Removing "die gunk"

[Helms]

What are some tips you guys recommend for removing the black die gunk from your dies and the casings that it gets on. I have heard of some people tumbling loaded casings, but I dont think this is for me :yikes:

So far I have just been wiping off each round with a terry cloth after they are seated on my SS press, but it is a bit time consuming.

[creekwalker]

Pull and clean die’s as needed with non chlorinated brake cleaner and a bottle brush if needed. Generally wipe off loaded rounds as I place them in the box or container, but have placed them in the tumbler for a quick clean up.

cw

[K218]

I use one section from a GI cleaning rod set with a glock .45 nylon brush in a Dewalt cordless drill with WD40 or whatever cleaning solution is handy on the gun bench, then compressed dry air and some patches also. Atleast on my .308 dies or any dies I run lube in..J.

[freakshow10mm]

I let some Hoppe's Foam sit in there and run some patches in there and Q tips. Compressed air dry like K218 does. I love compressed air. Use it all over the house for stuff.

[Charly]

pistol dies - every now and then to take out eventual lead gunk
rifle dies - every several hundreds or at the end os a session just whiping with a paper towel.

pistol rounds - no gunk on them as I don't lube
rifle rounds - whiping with a paper towel to take lube off, usualy tumble for 10 min.

[HiddenEyes]

Clean the dies with solvent now and then.

Don't worry about tumbling or vibrating loaded cases the same as you would brass. It is not a safety concern beyond normal reloading precautions. It makes finished ammo that you can be proud of.


Mr. HE:cool:

[Oreo]

I don't know how many of you have ever messed with NON-chlorinated brake cleaner. But I can tell you from experience to STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THAT STUFF!!! It's stupa-nasty-bad stuff man. It will flash-rust steel right before your eyes & will cause really bad chemical burns if you get the stuff on your skin.

You want brake cleaner? You go get the regular environmentally harmful chlorinated stuff. Seriously. It's safer for your equipment & for your self.

[thorn]

I've used the NonChlo brake cleaner once... it absolutely flash rusted parts. Horrible stuff, really. I'm going to stick with either OneShot for die cleaning, or products that i would put on my guns (which doesn't ever include brake cleaner).

thorn

[zipper046]

For my dies....some Carb Cleaner and Q-tips...works great.

For my rounds....a quick tumble in my media for 3 min's and then dump them on a cloth and rub them down a bit.

I also use compressed air to blow off residue after each session, and after 3 - 4 loading sessions I break down the primer mag and primer bar assembly, clean and lube.

the 550B runs like the first day I got her...although I've only got about 3,000 rounds through her so far.

z-

[Clark]

Per Varmint Al, I put the die in the mini lathe and clean with a Q tip and Flitz.

[mbradst]

I just cleaned my dies with Remington's Bore-Brite. It worked great. I also followed up with a light coat of Rem-oil. I got a great deal on a box set of their cleaning products a few years ago, and that is pretty much all I use these days on any of my firearms. Except I use Militec on my little brother's AR that I am baby-sitting for him while he Working for Uncle Sam's Army at Ft. Rucker Alabama. He is pretty anal about it, Militec is the only thing to touch his rifle.

[MONTEGOD7SS]

Militec-1 is the only thing I use on all my guns cuz I don't really have to worry about rust being in the desert and all. I clean the bore with whatever is handy, Sweets, Hoppes, whatever else, and then run a mop with Militec-1 on it. So far so good plus I like how much the company supports the troops in the sandbox.

[mbradst]

That may be another reason he uses it religiously. He probably has a few gallons of the stuff. He gave me a few 4 oz. bottles to use so I would not run out. Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff. I just can't buy it for all of my guns. I have not had any problems with rust outside or inside of any of my guns, so the expensive Militec stuff will be reserved for the M-4gery and my Para LTC.

[Steviewonder1]

Yes, carb cleaner and Q-Tips work good. Don't even have to remove them from the press. Only do this when loading Lead with a grease ring after every 200 rounds or so. If not, the bullet seating increases and we know what that does to your pet loads.

[ede]

i jam a screw driver as hard and far as i can in the die and run it around to pick up as much of the junk as i can. anything left over i scrape off with my pocket knife, or i just use brake clean. hi helms good to see you here.

[JW6108]

Gun cleaner/degreaser along with a bristle brush gets it for me.

[Timberwolf]

To get the bullet lube from the seating die, remove the seating stem, and use a Hoppe's Tornado brush.

[MisterLady27]

Howdy All,

1. Just traded away an old set of Lee Dies, and I was cleaning them up, wiping em off with a little cleaner, then a dry patch, etc, etc.

2. I've got a 30 cal patch on a Glock plastic cleaning rod - it goes in the 9mm sizing die(w/o decapper) from the bottom end -- AND I CAN'T GET IT BACK OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!:yikes::yikes: HELP!

3. Anyone have a constructive suggestion for my dilemma? The solution can't produce rust or scratch the die - I've made a deal.

ML27

[MakeMineaP99]

Did you try tapping it out with a wooden dowel from above?

[MisterLady27]

Howdy MM99,

1. Sounds like a plan.
2. I'm even scheduled a little time off work this afternoon - maintenance slowdown around the holiday (no vacation quota restrictions) and all!

ML27

[Glooooock]

All I get is lube in the seating die , with cast boolits , those Dillon dies open up in seconds for a quick wiping . You can fog cases with " any spray cleaner " and roll a few hundred between two towels ,its less than a minute to clean them .

[MisterLady27]

Howdy All,

1. My dies for trade are all slicked up ready for trade!

2. Note to self: a pencil is not a suitable wooden dowel!I'll go shopping with the GGRLS this weekend and remedy my deficiency at the HD or Lowes store.:)

ML27