Reloading question (case lube...wipe off or use solvent?)

[Familyguy]

I reloaded a bunch of rounds recently and am planning to do some testing of various loads after doing some hunting this weekend. I used a sparing amount of lyman spray on lube when I ran a few boxes of new starline brass through the resizing die (just to make sure they were all uniform). Before proceeding, I wiped them all off with some clean paper towels. Any reason I would need to get ALL of the lube off with some solvent or is wiping them dry sufficient prior to firing?

This is for a late 70's era .38-55 model 94.

Best,

[Chuck 100 yd]

Wiped off , your good to go.
I usually lube, re size ,wipe AND tumble before loading but with new brass you are good to go with a paper towel wipe down.

[3leggedturtle]

if it water based I use rubbing alcohol to clean them.
if it petroleum based I used lighter fluid.

Anything other than petroleum make sure you clean your dies. Was using a water based lanolin lube and it turned to a nasty green "fouling" after 3 months in my dies, couldn't figure out why my bullet seater die wasn't very precise and hard to adjust. Never had that problem with any petroleum lubes.

[piller]

I use Hornady case lube and tumble the brass afterward. I spray the dies out with non-chlorinated brake cleaner.

[Tycer]

I wipe my finished rounds.

[Griff]

The long answer is:

For almost 4 decades I've tumbled the fired brass immediately upon returning from the range... ok, so I waited a few days in some instances! Hang me! After tumbling, I put the cases in an air-tight storage container (can you spell cleaned ice-cream tubbs)? For rifle cases that're loaded on a single stage press, I use the RCBS case lube pads and have the amount of lube to use down pretty pat. I'd roll the cases on the pad, then each case would be sized, de-capped, then immediately re-prime the cases before it left the shell-holder. After priming, I set the newly primed cases in the loading tray block.

50 cases per block. I'd then get the scale set to my desired charge. I'd then dump powder in lots of 10, checking the weight on the 1th flip of the powder drop. Do the next 10... repeat until all 50 rounds were charged with powder. I exchange the sizing die for the seating die and then commence seating. ONLY THEN, do I wipe off the case. And I just use a paper towel. I seldom have any excess lube on my cases.

Now, with a progressive for the .223, I'm finding that my processing needs to change. With pistol rounds, all my loading is with carbide dies, no lube necessary, just cleaned, polished brass. But, with the .223, for self-loaders, my dies are not carbide. So, lube is necessary. I bought a new powder drop for the Dillon... static cling like nobody's business! Got the hopper wiped out with dryer sheets, after loading almost 400 rounds that varied from 500fps to 3,000! Not good. Ok, there were from 40 to 77 grain bullets, stops at 50, 55, 60, 62, & 64. A total of 8 different loads. (2 different 55 grainers). Yesterday, I also added some 69 grain boat-tail HPs. Even with the wildly variety in velocities within bullet weights, I got a couple of <½" 3-shot groups. But, that was sheer luck. I also had two rounds that had fouled primers... and one that had no powder. (It was the first round loaded for the testing range day Tuesday. What a disappointment)! Today was spent making supports for the bottom of the drawers in my bench... have 3 left of the 8 to do... good thing there's still tomorrow!

I first tumble to clean the brass, spray lube, size and de-prime, tumble to get the lube off. I then check cases for length and whether I need to swage primer pockets, trim to length and chamfer case mouths. After those are either skipped or done, I then run them thru the Dillon using a universal de-capper and re-prime at the 1st station, charge w/powder, seating bullets; and, lastly I taper crimp at the last station. I end up with clean rounds without any excess lube.

[Malamute]

I've always cleaned the case lube off with rubbing alcohol on a cloth rag before doing anything else. I never ewanted any trace of oil on the case, it isnt supposed to be good for primers, or on the case when fired, so I made sure I got it off before doing anything else.

[Borregos]

I always tumble following lube and resizing.

[Tycer]

For those of you tumbling after resizing: How do you keep media from plugging the primer pockets and flash holes?

[Chuck 100 yd]

Tycer , Sometimes media does bet stuck in the flash holes. I check all for that issue as anadditional step as they come out of the tumbler. It takes only a minute and sometimes you will find a case with another defect that will send it to the trash bin. If I use fine ground Walnut media,I almost never find plugged flash holes.

[mikld]

I would think it depends on how much time/work you want to invest in your reloads. I lube my rife cases with mink oil boot dressing and have occationally "forgotten" to wipe it off. It all shot fine; no setbacks, no bulges, no extracting problems. Most of the time a paper towel or rag during final inspection is enough. Some like to tumble their loaded rounds (I'm not gonna get into that argument!), some use a solvent after sizing/decapping, some like to tumble after sizing/decapping. I have tried bone dry ammo and as lubed ammo and I can't tell any difference and have been doing this with my handguns since '86, and mebbe 16 years with my long guns...

But, all my M1 ammo is closely inspected after reloading and wiped at that time...

[Ray Newman]

Even before I saw a bolt gun lock up from not having all the case lube removed, I lubed, re-sized/de-capped, cleaned the primer pockets, then polished in the Lyman vibratory case cleaners or a Thumbler's Tumbler and ceramic media. Just a workable reloading routine that I felt comfortable using.

For a while I did not polish the 6mm and 7mm-08 brass that I re-loaded. Just reloaded and into the ammunition box. To remove the lube, I utilized a home-brewed and very economical mixture to de-lube the cases as published in Varmint Hunter Magazine (April 1996, #18):

- one part white vinegar
- two parts water
- two tablespoons of salt
- one tablespoon of Dawn
- soak cases for five minutes, followed by a very thorough rinse.

I always rinsed the cases twice in very hot water. Then put cases on a cookie tray and in the sun to dry.

[Rifleman]

I don't clean my cases in any way. I don't have any precision issues.
[edit] or any other issues, and I have cases that have been shot over 80 times.[/edit]