Removing lube from resized cases?

[JonF]

I'm not new to pistol reloading, but am new to rifle reloading and so I'm trying to build up a process for reloading a few calibers (.223 and 30-06). I understand the major steps involved, however i see that many guides will add a step to either re-tumble or use some solvent to remove the lube sometime after resizing and before shooting. This makes me think its not for the benefit of any reloading step subsequent to resizing, but rather the shooting but i'm not sure why? Is it just for tidyness of your ammo or is there a functional reason? I don't clean pistol ammo before shooting after hosing it with One Shot for resizing so i'm not privy to an rationale there.

[bikerburgess]

once the case is sized the lube has finished it's job after that it is just there gathering dust. tumbling it off keeps the cases cleaner.

Mike

[HoMiE]

I don't like the thought of tumbling loaded ammo, I just wipe them with a small terry cloth towel or rag.

[Malchira]

This makes me think its not for the benefit of any reloading step subsequent to resizing, but rather the shooting but i'm not sure why?

I believe it's because lubed rifle cases won't/can't obturate/"adhere" to the chamber walls, which increases bolt thrust (as the force has to go somewhere). Bolts aren't designed to absorb the increased back pressure.

It isn't an issue with (most?) pistol cartridges because they don't exhibit the same pressure levels.

[zmanktm]

After I resize ,decap and trim my 223 cases I clean them with Birchwood Casey Brass cleaner. It’s a concentrate that you mix with warm water and the cleaning takes about 3 minutes and then you have to dry them. The cases come out nice and clean.

[Religious Shooter]

The lube kind of acts as an atractant (sp?). Case media, dirt, powder, etc. will stick to a lubed case. A clean case, not so much.

In some cases the powder will stick to a lubed case. You can see flakes in the case mouth sticking to the inside of the case wall.

I'd rather not have any of that so I tumble the lube off.

When I'm resizing and trimming, when the bin gets full I just dump it into my tumbler and turn it on. While it's tumbling I do another bin of cases. When the 2nd bin is done I empty the tumbler and put the 2nd bin in. And repeat.

To me it's necessary.

[Steve D.]

How about a good "solvent bath" for a quick dip and then dry on a towel?... Anybody know of a good product for this like acetone, alcohol, brake cleaner, ?, etc???

[Guest]

Isopropyl alcohol removes the lanolin based lubes very well, as does mineral spirits.

I don’t like to leave the lube on either. It attracts dirt, powder and seems to get gummy with age if you reload and store the ammo. Personally, I size the cases then wash them off in a quick alcohol bath then get on with the trimming/swaging/loading stuff.

There are a bunch of threads on lube removal so a quick search might help out. But, to make a long story short - either leave the lube on, remove via tumbling (before or after loading), or remove with solvent (alcohol or mineral spirits) before loading.

[Jaxshooter]

I tumble mine and have never experienced a problem. I tumble both rifle and pistol cases unless they are JHPs.

[jstone]

Malchira nailed it that is the biggest reason you should remove the lube.

When cleaning lube off in a tumbler the ammo does not move a whole lot mainly the media moves.

Using tumbler to remove lube from loaded rounds is not dangerous. It is even done by large ammo manufacturers. I have seen photos of powder after being tumbled more than a hundred hours before and after. Photos were taken at multiple levels of magnification up to neer 100 times. There was no change in the powder. Ball, excluded, and flake all were tested.

If you don't feel comfortable you should not do it. It took me a while before I tried. Was reloading for years then i saw the pics from the experiment and figured if the powder pictured made it for over 30-40 hours 30 minutes would be fine.

[roostershooter]

I've always used Imperial Sizing Die Wax on all of my rifle cases, and I always wipe the loaded rounds off with a microfiber cloth when they are done. I've had some ammo stored in styrofoam trays for 3+ years, and have never had an issue with discoloration or dirt. Some sizing lubes like 'One Shot' will actually cause the styrofoam to melt over time. Must be the petroleum in the lube or something.

Edited July 13, 2012 by roostershooter

[lpspinner]

Maybe it's just me or I'm a little OCD about my reloading. There are sessions that all would do is just case prep.

I have a bucket for dirty brass. I'll use the Lee Universal Decapping die, deprime the brass and then throw that brass into the deprimed dirty brass bucket.. This part usually takes no time at all for a few hundred pieces.

When I accumulate enough dirty brass, I'll fire up the big Dillon tumbler and clean them off for a couple of hours at most. (This may be done another day)

After dumping out the brass, I'll start resizing here with Dillon's Spray Lube.

When I'm done resizing, I'll throw it back into the tumbler for another 4 hours or so for that final just shiny, sparkling brass.

After that, I'll dump the brass out and either let it sit for another time or I'll trim, chamfer and deburr now. At this point I can leave it for another time or start reloading.

People have asked, what about stuck media in the flash hole? Well, since it's already sized, the first die is another cleaner Lee Universal decapping die. There's nothing to decap, but it's my flash hole check to push out any stuck media. (I use 14/20 grit corn cob, so it's fairly fine.)

So there you have it. Either all in one session, or I break it down into multiple sessions. And with a 4 year old that always wants Daddy's attention, the multiple sessions are a plus.

Edited July 13, 2012 by lpspinner

[Steve D.]

I use Imperial Wax too. 1st thing tried and it does work so well.

QUESTION: Will this stuff come off with the Alcohol Bath or does it require Wiping with a Different Solvent?

I do not tumble (I ultra-sonic clean with Hornady brass-juice) but it would be great not to have to "Zap" my brass 2 times in loading process.

Thanks for comments.

[45 Raven]

Isopropyl alcohol works very well when removing lube from cases. And if done with a soft rag or towel as mentioned in other answers, it allows the cautious reloader to thoroughly inspect the loaded round for loose bullets, proper crimp (if any), cracks or dents, and properly seated primers while wiping down the cartridge. And it can be done quicker than it takes to write about it!

Edited July 15, 2012 by 45 Raven