Cleaning reloading dies

[deerhunter338mag]

I found this article last night why’ll surfing and it got me thinking. How many guys clean their dies and is it worth doing. I myself do it and also coat them in a light spray of oil then rinse them off with shellite to help prevent any rusting before use. Be interesting to see who else does this type of process.


http://www.accurateshooter.com/technica ... ding-dies/

[mchughcb]

Nope never.

[SPEEDY]

If they start looking spotty, into the tumbler for a bit.
The oil on the cases from the lube pad should protect the insides anyway.

[stokesrj]

You should always clean new dies before use, most say so in the instructions. After that, I clean them when needed which is highly variable depending on the caliber, powder and Bullets used. Lead Bullets with lubricant tend to gunk up the dies pretty fast. Others, like the .223 can go 5-6K rounds between cleanings.
One word of caution, if you do clean to bare metal, it is essential to coat the die wit a rust preventative.

[SPEEDY]

When mine get gunky, I hose them out with break cleaner then give them a squirt with my gun oil spray.

Leaves a fine residue in the die that doesnt get cases stuck when you size the first few.

[Ringo]

I use brake cleaner and a really large bore snake. Takes just a minute.

[Vaughan]

Clean 'em when new and then when I think they are getting gunked-up... I toss 'em in my sonicating bath disassembled and treat 'em with ballistol... Probably should do it a lot more often.

[Corjack]

I would inspect them with a borescope, then borepaste them, then borepaste them again.

[SPEEDY]

I would inspect them with a borescope, then borepaste them, then borepaste them again.

With scotch cloth on the end of a power drill.

[Corjack]

I would inspect them with a borescope, then borepaste them, then borepaste them again.

With scotch cloth on the end of a power drill.

Yep

[deerhunter338mag]

I would inspect them with a borescope, then borepaste them, then borepaste them again.

With scotch cloth on the end of a power drill.

Or just buy a new set of dies

[mchughcb]

New dies are so much easier.

[7x57]

Interesting article. I have always cleaned new dies and then inspected dies very occasionally. Maybe I need to look more closely ? The idea of lube build up is relevant and I wonder if more so in competition dies of which I have a few sets?