What do you do to remove case neck lube / other crud after resizing brass? I don't yet have a tumbler, so that's not an option. David Petzal wrote about swabbing them inside of the necks with lighter fluid? (see link below). Any other ideas?

http://www.fieldandstream.com/...fle-ammo-hanged-neck

Thanks,
QD

A clean dry patch on a slotted rod tip is all I use, usually good for 8-10 pieces of brass.

I don't remove lube or clean inside the neck

I have never cleaned the inside of my case neck after sizing and have never found a need to.
Please explain to me what you think it accomplishes and some proof to back it up.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Cooley:
I have never cleaned the inside of my case neck after sizing and have never found a need to.
Please explain to me what you think it accomplishes and some proof to back it up.
Bill

Me either. Read Petzal's article. It makes sense that it would be a good idea to prevent billets from jumping crimp.

I guess if one is a really picky reloader one might I don't think I ever have on a normal basic.

Only if I would see something that could cause a problem.

I don't use "case neck lube / other crud". I have a nylon brush that I use to remove spider webs and crud before I size. The brush also helps the expander ball to move easier thru the case neck. All I've ever needed. I usually clean my brass in a tumbler before I resize. When I do that, I don't need the nylon brush.

considering the cost of a tumbler, it would be well worth it to clean the inside of the necks (and the case).
I use a slight amount of neck lube. It helps the resizing of the neck and reduces case stretch. I toss them in the tumbler for a while and that's it. I've had a tumbler for so long (same one) that I can't remember what I did before.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
considering the cost of a tumbler, it would be well worth it to clean the inside of the necks (and the case).
I use a slight amount of neck lube. It helps the resizing of the neck and reduces case stretch. I toss them in the tumbler for a while and that's it. I've had a tumbler for so long (same one) that I can't remember what I did before.

Me too Beeman.

Chuck up a bronze bristle brush in a cordless and give the necks a quick spin with the brush.

I use forester brush set and powdered graphite never cleaned necks with no adverse effect in 40 years, but i'm no expert.

Went back and read the linked to article again. One thing to point out is Phil and Dave get paid to write articles. I have heard most of this before and most involve bad reloading practices. Such as not sizing properly so you have enough neck tension to hold the bullet, not seating the bullet to a proper overall length for hunting or so it will fit/feed from the magazine. The other thing was not using a bullet with a cannelure or crimping grove on hard recoiling rounds. Now if you don’t have one you can add on tooling is available.
I can think of only one time I have cleaned the inside case neck and that was because we were using a sealer to make the rounds watertight.
Those who do not lube the inside case neck when sizing will be trimming more as it tends to stretch the case more.
Bill

q-d,

The idea is to get the cases all the same .... whatever process you use to do that. If they all have gunk or lube in the neck; then that's the way it is, you desire consistency IMO, as long as the cases are all the same; clean or dirty.

Having said that I use a Lyman brush set with graphite that is attached to the bench directly adjacent to the press. A coupla wipes over the cases neck just prior to sizing (3 sizes depending on case diameter) and there is no screech, the expander ball easily and smoothly glides through the case neck.

I use a tumbler with stainless steel pins and that cleans the cases perfectly afterwards. If you don't tumble or clean that's O.K., too but IMO that's what Q-Tips were made for; case neck cleaning, not for ears.

Pretty much any reasonable type of cleaning/de-greasing fluid, lighter fluid, alcohol, etc. with a Q-Tip will easily clean out any gunk remaining in the neck area of the case with just a twirl or two.

Q-tip, usually last about 50 rounds and them switch end for another 50. I mainly do this to prevent powder from sticking when i pour it in.

Cold or contact welding


Cold welding of similar metals (bullet & case) may be a problem if all lube is removed from the neck area. Should not be a problem if shooting the reloads in a day or two. Long term storage may be a different story.

I lube the inside of each rifle case with some thin grease on a Qtip. After sizing I wipe out each neck twice with a clean cloth pushed into the neck with an Allen wrench.

I have been doing this way since 1953.

If you use a dry lube for the case necks you won't have anything for the powder to stick to.I would think the majority of it would be scrubbed out by the expander ball.
Bill

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Cooley:
If you use a dry lube for the case necks you won't have anything for the powder to stick to.I would think the majority of it would be scrubbed out by the expander ball.
Bill

I use this three brush set up with a dry powder lube,




I still wash resized cases in hot soapy (dollar store dish soap) water be for I put them in my tumbler. Doesn't take long to dry the cases in my furnace room in the winter of hanging in a mesh onion bag in the spring thru fall sun with a dark back ground.

Al

The only time I find it necessary to wash cases is when they have been loaded with black powder to remove the corrosive residue. I always clean/tumble cases before sizing.
Bill

I use a nylon brush in a RCBS wooden handle(I think, can't remember where I got the handle) and the same wax I use for sizing, run the brush in a couple of times each case.

I grab a bout 5 cases at a time and re-wax the brush every cycle....just a dab of wax on the thumb and first two fingers, rubbed around to even out run the brush through my fingers a few times while spinning the handle to uniform the spread. It's quick, doesn't leave a mess and works.

I tried motor mica about a million years ago and still have the can somewhere...didn't work for me...went to sizing wax and never looked back.

In spin the cases in a drill to polish and de-burr after trimming, then prime and load.

I must be the odd man out.
I wipe the brass and check for problems lube it (when required) size and deprime and the tumble clean. My bottle neck cases are partially neck sized (leaving some of the neck unsized) and since I use a carbide sizer I don't have to lube them.

I use water soluble LEE sizing lube (wax) on a bore mop. Then I use a collet die to size. No issues.

I use powdered graphite on a neck brush to lube case necks ptior to sizing, that's it, once the cases are sized they go into their original bags, sealed and stored.
I tumble my brass prior to sizing, BTW.
I have had 'cold welding' problems in the past and graphite powder has fixed that for me, haven't had it occur since using it.

Cheers.

I use Redding Wax and wash it out with hot water and dish washing liquid and a brush.

I never use lube and have never paid special attention to the (inside of the) necks. I use Redding S Ti-nitride neck bushings and don't usually use expanders. When I do I use the Redding carbide expanders.

I dabbled in Lee Collet dies for a bit, and also never paid attention to the necks.

How much lube is left after the expander makes 2 passes through the neck?

I use a Zip Trim and some steel wool wrapped around a 22 caliber brush



the steel wool has a little oil in it and will leave enough to put a good coating of mica inside




Or if I outside turn and the mandrel has scarred up the neck then I'll use some Scotchbrite







but the necks get so clean that you can't get much mica to stick

Nice work but do you clean the necks after sizing? I am still looking for hard evidence that cleaning inside the case neck has any benefit on accuracy. I think it just keeps idle hands busy.
Bill

The mica is put on AFTER sizing and is for bullet seating only. If I am not outside neck turning then I size (Lee Collet needs no lube in neck), clean the inside of the necks with steel wool or Scotchbrite and seat the bullets.

I size ID's to .003" less than caliber and the mica makes bullet seating forces more consistent and prevents cold welding or whatever.

Woods

Do you not lube your mandrel when neck turning?

I don't.
I cut dry, brass is the lubricant for the cutting steel.

I also load dry, so do the factory's.
all my sizing and such is done, then I clean the lube off the cases, then I run them through the SS pin solution to polish, dry and load.

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
Woods

Do you not lube your mandrel when neck turning?

I use some dry graphite or Imperial dry lube but I like the mandrel to be tight

I clean the ccase necks with a patch that has had a bit of Armorall Protectant sprayed on it. Makes it easier for the expander ball to exit also. I then leave it as is.

A bit of caution. Some of the methods mentioned above like using bronze brush, steel wool & even scrub pad can take the brass off the inside of your case. If you are too aggressive with those methods (like using a drill), the case inside diameter could get larger and affect bullet neck tension. You may not see it in the first few reloads but you will after a few such "cleans".

I do use a little bit of lube inside the neck. I apply Imperial Lube with a small patch in my fingers and just roll the case mouth on the patch or even my finger tip. A tiny bit of lube can be seen along the rim of the case mouth & this is enough to help the expander ball do the job without too much resistance.

After sizing I use a small plug of rolled toilet paper to clean the inside of the cases. You can see the colour of the lube with carbon on the TP plug.

I use the LEE case lube - the stuff like toothpaste, that lubes wet or dry and don't bother. It forms a thin powder layer in the neck after drying, and having the button go through twice.

Only had two misfires and those were due to a BAD batch of primers - Fiocchi.

I use Imperial Wax. First dip the neck in the wax only 2mm deep, then I lube the outside of the case with my fingers. After sizing all cases there is a wax built-up on the expander ball which tells me lubrication on the inside of necks is sufficient. After sizing I wash them in hot water with dishwashing soap. I put a synthetic brush through twice and then wash in clean water.

I use a nylon brush with no lube just an in and out and they will go through my die much easier.