I have Lee 4 die carbide sets for 9mm, 45 ACP and 44 mag. I tumble all my cases with walnut shells before depriming. I have loaded several thousand rounds in each die set and have had no issues with either cases or dies. Is there a reason/recommendation to periodically clean the dies? the only source of dirt that I could see getting into the dies is carbon from the expended primer. Should I just leave well enough alone?
Periodic cleaning of dies
- Thread starter ras_oscar
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I'll clean mine and pull the seating plugs on occasion. Media Tumbled brass retains a surprising amount of dust and dirt. Those seating plugs can build up lead over time also, especially with large quantities of swaged bullets. With jacketed, not so much the issue.
GolfR
Ultimate Member
When using FMJ bullets, I blow mine out with an air compressor after finishing a batch of ammo. Stuff does occasionally fall out. With this maintenance, I haven't had to pull my 9mm dies apart in over 10,000 rounds. I'm going to be running some subsonic 9mm soon so I will have to change all the die positions so I might take that opportunity and pull them apart to see if anything is building up in there.
If you are running lead ammo, particularly lubed lead bullets, you WILL need to clean out the seating and crimping dies with Hoppes or alcohol on a regular basis or it will start to affect your seating depth.
If you are running lead ammo, particularly lubed lead bullets, you WILL need to clean out the seating and crimping dies with Hoppes or alcohol on a regular basis or it will start to affect your seating depth.
Rockzilla
Ultimate Member
This^^^
when loading cast boolits and all that goes with it, seating plugs have all kinds
of krud on them, in them. Personally I clean them after every use inside and
out, especially the little hole (vent) in the sizing die, outside gets cleaned if I
don't wear gloves when reloading, salts from the body even fingerprints will do
a number on them. But do have a few sets of CHD4 TiN coated dies, don't clean
them as much, worth the extra $$$
-Rock
I check my seating stems, if they turn hard, I pull them and clean the bullet lube from them. Since I have started powder coating my bullets, I do this less and less.
If I notice one of my non carbide dies starts scratching cases, I pull it and clean it and sometimes polish it with 0000 steel wool.
If I notice one of my non carbide dies starts scratching cases, I pull it and clean it and sometimes polish it with 0000 steel wool.
- Jul 29, 2014
- 50,068
I always look inside(especially sizing dies) before I start a run. At the very least, I'll swab it out if it looks "grungy".
Canned air is also a big help.
Canned air is also a big help.
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