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Cleaning loaded ammo
#5642909
03/09/15 06:00 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5
Mike at Fort Hood
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5 |
I'm new to reloading and read somewhere to wash the case lubricant off the cartridge after reloading and before firing.
What is the best way to do this? I saw a video of a guy washing them in hot water, but that doesn't seem right to me. Made me think about water getting inside the cartridge and rusting later.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Mike
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642913
03/09/15 06:01 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,975
jbd76266
Extreme Tracker
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Just wipe off with a rag.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642917
03/09/15 06:02 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,020
Bar-D
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People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642919
03/09/15 06:03 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,975
jbd76266
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BTW...welcome to the forum Mike
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642932
03/09/15 06:11 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5
Mike at Fort Hood
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5 |
Thanks JBD. It's dry by that time, but I will dry with a rag. Just a dry one?
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642942
03/09/15 06:14 PM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173
J.G.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 41,173 |
I keep a roll of blue towels on the loading bench. As soon as the brass gets sized, I hold the brass by the case head in one hand, and grip the brass in the other hand that is holding a blue towel and rotate the brass. Then into the ammo box it goes.
Last edited by FiremanJG; 03/09/15 06:14 PM.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: J.G.]
#5642968
03/09/15 06:26 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415
jdk1985
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I keep a roll of blue towels on the loading bench. As soon as the brass gets sized, I hold the brass by the case head in one hand, and grip the brass in the other hand that is holding a blue towel and rotate the brass. Then into the ammo box it goes. I've done this and it works. I tend to load in large batches. Eventually your fingers start to get sore. Now, once I'm done sizing and/or extensively handling the brass, I throw it back into the tumbler to remove all the lube. Then I load the round and store it away.
Last edited by jdk1985; 03/09/15 06:27 PM.
Instagram @justinkingwoodworking
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642975
03/09/15 06:31 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,124
postoak
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I chuck my brass in a portable screwdriver/drill, remove excess lube with a paper towel, cut to length, chamfer the inside and outside of the neck, and then polish with 0000 steel wool. Here's the Lee case length gauge I use: Case Length gauge and chuck
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5642978
03/09/15 06:32 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 4,975
jbd76266
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^^
As others have said, I wipe it down after sizing as I only do 50 - 100 at a time, it's no big deal.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5643650
03/09/15 11:40 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,872
GLC
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Posts: 5,872 |
I wash, dry, size cut to length and then tumble in walnut shells so there is no residue of my lube at all after loading.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5643653
03/09/15 11:43 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,182
Dave3575
Pro Tracker
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Posts: 1,182 |
The OP is asking after he loads, not sizes. I can't think of an reason to clean the loaded rounds unless something drastic happens.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Dave3575]
#5643697
03/10/15 12:03 AM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,872
GLC
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The OP is asking after he loads, not sizes. I can't think of an reason to clean the loaded rounds unless something drastic happens. Agree, but what would be on the round after he re-loads?
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5644759
03/10/15 03:35 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,523
RiverRider
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If you load cast bullets, you can get bullet lube smeared on the cases during seating. I usually keep a rag with a little acetone handy and wipe off the finished rounds.
"Arguing with you always makes me thirsty." -Augustus McRae
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5644879
03/10/15 04:49 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,182
Dave3575
Pro Tracker
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Posts: 1,182 |
good perspective, I didn't think of that - all my bullets are wrapped in copper.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5644965
03/10/15 05:58 PM
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,230
dredd
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Toss the loaded rounds back into your vibratory tumbler to clean them.
Do a search on "The High Road".
A very in depth research project was done on tumbling loaded rounds.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5645764
03/11/15 02:41 AM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5
Mike at Fort Hood
OP
Green Horn
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OP
Green Horn
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5 |
I have a progressive reloader (Dillon XL650), so shortly after resizing I'm crimping the round. After this, the lube is on the cartridge and I need a way to get it off. From all the post it seems as if I need to just wipe them down. I saw a guy in a video wash them in hot water and I thought that was odd. The process I use is I spray the lube on and don't start the process until the lube has dried.
Station 1) resize/deprime Station 2) powder drop/flare Station 3) powder check Station 4) seat Station 5) crimp
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5645894
03/11/15 04:01 AM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,778
Gone to Texas
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I just use Hornady 1 shot lube. It is super easy to lube a tray of 50 shells, let it dry for 5 minutes, resize all of them and your good to go. The lube drys and does not need to be cleaned/wiped off.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: RiverRider]
#5646054
03/11/15 11:43 AM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 6,934
GasGuzzler
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If you load cast bullets, you can get bullet lube smeared on the cases during seating. I usually keep a rag with a little acetone handy and wipe off the finished rounds. Yep. Home cast, sized, lubed bullets have stuff all over them and after loading a batch, so does the bench, the press, the dies, and your hands if you're clumsy like me. Wipe them off with a rag and some mineral spirits if need be or tumble them.
Pass the gravy.
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5646379
03/11/15 03:07 PM
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415
jdk1985
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 13,415 |
I have a progressive reloader (Dillon XL650), so shortly after resizing I'm crimping the round. After this, the lube is on the cartridge and I need a way to get it off. From all the post it seems as if I need to just wipe them down. I saw a guy in a video wash them in hot water and I thought that was odd. The process I use is I spray the lube on and don't start the process until the lube has dried.
Station 1) resize/deprime Station 2) powder drop/flare Station 3) powder check Station 4) seat Station 5) crimp Hey Mike, what calibers are you reloading?
Instagram @justinkingwoodworking
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5651046
03/14/15 04:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,273
blackcoal
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,273 |
Depending on how many you are cleaning, if only 20-100 wipe them individually while you are watching tv or if more put the entire batch in the tummbler with some media. You do not have to drench the cases in lube.
The Greatest Enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.--Stephen Hawking
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Re: Cleaning loaded ammo
[Re: Mike at Fort Hood]
#5652712
03/16/15 01:30 AM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 18,954
ChadTRG42
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Posts: 18,954 |
Put them in the tumbler for 20 minutes, and you're good.
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