Easy way to remove bullet lube

[bearlady284]

Hi All,

I am new to relaoding and want to know if there is an easy way to remove bullet lube from recently reloaded bullets. These are .40 cal S & W's 165 gr. using once-fired brass. I find that I have to wipe each bullet with some Hoppes and a rag so they seat in the gun properly. Does anyone have any ideas?

[versifier]

Welcome to the forum, bearlady.

Who made the boolits in question? Any idea what the lube is? What kind of pistol are you shooting them in?

When I lube my own cast boolits, I remove Lee Liquid Alox from the noses of carry and hunting loads with some mineral spirits on a rag. I assume that if Hoppes will do it, m/s will work cheaper, quicker, and easier. Tumble lubing always leaves some lube on the noses, you can't help it. But IMO, it's a waste of good (and expensive) lube to overdo it to the point where it causes feeding problems. With conventional luber/sizers, too much is the result of improper adjustment, and if it is done properly, nothing is left on the noses. That is why I was asking where they came from and what they were lubed with.

While I suspect that you may be seating them just a tad too long, with a high pressure round like .40S&W, safety dictates that the greatest length at which they will feed without problems keeps the pressures lower and safer. So, your idea of fixing feeding this problem by removing excess lube is a very good one. The greatest danger with the .40 is loading it too short, or having an un- or undercrimped round telescope when feeding so that upon firing a spike in chamber pressure occurs, resulting in a KaBoom, ruining the pistol, and sometimes the shooter, too. For that reason, a good taper crimp is always recommended for any auto pistol round.

Auto pistol rounds like the .40, 10mm, and even the 9mm, due to their higher working pressures, are not the easiest to begin loading with, but once you've got them down pat, most every other one will be a lot easier in comparison.

[bearlady284]

The bullets are Oregon Trail laser cast, 165. gr. round nose and the lube is RCBS. They are being used in a .40 cal S & W MP Compact semi-auto pistol. The excess lube seems to be on the brass instead on on the nose of the bullet. Just trying to find a better way then to wipe each one with a rag after reloading is completed. I don't want to gunk up the action or the barrel.

[versifier]

I may be wrong, but I can't imagine you'd find excessive lube on commercially cast boolits. The lube buildup is just forward of the case mouth on the loaded rounds and not up on the noses? If so, it sounds like it could be a die adjustment issue. Are you belling (expanding) the necks of the cases enough to prevent shaving? It sounds like that might be what is causing the lube buildup. Using cast can often require opening the case necks more to avoid any shaving of lead or lube in the seating operation, and sometimes the seat/crimp die itself can exacerbate the problem. For that reason, many loaders prefer taper crimping in a separate operation from seating. With a conventional seat/crimp die, every time you want to change degree of crimp, the seating depth must be reset. Then, forcing the crimp to begin as the boolit is still moving into the case, while no big deal with a jacketed bullet, can cause the problem described with a cast one.
What do you think?

[bearlady284]

Thanks. I will give your suggestions a try.

[Robertbank]

If it is on your brass after reloading I suggest you clean your crimping die every 100 rds or so. Lube will build up in the die which leads to lube on the outside of your cases.

Take Care

Bob

[bompa]

I realize this is an old thread,new here and going back over the older questions,but I might be of some help..
Do you have a tumbler ?? You clean brass before reloading ??
I have found that a short time,15min to 30min,in the tumbler after loading will clean off the excess lube with no problems.. Generally I use walnut with a couple caps full of Hoppe's #9,let run a short while before adding the items to be cleaned..
Clean ammo not only looks good but runs better also..