removing lube from shell

[abunaitoo]

After I reload a round, I get some bullet lube on the outside of the shell. I've been using newspaper to wipe the lube off. Kind of a pain. I use Lar45 canuba red. Pan lube. I do not size the bullets.
Anyone have a better way of doing this??????

[docone31]

I lay a dish towel over my leg when I am reloading castings.
I wipe each one.
I then put the load in a pan. When the pan is full, I wipe again and put them in cases.
I make my own lube, and it comes off in the washer.

[shooter93]

I wipe every round because i pocket carry most ammunition. After they are loaded and in a loading tray I dampen a folded paper towel with charcoal starter fluid, A quick wipe removes all the exterior lube and it eveaporates quickly.

[Cloudpeak]

LLA will gum up the cases of my 45 and 9mm loads. I lay them down, primer facing me, on a towel. That way, I can check that there are no high primers. I roll the whole "string" to check for cracked rims, slivers of lead, proper seating or any other defect. Then, I pour some "odorless" mineral spirits on a rag (old sock) wrapped around a small block of wood the width of the brass and roll the whole column of loaded rounds. I then wipe any mineral spirit residue of with another old sock and put the rounds in a box.

Cloudpeak

[sniper7369]

I had the same thing going when loading .45 ACP. I got tired of wiping the lube off every case and couldn't find any other faster or effective way to get it off.
My solution was VERY simple. More bell on the case mouth. :mrgreen: Since I opened it up a bit I get almost NO lube on the cases. Occasionally I'll get a little smear on two or three out of a hundred and it wipes right off, not like the huge streaks I was getting.

[runfiverun]

i do like sniper does.
with car-red it shouldn't be soft enough to make a big mess.
if you are getting lube streaks you are probably getting lead shaved also.

[AZ-Stew]

Case mouths not belled enough. Don't over do it, but experiment with expander depth until lube smears disappear. This will solve your problem without over working your brass.

Be sure to clean your seating die to get all the lube out of it before starting your expander depth experimentation so you can tell what's going on.

Regards,

Stew

[405]

No matter how careful the loading technique seems some lube ends up on the case mouth/sides. Removing the lube is the last ritual I do between loading block and cartridge box. Like others have suggested, just a necessary cast loading evil. I do it as a matter of course now. I have a small spouted bottle of acetone on the loading bench for general cleaning purposes. Just squeeze a little on a paper towel and clean each loaded cartridge... then put them in the box.

[Echo]

I use 50/50 BW/ALox, and clean with an old towel. I drizzle some mineral spirits on the towel to dampen it, then dump the loaded rounds in the center of the towel. Grab the ends, tuck up some, then see-saw the towel back and forth for maybe a minute. Towel & MS pick up stray lube, and loaded rounds look (and act!) great.

Don't know it it will work with hard lubes...

[Sprue]

Its always part of my routine to wipe my loads down with laquer thinner before putting them in my plastic cases. It drys quick and removes the lube from the bullet tip and case. I use a lubersizer and felix. I don't like anything but clean cases to be chambered. Laquer thinner is something that I've always had on-hand.

I also consider it as being the final inspection as the rounds are placed into the plastic boxes.

[Cherokee]

Miniral spirits, media and tumbler for 10-15 minutes cleans them tight up.

[abunaitoo]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
My carnuba red is kind of soft. Lar45 sent me some bee's wax to make it harder. I'll also try to bell the case a little more.
Last bunch I reloaded, I sprayed some WD40 on a newspaper and used it to wipe the lube off. Worked great. Might try thinner later.