I've loaded about 1500 9MM rounds and am about to start on a 38 Special run. I've loaded about 1000 of 38. I've never cleaned my dies, though. I have a sonic cleaner that I use after tumbling. Is it cool to clean the dies in there, and should I use the same Hornady One Shot solution I got with the cleaner? I'm kind of anal about my reloading.

I've use Hornady's, Alconox (a lab grade metal/glass cleaner) and Dawn dish detergent. I've concluded the temperature is more important for cleaning gun parts, dies, etc in the U.S. than the chemicals used. So use what you've got and turn up the heat.

I use a twisted up rag to get the excess bullet lube out of the seating die and on a rare occasion a Q-tip and denatured alcohol to get the dust off.

Hornady has On Shot Brass cleaner and On Shot gun parts cleaner. Which one do you Have??

I clean my dies like a gun. I use whatever solvent like Hoppes 9 Wipe them down and use a small brush and then a light spray of silicone spray. If really dirty I use CHLORINATED brake cleaner which is straight TCE, The non chlorinated has acetone and is flammable it will eat O rings also

I would not dump them in a water based cleaner.

The brass cleaner is citric acid and water the gun part cleaner is a bunch of other cleaners, that would be the one to use,

MSDS is here:

http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/...ts_Formula.pdf

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Still Running Against the Wind

If you're loading lead bullets, you'll find you have a ring of shaved lead & lube in the seating die that needs to be periodically removed. I've always used a hardwood scraper for this. Very occasionally something harder.

If you note scratches in your sized brass, your sizing die needs a touch of crocus cloth to remove grit and other things that may be causing the issue. Follow up with an aresol cleaner. Yes, happens even with carbide.

Other than that, there's really no need to be overly zealous in die cleaning. You're not doing brain surgery. A light film of some type of lube on the outside to prevent rust is good.

I have the brass cleaner. But I'm OK with using a Dawn or something else. I just started using case lube. Didn't think it really mattered with carbide does, but it does make it MUCH easier to resize and deprime them.

Next time I break down a die for a thorough cleaning, it's getting a Froglube treatment.

I'm not looking to take them apart. Settings are just where I want them. Just looking to give them a sonic bath if possible.

The only way to clean them well is take them apart (especially the deprimer die,) No need to pull the lock screw on top.

Again I would not use water.

For a sonic bath then buy the other parts cleaner solution.

Use the Break cleaner or if you can not find it use Electrical Contact cleaner in a ventilated area (same chemical) Wear eye protection as it has a way of splashing back at you, Or uses synthetic safe Gun Scrubber.

This one (red can)

CRC Brakleen® Brake Parts Cleaner, Non-Flammable, 20 oz. 05089: Advance Auto Parts

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Still Running Against the Wind

Just "Mic" the settings of body and screw pins and log the measurements........
then disassemble the dies.

I have cleaned and adjusted my dies so many times I had to replace the screws that tighten them down !!

I use Hoppes #9.

Here's an area I've never even considered before!

While I do at times clean the debris from lead/lube, my Dillon dies have never seemed to be much of an issue.

On a few "other brands" I had used until recently, now & then as part of a 'brush off the obvious stuff' I would use a bore snake for some illusion of benefit.

Without scratches, obvious debris or other sign of non-spec performance, don't know exactly why I'd want to 'clean the dies'.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

I clean my dies in my Lymann ultrasonic cleaner with the metal parts cleaner. Just make sure to remove the o-ring on any parts if you have any. Some of mine cracked.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

Is there any reason not to just drop your dies in the sonic cleaner? I often answer the question with "clean your dies just like you clean your gun...". Personally, I have a container of my version of "Ed's Red" cleaner and just soak my dies in that. Soak, slosh, wipe dry. There's enough oil in the mixture to help eliminate rust.

I've used a sonic with a rusty old set of dies that were locked up. The work and look great now. It did make the steel a sort of dark blue gray color though..

thewelshm

I just use a clean rag soaked with Denatured Alcohol and a wooden Chop Stick left over from the Chinese food we get on Sunday nights. It takes only a few minutes to clean up even the dirtiest Dies.

Cleaning dies, especially lead bullet seater dies, is what WD-40 does best. All the grundge comes off with very little effort, wipe with clean cloth, apply small amount of case lube to non-carbide sizer dies, and you are good to go.

I have no idea how to get dies surgically clean !

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S&WHF 366

And you call yourself and Engineer! Geese!

"Damn it Jim I am a Doctor, not an Engineer!"

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Still Running Against the Wind