Copper shavings! on GC'd boolits

[Captain Capsize]

So I installed gas checks on about 100 of my cast .223 boolits today using a Lee .225 sizer/luber. As I was visually inspecting the first 30 or so I noticed copper flecks stuck in the Alox lube. I'm thinking this can't be good. So I put the boolits in a tray with some mineral spirits and swish them around some. The copper shavings that came off those boolits could mess up a clean barrel pretty fast. I polished the die some and that helped on the next 2 dozen but still getting some shavings. Is this normal??

[338RemUltraMag]

That is the size die being rough, anytime you have soft copper going through a rough steel die it will flake like that, ya need to polish the forcing cone of the die some more.

[SgtDog0311]

I'll be interested in the answers you get Captain... To share my experience, I just sized some with gas checks yesterday, followed by some plain base and I had slivers (looked almost like copper wool strands as opposed to flakes) stuck to the lube, as the PB were already lubed. Hadn't been seeing them on the GCs because I was just seating them and not sizing much at all (no lube). I was surprised and wondering why I hadn't seen it before. Mine is polished with 600 grit so not thinking that is the problem. May be I need to lube them even if the resistance is minimal but I've never had that happen before.

[SgtDog0311]

Forcing cone then... didn't see that before I started my post. Thanks!

[Captain Capsize]

Thanks 338, I will do that tomorrow. Nice gas checks btw.

[Jeff H]

I've noticed on my last few LEE sizing dies that gas checks "crunch" when they go in and it's the same roughness others mention. Makes me wonder if LEE isn't cutting some corners since the last three I have bought did that and none I have had in the past did. I have also noticed on recently purchased loading die sets that they leave a considerable amount of shavings inside the dies. I always take them all apart and clean/lube as appropriate anyway, but they have had a lot of extra junk in them lately.

[Wolfer]

Jeff
I've noticed the same thing. I polish my forcing cone and die right off the bat.
Lee makes some good do-it-yourself projects.

[popper]

Some times the GC isn't on right, you get that little curl.

[blikseme300]

I've noticed on my last few LEE sizing dies that gas checks "crunch" when they go in and it's the same roughness others mention. Makes me wonder if LEE isn't cutting some corners since the last three I have bought did that and none I have had in the past did. I have also noticed on recently purchased loading die sets that they leave a considerable amount of shavings inside the dies. I always take them all apart and clean/lube as appropriate anyway, but they have had a lot of extra junk in them lately.

Lee products works for the majority of folks and the price point allows more reloaders to enjoy this hobby. Fine tuning economical tools is not a problem for many as this is but a part of the satisfaction of rolling your own.

Reloading is colored by the "I want to reload volume ammo with no tuning of my own" crowd and that is where the high Dollar equipment shines.

I am not picking on you Jeff, Lee has always produced economical products and many of us are OK with this as it allows us to experiment and modify without worrying about being out of pocket too much. If it was not for the price point of Lee versus RCBS in the early '80's I would not have entered the casting and reloading habit. I could not afford other brands. I still use Lee products today and some of them shine compared to the other brands.

[cainttype]

"You get what you pay for" isn't an old saying by accident. Manufacturers of any product generally survive or die by their quality versus price point. There's no mystery why LEE exists alongside of manufacturers ranging from "very good" to "outstanding", and their costs generally reflect their overall quality... or they would be out of business in short order.

[BIGRED]

Can someone share their method of polishing the Lee Size dies? mine are getting harder and harder to push bullets through.

[GabbyM]

Can someone share their method of polishing the Lee Size dies? mine are getting harder and harder to push bullets through.

Your die is probably galling up with lead from lack of lube. Clean it with a bore brush and 0000 steel wool like a leaded gun barrel. Unlike a guns barrel you could chuck the brush in an electric drill and really go at it. Use sufficient bore cleaner or some fluid.

[Captain Capsize]

After polishing the sizer die the boolits are coming out without shavings. Much smoother action on the press handle too. Thanks 338.

[BIGRED]

Thanks Gabby,
does this still need done if you are running pc boolits only? my lubed TL boolits were going through fine. once i switched to the pc boolits they started sticking more often.. which is weird.

[GabbyM]

Thanks Gabby,
does this still need done if you are running pc boolits only? my lubed TL boolits were going through fine. once i switched to the pc boolits they started sticking more often.. which is weird.

I've never played with powder coat. But that makes sense. Fellows over in the PC forum would have the experience with that.
You can polish up a die with the same lap method we sue to lap out to a larger size. Just use a very fine polish compound like JB Bore Paste. Roll lead bullets in the compound. find two pieces of steel plate to apply pressure while rolling to embed the bullets. Then run them through the die several times. Sizing a few thousand lead lubed bullets will polish a die also. I run a Star sizer. Have noticed on most new size dies I have to run a finished and lubed bullet back through the die about one in five. That's the standard way to lube the die. Just run a lubed bullet back through. After five or ten thousand bullets. Yes I know. You can end up only needing to run a lubed bullet through once in fifty or so strokes.

So anyway, If someone says they size PC'd bullets in a die without lube and have no problems. That's probably a difference in bore polish condition.

Maybe a water soluble case lube like Lee white stuff that looks like hair gel. Then just leave it on there as it dries to a white dust. Hopefully that's not something that would build up in a bore. Graphite and mica powders would also be a low mess solution to some lube.