Die Cleaning Question

[ski2me]

Due to shortages I bought a box of lead boolits that I hadn't heard of before. They are NASTY! Way to much extra sticky lube and the lead seems soft. I think they use bees wax.

Anyway they really gum up my seating die. I have to disassemble it between every 50 to 100 rounds and have to use a pick to clean it all out. So my question is: Does anyone have a good way to remove this crud more easily? I don't want to trash 700 boolits.

[JWFilips]

Well I don't Mind sticky lube Mostly over applied LLA! It will shoot real good, Just clean up your dies with mineral spirits Whatyou shooting ....Soft lead works better for me in hand guns?

[jimb16]

Mineral sprits and a Q-tip. You don't even need to take the die out of the press!

[462]

Ed's Red.

Don't knock soft lube and boolits.

[williamwaco]

I remove the die, remove the seating stem.
Clean the die body just like cleaning a pistol barrel. Scrub it with solvent on a brush followed by a bore mop.

Then clean the seating stem with Q-tips and tooth brush.

If you have a dummy cartridge, you can readjust the die in less than 60 seconds.

If you don't have a dummy cartridge, make one - NOW!

Do NOT make a dummy cartridge with a clogged up die.


.

[ski2me]

I've reloaded a lot of lead but never experienced anything like these. Will mineral spirits dissolve the wax? It just sucks to have to see my oal changing before I get through 50 rounds.

[David2011]

Mineral spirits or my favorite, charcoal lighter fluid will both do the job. Charcoal lighter fluid is more flammable but may be more agressive as well.

David

[44man]

Common around here. Just use Hoppe's or a good solvent. The best lubes do gum things up. I live with it.

[BCB]

CRC Brākleen…

Available at many auto parts stores or Walmart…

Spray it in the seating die…

Put a paper towel in and turn and push it in until it is tight…

A small screwdriver might be necessary to remove the lube from the seating stem…

Easy as can be…

I don’t tear my dies apart unless they have seated many many boolits and they are beyond easily cleaning. And that is many many boolits with lube that is very soft and I seldom use that anymore. Maybe LLA but that is mostly in the past also…

Good—luck…BCB

[jonk]

For a quick clean, a q tip with mineral spirits.

For a thorough clean, drop in boiling water after disassembling, let heat for a few minutes, hold with a thick glove, and use a bore mop inside. Followed by a light oiling.

[landers]

Exactly as BCB said, a brake cleaner and a paper towel while the dies are still in the press. This has been the best way i have found to remove the lube buildup in my dies.

[Iron Mike Golf]

Are you seating and crimping in the same step? I get more lube squeezed out when I do that.

You might think about a Lee push-through sizing die. Use it as a scraper to get the lube off the bearing surfaces and get the lube in the lube groove flush with the bearing surfaces.

[Old Caster]

If you seat and crimp in the same motion, the bullet is still moving into the case after it has crimped some and can peel away small tidbits of lead and lube to make the problem even worse. With a seperate crimping die, the seating die will stay pretty clean and the crimping die will not effect your OAL and the lube will just ooze upwards and out of the die.

[mpmarty]

I remove the seating stem and dunk the die in my lead pot.