holy crud build up!

[lakota]

I have been using the same set of .357 Magnum Lee carbide dies for the past 14 years mostly to load cast bullets.

I am loading some ammo this afternoon and I notice that with each round loaded the bullet seems to be being seated just a little deeper. So I start scratching my head wondering what the heck is going on.

I pull the die out and look up inside it. Looks like a little bullet lube is built up, so I swab it out and go back to loading. Every thing is fine for about a dozen rounds or so and it starts again. This time I take the die out and take it apart. Inside the die I find about 10 years of accumluated bullet lube. There was so much in there that the floating seater plug was seized in a glob of lube and was no longer floating.


...Note to self: clean seating die more than once every ten years.

[ButlerFord45]

You know, it just doesn't seem like there is that much extra lube on those cast bullets!    I'm embarrassed to admit this but since you started the confessions; I had a cast bullet get stuck in the seating die in a progressive press.  I just readjusted the die and finished the session seating with the stuck bullet.

[Savage]

Never get lube buildup in my seating dies-------------keep them really clean--------never had a problem------really!!   
Savage

[Luckyducker]

BF45, now that's funny

[kitchawan kid]

Now that you mention it I think I may check my dies.

[cwlongshot]

Now that you mention it I think I may check my dies.

Its a good idea to stay on top of this!!  I try to give all mine a good cleaning every-so often. Glad you caught this before a real problem occurred!!

CW

[Autorim]

Dies are tools like anything else and need to be kept clean and maintained.

[gypsyman]

This is what the guys from Redding told me to do. Use what you normally use to clean your guns.(Hoppe's,Shooter's Choice,Butch's,whatever) I use a nylon brush that is called a tube brush. It is about 9'' long, with a wire loop around one end. I wrap a cleaning patch around it with solvent. Push it back and forth and turn it a few times. Wipe it out with a clean patch, and if I feel like it, spray some Gun Scrubber,Gunk Out, or even brake parts cleaner. This will take any oil off the dies, so make sure you wipe them down with some kind of rust preventative.(G96,Rem Oil,Break Free,something)
If you find a set of dies, that are looking pretty rough, completley disassemble them, and put them in your tumbler. That usually gets most of the crud off of them.  gypsyman