cleaning the final product

MudChucker

MudChucker

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Niverville, Manitoba, CA
I havent actually started loading anything yet.. Im just reading... reading reading...

the lyman book says I should clean the cartridge after seating the bullet to remove any lube etc.

it suggests soapy water or solvent...

would brake cleaner be a decent solvent for this purpose ? I buy the stuff in 20 liter cans so if it'd be nice to have another use for a product I already have in the shop.
 
I don`t think you want to start washing loaded rounds. You should clean any lube off after resizing, before priming and powder. Maybe give loaded rounds a wipe with a dry cloth but that is it.
 
All depends.. If you're talking about case lube what I do is give them a tumble to clean the cases prior to resize, and then a quick tumble to clean off the case lube prior to actual loading... if you're talking about lube from cast bullets after they're loaded, I use a dry rag (old washclothes, towels work well) to clean them up.. gives a chance to check to high primers, etc... if you're loading hundreds of rounds (pistol, high volume rifle), plan on your fingers getting a little tired....
 
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Dead meat and 4x4 said it all.
I also notice that modern reloaders all rely so on tumbling. I wonder how they think we got along all those years before someone thought of tumbling, to clean brass.
 
Yea, but Bruce.....it's so SHINNY when it's done :D Ewwwwww...look.....SHINNY!!!! LOL. You get bragging rights at the range if your cartridges look better than the guy beside you ROFL !!!! :D

Oh, and MudChucker.....I've never cleaned loaded ammo. By the time I'm done, it's either worn off.....so thin that I don't care...whatever.
 
cheers guys... thanx for the info.

I expect that I'll give the complete product a wipe down with a microfiber cloth as I place them in the ammo boxes.

tumbling is a hoot ! I bought some very tarnished brass off the EE last week and let it tumble for only 3 hours and it looks like new !
 
There are benefits to clean brass, beyond the bling factor, easier on the dies for one. But as with a lot of the older reloaders here, when I started out, I simply wiped down the case, checked the primer pocket and case interior was clear of anything major, no visible damage to the case from previous firings, and went ahead and reloaded it.
Never had a problem.

Now of course, I do polish brass, in my Lyman turbo, not to the extreme of some, I don't see the need for glow in the dark shine, but it's clean enough to protect my dies, and make case examination easier.

As to lube on the case after loading, it should be pretty minimal, but if there is any noticeable lube, just wipe it down with a clean rag. I suspect Lyman is doing a bit of ass covering with a washing statement like that. But I've not seen the text myself.

If you're really concerned, a quick run in the polisher after resizing will remove all traces of lube.
 
I don't know all that's on the market, but I use RCBS case lube-2 and it's water soluble. When I finish resizing I just take a damp cloth and wipe them down. I am just a " Poor Old Gun Nutz " ;) I don't have a tumbler either :( Jack
 
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