Ultrasonic Case Cleaning & Bullet Seating

[Fire4Effect]

I tried ultrasonic cleaning of my rifle brass and found bullet-seating pressure increased significantly and was not consistent. I searched on the Internet and found this was common and noted suggested solutions.

I was wondering which of the following methods might reduce bullet-seating issues the most after ultrasonic cleaning.

1. Cleaning the cases for a few hours in a vibratory cleaner with corncob media then loading.
2. Dipping the necks of the cases in Imperial Application Media with Dry Neck Lube then loading. I believe the Dry Neck Lube would get everywhere when loading powder since it would be on the outside of the case neck.
3. Dipping the necks of the cases in stainless steel balls with moly lube then loading. I believe the moly lube would get everywhere when loading powder since it would be on the outside of the case neck.
4. Running the necks through the Lyman Case Neck Dipper with mica. I believe this would be less messy then Dry Neck Lube or moly.
5. Dipping the body of the bullets in either Imperial Application Media with Dry Neck Lube or stainless steel balls with moly lube then seating the bullet. This might be the least messy of the lube options.

Thanks in advance.

 

[RustyInBend]

IMHO ... none of the above. I wet tumble to clean off lube after sizing, and seat bullets in clean cases with no issues at all ... and consistently get single-digit SD's. A clean case and the right neck tension will provide a mess-free seating. Some will argue ... that's their God-given right.

 

[Fire4Effect]

IMHO ... none of the above. I wet tumble to clean off lube after sizing, and seat bullets in clean cases with no issues at all ... and consistently get single-digit SD's. A clean case and the right neck tension will provide a mess-free seating. Some will argue ... that's their God-given right.

Thanks, but that’s not an option for me. I could just go back to vibratory cleaning if ultrasonic cleaning is not practical.

 

[Martin52]

I have a vibratory cleaner and an ultrasonic, cases from either process just get their necks dipped in Imperial Dry Neck lube, then sized, the outside wiped off with paper towel and inside checked to make sure none of the ceramic balls are stuck to the inside of the case wall (sometimes happens when new cases necks are lubed for initial expansion).

 

[Fire4Effect]

I have a vibratory cleaner and an ultrasonic, cases from either process just get their necks dipped in Imperial Dry Neck lube, then sized, the outside wiped off with paper towel and inside checked to make sure none of the ceramic balls are stuck to the inside of the case wall (sometimes happens when new cases necks are lubed for initial expansion).

I use the vibratory cleaner before resizing and after resizing. I was using the ultrasonic cleaner before priming and loading.

 

[Hoot]

I have a vibratory cleaner and an ultrasonic, cases from either process just get their necks dipped in Imperial Dry Neck lube, then sized, the outside wiped off with paper towel and inside checked to make sure none of the ceramic balls are stuck to the inside of the case wall (sometimes happens when new cases necks are lubed for initial expansion).

This ^ Works with wet tumbled. Key point is the inside of the necks just get too clean. The combustion residue left behind in the neck acts as a good dry lube as long as it isn't washed away. Vibratory tumbling alone seems to preserve it. I love the clean look of wet tumbled cases but have switched back to simple vibratory with walnut before sizing and again after sizing with corn cob.

Hoot

 

[holycow]

Very simple fix just run a bore brush nylon or brass in the necks.
In and out a few times or spin it in a drill.

 

[piie]

Been using ultrasonic with my own homebrew cleaning solution for years. I dip my bullet base and shaft a few times in imperial just as I seat, no consistence issues for me at all, and no mess or waste of dry lube. I use a bushing to keep neck tension at 2thou and use a VLD type inside chamfer tool to guide boat tail as straight as possible.

 

[Fire4Effect]

Very simple fix just run a bore brush nylon or brass in the necks.
In and out a few times or spin it in a drill.

I will try that and compare before and after.

 

[Fire4Effect]

Been using ultrasonic with my own homebrew cleaning solution for years. I dip my bullet base and shaft a few times in imperial just as I seat, no consistence issues for me at all, and no mess or waste of dry lube. I use a bushing to keep neck tension at 2thou and use a VLD type inside chamfer tool to guide boat tail as straight as possible.

I tried all the methods I first listed and found dipping the case necks in moly gave the best results with regards to feel. I run 3.5~4.0 thousands neck tension.

 

[piie]

I tried all the methods I first listed and found dipping the case necks in moly gave the best results with regards to feel. I run 3.5~4.0 thousands neck tension.

Perhaps less neck tension will also give you better results?

 

[SeabeeKen]

I apply lee case lube inside the necks with a q tip and let dry for a minute. Its worked well for me with single digit numbers and it has also prevented bullet weld when ammo has sat on shelf for a while. It doesn't harm powder or primer IME. I also lightened my neck tension

 

[Fire4Effect]

Perhaps less neck tension will also give you better results?

I am shooting a gas gun so 3~4 thousands neck tension is required.

 

[Fire4Effect]

I apply lee case lube inside the necks with a q tip and let dry for a minute. Its worked well for me with single digit numbers and it has also prevented bullet weld when ammo has sat on shelf for a while. It doesn't harm powder or primer IME. I also lightened my neck tension

I wonder if imperial sizing die wax would work.

 

[piie]

I wonder if imperial sizing die wax would work.

You will want to clean before powder to prevent kernels sticking or clumping if you want to use wax

 

[whatsupdoc]

I am shooting a gas gun so 3~4 thousands neck tension is required.

Not really, I tumble with pins, anneal, resize and finally clean the lube off with an
ultrasonic cleaner. I use .002 in gas guns and never had an issue.

At .004 you may be using the bullet as an expander.

 

[blastit37]

My solution is much simpler. I only clean the cases up to the neck in my us cleaner. I put the cases in 400ml beakers and put the cleaning solution up to the case neck in the beaker. The beakers are suspended in the us in clear water. This leaves the outside and inside of the case necks with carbon residue in place. I then lightly clean the outside with 0000 steel wool. I buy anhydrous citric acid in bulk and add 4 heaping table spoons for each beaker in a separate container along with 2 good squirts of dish washing soap and stir. Each beaker will hold 20 de-primed 30-06 cases, and more for smaller cases. I rinse the cases in a coffee can with a baking soda solution then a can of clean water. My us cleaner is old and has a mechanical timer that goes to 15 minutes, which is good to clean the cases especially the primer pockets. I then blow the cases with compressed air and let them set overnight. If I need them right away, I suspend them in front of my space heater until the bases are hot to the touch. The cleaning solution is reused 3-4 times or until its so dirty it won't rinse easy.
I have accidentally left the cases suspended in the acid solution for days and there was no evidence of damage, they just turned darker. I have reused them for many reloads and there is no ill effect. Citric acid is a very mild acid; I touch the grains to my tongue and they are very sour (much more than lemon juice).
The acid (I buy 10lbs at a time and it last for years) and beakers can be found on line and are cheap. The holder for the beakers came with another us cleaner which is retired.
Not shinny new looking like a tumbler does but clean and useable, especially the pockets. Shinny brass adds no points to your score at the matches I shoot at, but consistent neck tension does.

 

[Chaotik]

I stopped cleaning my brass.
I have used vibratory tumbling, ultrasonic, and wet tumbling (with and without pins).
Now I just wipe the outside of the case off with a paper towel, and sometimes use a nylon brush, graphite, or neolube#2 in the necks, so seating force is consistently low.

 

[JMayo]

Im new to ultrasonic cleaning. My plan is to use it after season yearly because of the necks. I don't want them clean.

I got it to get ALL my 6bra cases cleaned so to be the same. ( Bolt action bench rest.)

Other than that only ppockets get cleaned. Cases get sprayed, sized, wiped off.
I wonder if one shot, lightly, on a brush would apply lube to inside of clean case neck in a way that works. Hummm....

 

[Fire4Effect]

Not really, I tumble with pins, anneal, resize and finally clean the lube off with an
ultrasonic cleaner. I use .002 in gas guns and never had an issue.

At .004 you may be using the bullet as an expander.

I find I have bullet movement with 0.002 tension in my gas guns.