Cleaning Dies

[steveyacht]

How often do you disassemble and clean your dies? How can you tell when they are dirty? Clean more often with lead vs plated/jacketed? I am new to metallic loading and am pretty damned anal about the way I take care of my equipment.

Thanks.

[BritinUSA]

I broke a decapping pin last night and had to take apart the die. The amount of gunk inside was more than I expected. I don't know what dies you are using but the Dillon setup can be cleaned without removing them from the mount, so there's no need to recalibrate everything. I just cleaned it out with a cotton bud. I'm going to start doing it every 1000 rounds.

[nad1967]

1k is a little early for me... but it won't hurt to check them that often!

[Chris Keen]

Your supposed to clean your dies?

I've got something like 50,000 - 60,000 through mine without cleaning. But now I'm gonna be worried about it every time I load.

[Cy Soto]

1k is a little early for me... but it won't hurt to check them that often!

I reload bare lead bullets and I clean mine every 300 rounds; but that is just the seating and the crimping dies. I get a lot of accumulation from the Magna Lube inside the seating die but they are Dillon dies so cleaning them is a snap!

[Flexmoney]

My brass was coming out dirtier than it was going in.

Mineral Spirits and cotton swabs.

Clean your press. Clean your dies. Change your springs. Lube as required.

[D. Manley]

Since I use a SDB so, no disassembly required for cleaning on my dies. After I noted some very fine scratches on the brass after loading, I started giving 'em a quick wipe-out every time I switch calibers...problem solved.

[werewolf45auto]

I have only been reloading for about three years maybe a little less and I have to clean my seater and crimp dies that I use lead bullets pretty often(say 500 rds but sometimes I wait 1000) and so far have not needed to clean anything that I only run plated and jackted bullets through.

[TMC]

Your supposed to clean your dies?

I've got something like 50,000 - 60,000 through mine without cleaning. But now I'm gonna be worried about it every time I load.

+1

[aedavis]

Your supposed to clean your dies?

I've got something like 50,000 - 60,000 through mine without cleaning. But now I'm gonna be worried about it every time I load.

+1

I clean my carbide pistol dies almost never. Every 5000 rounds or so I'll clean my rifle dies that I use sizing lube on. Neither type has ever been very dirty.

[Steve J]

Your supposed to clean your dies?

I've got something like 50,000 - 60,000 through mine without cleaning. But now I'm gonna be worried about it every time I load.

+1

I've never done it and don't imagine I ever will.

[20nickels]

Light coat of Hornaday One Shot black label, wipe down and store in a sealed ammo can with a dessicant pack. Occasionally run a caliber sized nylon chamber brush through them after the spray.

[Brooks]

I never cleaned my old dies, but now that I switched to Dillon dies I am trying to clean them every 1,000 round or so.

[JeffWard]

Since I use a SDB so, no disassembly required for cleaning on my dies. After I noted some very fine scratches on the brass after loading, I started giving 'em a quick wipe-out every time I switch calibers...problem solved.

How do you wipe them out? Mineral spirits on a q-tip? Bore brush? LOL

I have a SDB with 2000 through it. Now idea how many before me??? I'm the second or third owner!

[D. Manley]

Since I use a SDB so, no disassembly required for cleaning on my dies. After I noted some very fine scratches on the brass after loading, I started giving 'em a quick wipe-out every time I switch calibers...problem solved.

How do you wipe them out? Mineral spirits on a q-tip? Bore brush? LOL

I have a SDB with 2000 through it. Now idea how many before me??? I'm the second or third owner!

I just used a paper towel wrapped around a small dowel rod, they come clean very easily. Any general purpose gun solvent should be fine, I just use Kroil most of the time. Whatever you use, wipe it dry before use or storage. FWIW, I think the reason I got a little embedded material in the sizing die was, I run my range brass through U-Dies on a turret before use. It's likely that since the cases are already sized (actually, undersized) they don't tend to fit tight enough in the Dillon sizer when loading to "self-clean" the die walls as they run through. I should probably just pull the sizing die altogether but I occasionally use it so it's still there.

Edited June 15, 2009 by D. Manley

[RufDog]

Never cleaned a die.

[atbarr]

Ok, I finally got some large pistol primers.

I'm getting ready to load some lubed lead bullets in .45. How often should I clean my dies? What should I use to clean them?

Thanks,

A.T.

Edited September 8, 2009 by atbarr

[Sarge]

Over 3k MG on mine and they are still clean as new.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I use Brake Clean and compressed air or my parts washer I use moly and jacketed bullets and have only cleaned the dies once when I bought them. I must have over 20,000 rounds of 9mm and they still look clean. The 45 dies need cleaning now after loading some lead bullets but still work fine. The wax buildup looks bad but they still work after 2000 rounds. I think it will depend on how much you like cleaning. Thanks, Eric

[BMartens]

I clean my dies on my SDB only when I load lead bullets. I usually clean them between 500 and 1000 rounds. Just take the top off and run a bore brush through them and scrape out the seater die if it needs it. Mineral spirits works good if there is any build up. Wipe the dies off with a silicon cloth and put it back together. This interval is also good for dusting off the rest of the press and rechecking the powder measure.

The only problem I've ever had is with lead bullets and lube build up in the seater die. That will mess with your OAL. I keep a little coffee stirring straw on the bench and poke it in the weep hole in the bullet seater. That will warn you if lube is staring to build up. I usually do that every time I add primers.

Molly bullets will leave a little residue but nothing to worry with.

When I'm loading jacketed or plated bullets I don't even look at them. Probably never need cleaning if that is all you load. Of course I always clean everything up and lube the press when changing calibers.

[DUKE]

Glad you reminded me! LOL

[bball97]

How often do you disassemble and clean your dies? How can you tell when they are dirty? Clean more often with lead vs plated/jacketed? I am new to metallic loading and am pretty damned anal about the way I take care of my equipment.

Thanks.

I cleaned mine the other day because I have been loading lead. (2500 rounds) The bullet lube had built up some, so I scraped it out with a letter opener. Good to go! I also have to scrape the lube out of my case gauge to keep the rounds from sticking in it.

Edited September 9, 2009 by bball97

[ArvinM]

Your supposed to clean your dies?

I've got something like 50,000 - 60,000 through mine without cleaning. But now I'm gonna be worried about it every time I load.

Hahaha. Me too, I've never clean my dies. But I only have 12,000 on mine. Maybe it's time to clean it.

[Shawn Knight]

I clean anytime I switch calibers or whenever I finish off a box of primers(1000).

[Boats]

Not a bad idea to spray some Balistol or similar in the dies and blow them out with a Air hose. The decapping pin and flare plug get dirty and drag, not enough to cause problems with straight pistol cases but don't "feel' good when loading. Bottleneck Rifle cases pulling the plug back out if dirty can deform the neck. Recently My 38 spl plug was getting gunged up, chucked it up in the lathe and gave it a polish with 600 grit. Made things noticibly smoother

Of course some guys don't clean Glocks, loading dies, or there socks at all.

Boats