Gray goo on reloads?

[bikerbankr]

So a co-worker was cleaning out his closet and came across about 200rds of 45ACP he bought at a gun show years ago.
He doesn't shoot much anymore and gave them to me.

They were loose rounds in a Ziploc baggie and clearly reloads.

My question is...what's this gray stuff on the lead? It's on all of them and comes off pretty easily.

I've haven't started loading my own yet so I have no experience to base this on but I'm thinking maybe bullet lube sneaking out?

Does that make them any more unsafe to fire than just the fact that they're reloads in a baggie from probably 20 years ago?

 

[wgttgw]

That is bullet lube in my opinion. Looks like some kind of moly based lube. I would think they would have had to been stored in a fairly hot area to do that. You could bet there has been some powder contamination from the lube leaking the other direction depending on if they were right side up or upside down.

The lube would not bother me near as much as shooting reloads done by an unknown reloader.

 

[bikerbankr]

Yeah...so is it possible to break em down but salvage the bullets, brass and primers?

I have all the gear to reload but I haven't been able to get my hands on consumables yet..

 

[coopermania]

Looks like Lyman Moly Bullet Lube migrating out.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Yep bullet lube. Could have melted out of loaded ctg. More likely from excess lube getting inside seating die , and onto subsequent rounds.

( Insert usual discussion and caveats about reloaded ammo from unknow sources ) .

 

[Pinecone]

Get a kinetic bullet puller and take them apart.

Use the primed cases and bullets. The powder makes good fertilizer.

 

[jimbobborg]

Get a kinetic bullet puller and take them apart.

Use the primed cases and bullets. The powder makes good fertilizer.

This. Don't reuse the powder, the rest of the components should be good. Bell the case mouth, use new powder, etc.

 

[bikerbankr]

Get a kinetic bullet puller and take them apart.

Use the primed cases and bullets. The powder makes good fertilizer.

I have the puller, I was just excited to have some ammo for my 1911. Oh well.

Guess I know what my first reloading attempt will be lol.

Now to find some powder...

 

[amoebicmagician]

Yep bullet lube. Could have melted out of loaded ctg. More likely from excess lube getting inside seating die , and onto subsequent rounds.

( Insert usual discussion and caveats about reloaded ammo from unknow sources ) .

I agree completely. It looks like there was excess lube inside the die, if you look, you can see it does not appear to have bled out of the case neck, at least from the ones I can see in the picture. My motto with lube has always been better too much than too little, and often unless I take some care to clean up the finished rounds afterwards, they will end up looking a bit like those- especially since I switched to a progressive press, since there is less interaction with each single round that way and therefore less of a chance for it to be prettied up while you have your eye on it.