For the very minor amounts that get on the case, and the mild pressure I shoot most cast loads at, I just shoot them. Obviously if a big glob gets on the case that's different.

[Bomberman]

My final step in the reloading process is to wipe the round down with a soft cotton cloth. Been doing it for years...just a habit now.

[mold maker]

Tumbling in untreated cob w/cap full of Mineral spirits, will both remove the lube, and avoid your fears of compound in your action.
Unless your using some really course, and hard, abrasive in your media, it can only polish the acton contact surfaces, and improve them. Remember, it's purpose was only to polish soft brass. Any harmful wear to steel will take a very very long time.

[Char-Gar]

I have wiped clean the base of every cast bullet I have ever loaded.

I have wiped clean the case of every round I have ever loader.

I have wiped clean the nose of every cast bullet I have ever loaded

I don't favor LLA, so I can not speak to that issue.

Grease, oil or lube on a round can catch and hold grit that will damage a fine firearm.

[A J]

Tumbling in untreated cob w/cap full of Mineral spirits, will both remove the lube, and avoid your fears of compound in your action.
Unless your using some really course, and hard, abrasive in your media, it can only polish the acton contact surfaces, and improve them. Remember, it's purpose was only to polish soft brass. Any harmful wear to steel will take a very very long time.

I go a little heavier with the mineral spirits. Polishes both the brass and boolit. Removes all traces of lube that attracts crud and abrasives that can jam an auto loader.

[songdog53]

I have always wiped each boolit and case with rag before putting in box or baggie, just habit with me and keeps lube out of my auto's and wheel guns. Just part of reloading to me.

[Echo]

+1 for Doby's method - I sprinkle maybe 2-4 tablespoons of mineral spirits on the old towel, plop the loaded rounds in the middle, see-saw for maybe a minute, and have clean rounds. I can do a couple, maybe three, hundred rounds at a time.

[Huntducks]

I also throw them in the tumbler I have 2 tumblers one with medium corn cob the other with fine the fine works very well.

[Wayne Smith]

I'm with Chargar on this one. Just a habit I got into many years ago and never stopped.

[sisiphunter]

I use paper towel and a bit of mineral spirits. Takes the LLA or any other lube off right quik as well makes the brass and boolits nice n shiney. I never used to remove it, but now I do cause Ive found that the lla especially builds up in the feeding area/feed ramp etc, plus they look nice all shined up

[Cadillo]

I've tried all the methods mentioned above. The best way I have found is to place a little baby oil on the corner a microfiber cloth, and give it a good squeeze so that the corner cloth is only slightly moist with the oil. I then wipe the loaded round with the corner and then finish with the dry part of the cloth. This cuts through lube like magic and leaves a very slight film that retards oxidation of the case and exposed portion of bullet.

Much better than mineral spirits, alcohol, etc, and the smell is pleasing. Since it's safe enough for a baby's butt, it's not dangerous to use indoors.

[felix]

There is no point to lubing cases when shooting boolits with lube. There is enough blowback to keep the chamber lubed. Typically, I make sure the lube buildup is not excessive by cleaning the barrel and wiping it with the chamber to soak up any loose oil remaining. Always keep the locking lug area clean, no matter what, and make sure they are greased as cleanly as possible. I use a moly lube on the lugs using a Q-tip. ... felix

[303Guy]

And here I am actually lubing my loaded ammo before I use it! :roll: And I mean with case sizing lube of the STP variety. I do it primarily to preserve cases and prevent case head separations (rifle) but it also cleans the rounds as they get rolled on the lube pad.

[63 Shiloh]

I have put large quantities of pistol ammo from the Dillon 650 in a Thumblers tumbler with plain old media to remove lube from cases and boolit noses. Seen no detrimental effects on accuracy. This is obviously with fine grain pistol powders.

With my rifle loads, that use 'longer' grains of powder, I use ladies nylon stockings to remove the lube.

Use two legs of the stocking cut off and one inside the other, spray some shellite in the middle of the stockings and place your cartridges inside the open end.

Then use the towel type method of rolling the cartridges to a fro by holding each end of the stockings and alternatively lifting and dropping each end allowing the cartridges to tumble in the stockings and let the shellite work with the nylon to clean your cartridges up nicely.


Mike

[Cadillo]

There is no point to lubing cases when shooting boolits with lube. There is enough blowback to keep the chamber lubed. Typically, I make sure the lube buildup is not excessive by cleaning the barrel and wiping it with the chamber to soak up any loose oil remaining. Always keep the locking lug area clean, no matter what, and make sure they are greased as cleanly as possible. I use a moly lube on the lugs using a Q-tip. ... felix

Did someone suggest lubing cases? I know that I didn't. The OP was asking about the issue of removal of residual bullet lube left on loaded cartridges. His method of tumbling/vibrating them in media does work, but in my experience often leaves a combination and lube and media in the crimp area: not necessarily the best end result.

Wiping the loads with a rag lightly moistened with mineral spirits or baby oil will easily remove the lube left on the outside of the cartridge, and neither is meant to lube the case, but rather to cut and remove the lube, which can be a detriment to loading the cartridge in a tight chamber. I personally prefer the baby oil simply because I find that it works better and has no fumes or skin irritation. Once the residue has been wiped clean with a microfiber cloth, the case simply feels clean, but not oily or greasy.

I believe that truly lubricated cases can create increased bolt thrust in some cartidges, but a light coat of either mineral spirits or baby oil that is wiped clean as was described is not going to contribute to that condition.

Chambers should be lubed by proper cleaning methods after each shooting session without any reliance on bullet lube for that function.

[geargnasher]

One of the best methods I have heard of is to take an old towel and place your loaded rounds in the center of it and then apply some denatured alcohol or mineral spirits, finally pick the towel up so it forms a hammock and then shift it side to side so the rounds slide back and forth in the hammock.

Yes, yes, and YES.

I posted a question about how others were de-gumming large quantities of loaded ammo a couple of years ago and only one person had, IMO, the BEST answer. Crabo was the member who beseeched me to try the hammock method of cleaning using mineral spirits to dampen the towel.

I've found you can use Goo-Gone, Ed's Red, denatured alcohol, laquer thinner, kerosene, Varsol, Ronsonol (lighter fluid), charcoal ligher fluid, just about anything that doesn't leave an oily residue. The ATF in Ed's Red is so thinned down it hardly makes a difference on pistol brass, but I wouldn't use it on high-pressure stuff.

Just lightly dampen a medium-sized OLD towel with the solvent, put 50 or so rounds in a pile in the middle, pinch the corners of the ends together and pick the whole shebang up. "saw" the towel back and forth slowly like shoe-shine method in reverse, about 15-20 strokes and pour the cartridges out on a clean towel. Fold the clean towel in half with the cartridges in between and roll them around inside the layers like shuffling dominoes until they are dry. You can do two hunred in just a few minutes.

Gear

[Jailer]

Yes, yes, and YES.

I posted a question about how others were de-gumming large quantities of loaded ammo a couple of years ago and only one person had, IMO, the BEST answer. Crabo was the member who beseeched me to try the hammock method of cleaning using mineral spirits to dampen the towel.

I've found you can use Goo-Gone, Ed's Red, denatured alcohol, laquer thinner, kerosene, Varsol, Ronsonol (lighter fluid), charcoal ligher fluid, just about anything that doesn't leave an oily residue. The ATF in Ed's Red is so thinned down it hardly makes a difference on pistol brass, but I wouldn't use it on high-pressure stuff.

Just lightly dampen a medium-sized OLD towel with the solvent, put 50 or so rounds in a pile in the middle, pinch the corners of the ends together and pick the whole shebang up. "saw" the towel back and forth slowly like shoe-shine method in reverse, about 15-20 strokes and pour the cartridges out on a clean towel. Fold the clean towel in half with the cartridges in between and roll them around inside the layers like shuffling dominoes until they are dry. You can do two hunred in just a few minutes.

Gear

I got a chance to try this tonight. This post right here above should be a sticky. It has got to be the single most time saving easy to do advice I have gotten from this site.

Outstanding Gear, keep it up!

[geargnasher]

Here's a link to the thread I was talking about, it was Crabo and Echo that both mentioned the hammock method, and after I finally tried it life will never be the same! Thanks go to those guys for figuring it out a long time ago and passing it on. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis of any flavor, or just have tired, hurting hands, this method is a blessing for cleaning pistol ammo, especially small cartridges like 9mm. Acetone is really good for removing tumble lube from boolit noses.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=76774&highlight=towel

Gear

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I used to wipe the boolits en mass by laying them out on terry cloth towel with a little lighter fluid on the towel. I still do this with ammo that is going to a match. For plinkin' ammo at 150 to 200 rounds a week -when the weather permits I just shoot 'em sticky. Of course ol' horse pistols such as Colt's SAA .45 bodes well with grit, grim and gunk. Might clean em more if I had a Les Baer 1911.

[noylj]

You are either being OCD about a non-issue or you are using way too much lube.
Cut back the lube.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I'm a new guy here, what does OCD stand for?

[mpmarty]

If you would add JPW to your LLA you would find the problem solved.

[Tatume]

Yes, I could have manually wiped them off with a paper towel and the lube residue is minimal and not a huge concern but...... nice clean ammo does function better and no residue mounts up in the magazines.


I use LBT Blue Soft, and this stuff is difficult to wipe off with a paper towel. A rag works much better.

[blackthorn]

O (obsessive)
C (compulsive)
B (behavior)

[blackthorn]

OOPS---D (disorder)

[Jailer]

You are either being OCD about a non-issue or you are using way too much lube.
Cut back the lube.

Pan lubing leaves an extra bit on the nose of the boolit, especially SWC. Gears trick solves that problem. The extra lube on the nose gums up the chamber and mags if left on.

[gungadoug]

Uh, maybe it's a non-issue, but I recall firm advise NOT to tumble loaded rounds! Something about a potential breakup of powder grains- higher pressures? Could be BS?
Doug

[geargnasher]

Gungadoug, pull up this thread and read it, especially the links posted and MPMarty's post.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=76774&highlight=towel

Gear