Sticky 22LR in Gallon Bag

[BabaBlueJay]

I have a gallon ziplock bag I put all my cheap 22LR into bc it was easier to fit in my range bag this way than boxed. Tons of different brands (golden bullets/Winchester silvertips/Aguilla/Norma lead free Ecospeed/CCI quiets/etc....) probably around 3-4 thousand rounds.

After a few trips to the range the bag got sticky and the ammo is sticky to the touch. It has not effected performance in my 1937 Winchester Model 69 whatsoever but as someone who has always been sensitive to certain tactile sensations I find it annoying.

I am guessing some (or perhaps all) had some wax on them and the wax melted in the summer heat causing the stickiness but this is only my best guess.

My wife buys us these 3 lb coffee cans from Costco and when we finish our next one I was thinking of washing the ammo and putting it in one of those with a silica packet or two. Going forward I think I'll just keep ammo in the original box but I obviously got a few years of shooting to get through this stuff considering I only shoot it out of my 5 shot bolt action for plinking.

Is there way to safely wash it without compromising the safety or function of the ammo or do I just have to suck it up and deal with it until it's gone? Thanks in advance!

 

[rockquarry]

I wouldn't wash it. I'd use as is even if it's sticky. Just clean the gun and magazines after shooting. You probably do that anyway and a good solvent will remove any sticky residue in guns. Forget baggies, silica gel, and coffee cans. If stickiness affects feeding in any of your guns (it shouldn't), just gently wipe the rounds with a very lightly oiled cotton cloth. Always store ammo in the in original packaging in your house.

Many like to put a lot of thought into the storage of guns, ammo, and even components, a sub-hobby of sorts, but it's wasted time and effort and may render some things unusable. "Keep it simple" works best.

 

[erikpolcrack]

Could you safely run it through a vibration brass cleaner?

 

[rockquarry]

Could you safely run it through a vibration brass cleaner?

I'd never do that. That's pretty fine powder in .22s. I think tumbling might alter the burn rate, but best to get such information from those who really know, like the manufacturers, not us Internet experts, especially the YouDupers.

 

[JRD]

22LR ammunition uses externally lubricated bullets. Some bullets are copper washed, others have a dry film lube, and as you've found still others use very sticky wax lube. 22LR is best stored in it's original packaging. Perhaps certain brands/loadings will store fine in your bag, but the waxy ones won't.
The gooey wax coated rounds rely on that for lubricating the bullet through the bore. To remove the coating would likely increase the lead fouling stuck in your rifling.
Cleaning the lube off just the brass and leaving the bullets would be futile.
Just shoot the ammo the way it is and don't try to clean them.

 

[desi2358]

Could you safely run it through a vibration brass cleaner?

Tumbling is not likely to affect the gun powder (this is a subject that has been endlessly discussed and experimented with on various reloading forums) but it will remove all the lubricant from the bullets since 22's have external lube. Best for the OP if he just shoots them as is. And I would suggest finding a better storage system. I save the plastic 100 rd boxes and repack the cheap plinking ammo in those for range trips. Even just keeping them in the original bulk packs would be better than mixing up multiple brands in a bag.