Case lube on loaded ammo

[Cheesehead]

What is the most effective and efficient way of removing case lube from loaded ammo. Tumbling loaded ammo in media works but is not recommended. I have never heard of a round going off from tumbling. Any other methods?

Cheese

[stimpylu32]

CH

I just use the old dish towels when we get new ones , just give them a little twist in the towel and your ready to go , i do it while watching tv sometimes .

stimpy

[paul105]

I've been using brake cleaner -- the cheap, non-flammable stuff from Wal-Mart.  I lay an old towel on a flat surface (kitchen floor in my case), dump the loaded, lubed cases on it, spray thoroughly with brake cleaner, fold part of the towel over the cases sprayed w/brake cleaner, and roll the cases around between the two pieces of towel.  It takes all of about 1 minute to clean 100 to 150 .45 Colt loads this way.

Been doing this for 6,000 to 8,000 rounds of .45 Colt and .44 Mag with no ignition problems.

If you don't tumble clean your cases each time, and if you size your unlubed cases with a carbide die, you can also use the above method method to clean powder residue/dirt from the loaded rounds.

I read about using "degreaser with a towel" years ago in an old Elmer Keith article.

FWIW,

Paul

[Lead pot]

Most case lubes are water soluble they dont need a grease remover, using a spray cleaner might have a good chance migrating into the primer pocket and cause problems.
A dry paper towel like Stimpy said works about the best I think.

Kurt

[dw06]

I use lighter fluid on a paper towel,even twist it up to fit in case mouth and clean it out.

[jgalar]

Tumble them after sizing, but before priming...

[PaulS]

Tumble them after sizing, but before priming...

I agree! If you have lube on the outside of your case you probably have it on the inside as well. Wipe the cases, lube them, size and decap them, tumble them, trim, chamfer, prime, charge and seat a bullet. With the appropriate inspections at each point along the way this is how I reload my cases. When I shoot at the range I never drop my brass- so it can go from the box, lube the neck inside and out, into the die, neck size and decap. I usually trim at this point, chamfer and then tumble them. There is no need of lubrication on the brass for the steps that follow so why not just clean it all off? Clean cases leave no way for your powder or primer to become oil fouled and no way that a lubed case can get into your camber where it can do serious harm to your gun.

[Lloyd Smale]

thats what i do but i usually prime them first so the primer pockets dont get full of media. Only time i dont bother is 223s i use hornady spray lube and load them on a progressive and just tumble them loaded for about a 1/2 hour when im done.

Tumble them after sizing, but before priming...

[davem270win]

Based on an old handloading for handgunners book by George Nonte, I tumble my brass twice. Straight back from the range, I tumble in walnut hull to clean the brass before it goes into my sizing die, and then after sizing and trimming, into a milder corn cob media to catch the primer pocket and remove the lube. The second tumble doesn't take long at all, but you do have to double check that there is no media stuck in the primer pocket or flash hole. This has worked well for me.