Seating die maintenance

growr

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Learned the hard way today that you need to periodically clean out the lube, especially ALOX lube from your seating die.

Got some really goofy OAL's on my .45 acp 230 RNL today.....dug out enough lube and lead shavings to make another bullet!!

One of those things you don't often think much about.

Randy
 
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Before I started powder coating my bullets, I tried to remember to clean the seater every couple of weeks when I was loading a lot.
 
45 ACP was the first Dillon die set I bought just for this reason! The seating plug is removable and cleanable without changing any of the adjustments. I was loading 45 in 5000 round batches and cleaned every 400-500 rounds.

Ivan
 
When loading bullets that have wax lube on them, I disassemble the dies and clean them every 1,000 rounds made, or sooner if the COL changes.

Over the last few years I have started using Polymer coated bullets that require no wax. They seem to work just as well as lead/waxed bullets and are so so much cleaner! The cost factor is minimally more.
 
Over the last few years I have started using Polymer coated bullets that require no wax. They seem to work just as well as lead/waxed bullets and are so so much cleaner! The cost factor is minimally more.

I cast my own bullets and now I use powder coating. As chief38 states it is so much cleaner on the dies. Also I have noticed that I do not seem to have leading in my barrels.
 
Thanks for the reminder. It is something that can be overlooked.

Not really. The buildup will continue, so it is a matter of when not if! Coated, Jacketed and Plated don't have this issue.

My 1911's and 220's are not finicky about cartridge length so feeding wasn't ever a problem but the velocities start spreading out.

Ivan
 
Thanks for the reminder. It is something that can be overlooked.

Not really. The buildup will continue, so it is a matter of when not if! Coated, Jacketed and Plated don't have this issue.

My 1911's and 220's are not finicky about cartridge length so feeding wasn't ever a problem but the velocities start spreading out.

Ivan

When I said it's something that can be overlooked I meant you may not think about it until it becomes a problem. The pre-maintenance gets overlooked, not the cleaning when you see a problem.
 
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