I have some already sized bullets that are lubed. Can I clean the lube off and powder coat them, then just load and shoot them or do they need to be resized? Thanks
I have some already sized bullets that are lubed. Can I clean the lube off and powder coat them, then just load and shoot them or do they need to be resized? Thanks
I size before PC for rifle bullets because I'm pressing a gas check on. So them being already sized isn't a problem unless the PC makes them oversized, then just size them again. They will push through size fast with PC on them.
The lube may well be a problem. With any paint including PC cleanliness is next to godliness. I think the existing lube will be have to be 100% removed or the PC won't stick.
Tip don't let wife catch you washing off lube in the dishwasher, it won't go well. Not that it won't work but if she catches you....
Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.
Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.
Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat
Would be much simpler to just shoot them as they are.... then start the PC process with a new batch of naked boolits
I Dont have a sizer as I am not casting yet.
You can give them a good hard boil in some water and Dawn and then a quick rinse in acetone and they'll be ready to coat. There are threads on cleaning them and there are several ways to do it.
But you'll still need to resize after coating. That will add .002-.004" to your diameter and you might have trouble loading them. You would probably have to flare the case more than you want.
KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.
Like you i have some sized and lubed, about 3,000, thought about boiling to get lube off but changed my mind. Ordered some cast unsized and unlubed, started there pc ing. Now cast my own so its not a problem, just didn’t seem worth it to boil and try to get pc to stick. You could try a few just for fun.
I agree on just shooting them as it would certainly be the simplest solution. I personally have tried the boiling with poor results and have you priced the cost of acetone? If you are going to PC, the bullets need to be as clean as if the came directly out of the mold and they should be resized after PC. Good reasons to just to shoot them as is.
If you still feel the need, the easiest and the most cost effective way I have found to remove lube is soaking the bullets in gasoline for several hours or overnight. Depending on the lube it may take more than one soak. Then a final rinse in acetone.
I've used cheap rubbing alcohol [wood alcohol not the kind you drink] to do 500 pcs cb from Missouri bullet co. Let them soak and rinsed the blue lube off. Worked good and wood alcohol is fairly cheap at wally world. I just used the cheap alcohol to rinse them in. As my reloading and powder coating room is in my basement, no gasoline in the house.
Methanol alcohol is flammable also, so I wouldn't use it inside the house either, but I never considered someone would use any open flammable material inside the house to soak bullets. Of course I guess there are those that are using the kitchen stove to powder coat bullets too?
It's the smell of the gasoline that gives me a bad sinus headache, that is the reason will not use gasoline in an enclosed space, not too worried about the flammable liquid in the house.
Works fine when you get the lube off. Doesn't work with hitek though.
Whatever!
So far as cleaning lubed boolits and, then, doing PC...been there, done that, and found it ain't worth the time/effort involved. OP didn't say what sort of boolits...rifle or handgun...or how many he's thinking of recycling. If they're a handgun caliber and perform adequately in his gun(s), my advice would be to go ahead and shoot 'em.
Hint for the OP: You don't need a lubrisizer for PC; Lee push-thru sizers mount in almost any single-stage press and are relatively inexpensive.
Bill
"I'm not often right but I've never been wrong."
Jimmy Buffett
"Scarlet Begonias"
What sort of lube is on them?..... if it's wax based, such as Carnauba Red or Tac1 or Thompsons, it'll boil off.
If it's Alox or Xlox tumbled, then it'll need the gas treatment. I have removed it from both, but I'll only go to that much trouble if it's a mold that I don't have and I really want to save those boolits.
KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |