Corn cob residue in cases

[mlkdvm]

Last night I loaded some new .50 AE cases. I was using steel dies so I lubed the cases with Frankford spray-on case lube, then sized and belled the cases and tumbled them in corn cob media to remove the lube. After loading about 20 cases I noticed that quite a few of the others had some corn cob pieces stuck to their inside bottoms. None of the flash holes are obstructed but a few of the empties have a complete layer of corn cob stuck to them. I hadn't allowed the lube to fully dry before loading the cases.

Is it possible that the corn cob could cause elevated pressure when the rounds are fired? I don't want to pull the bullets from the rounds that I already have loaded, but I would rather be safe than sorry. What do you think?

 

[snuffy]

ANYTHING that takes up room inside a case can and will raise pressures. So that media will have to come out! To say nothing of having some of that corn cob flying around jamming the action, or possibly getting stuck in a gas port!

Nobody likes to pull down their works of art, but you'd better do it.

 

[rcmodel]

I agree you need to pull them and start over.
A couple of granules of corncob media would not be a safety hazard. They would be totally consumed by the white hot powder gas.

But, if you got a couple of grains stuck in a few cases and didn't notice it, there is nothing to say you couldn't have a a whole clump stuck in a few cases and didn't notice it either.

Seems like you are using too much case lube though.
It only requires a very thin film of lube on most of the cases. Lube from one case will carry over to the next in the die, so if you get a little lube on most of them you should be good to go.

You could try heavily spraying the inside of a gallon zip-lock bag, and then add the cases.
Then knead the bag to get a little lube on most of the cases.

Or, lay them out flat on a old newspaper and only spray the sides.

Either method will prevent any excess lube from getting inside them.

rc

 

[Maj Dad]

Less Is More

I have learned (the hard way, more than once ) that a little lube, spray-on or traditional pad-applied goes a long way, as rc notes. With rifle cases that I'm not loading in bulk I usually just wipe them off well with a towel and let it go at that. With the spray stuff I put the brass in one layer in an aluminum baking pan, spray them lightly with Dillon or Midway then agitate & roll them around to spread & let it dry. After sizing, I put them on a clean, dry, hand-towel sized rag & lightly spray them with Prestone Brake Cleaner & roll them around to get most of the lube off before tumbling. It sounds tedious/labor intensive but isn't really, plus it avoids the problems that come with excess lube & grit inside the cases...

 

[Hondo 60]

Ya, unfortunately I agree with the others.
You need to pull 'em

And then you've got bad powder too.

 

[GLOOB]

I don't think corn cob media will elevate your pressure so much. Corn cob is mostly air. And if you do a visual check of your ammo of powder level, you should have noticed is anything was way off.

Your lube could pose a problem, though. If it's oil based, it could lead to a squib. I wouldn't store those 20 rounds for any length of time.

I use my tumbler with new media to lube cases.

 

[jcwit]

Will it "the corn cob" elevate internal pressures? Well thats a good question. Next question is your hand, finger, eyes, whatever its worth it to find out? That is the REAL question.

Would I pull them down? YUP! I have this funny thing, I don't like pain.

And I do know what it feel like to loose a finger in a punch press or have 2 fingers ripped out of ones hand. Yup ripped out not cut off.

I'll tell ya this, it ain't fun.

 

[saitek]

dirty shells

a little trick i use when you get done sizing and trim actions ,i keep a 1 gallon can of cheap laqure thinner i get at menard's or farm and fleet and wash the case's with it .i use a large 1 gallon ice cream bucket ,take a empty washed out 1 gallon milk jug and cut a notch about a quarter of it leaving the handel and punch some 5/16 hole's for drain's in the bottom put the brass to be cleaned in the jug put both in the ice cream bucket ,pour in thinner ,enough to submerge the brass use the handel left on the jug to lift it in and out of the thinner swish it around good .you will be suprised how much junk come's off the brass inside and out .
when done with the thinner use a funnel with a paint strainer in it to filter it and pour the thinner back in the can .just mark it with a marker WASH THINNER and use it the next time .
just let the cases air dry or use compressed air to speed up the drying ,i just lay them in a plastic tray with some paper trowels in the bottom . just my little trick .

 

[GLOOB]

Saitek: do you put anything on your brass afterward? I'm afraid getting brass super clean like that will make it oxidize quickly. I just lube my cases very lightly with a wax-based lube and leave it on.

 

[saitek]

brass clean

been doing it this way for 5 plus years and no problem's with long term storage at all .

 

[jcwit]

I do somewhat the same thing only I use Naptha, white gas, AKA Coleman fuel. Here where I live in Amish country one can buy white gas at the pump for $3.50 a gal IIRC, works the same as lacquer thinner and its what I keep on hand to melt lead to make bullets. No this is not the same as unleaded gas, its Naptha, and for me cheaper than cans of lacquer thinner.

Hope this helps, just another way of doing the same thing.
jcwit

 

[youngda9]

Tumble before doing anything, immediately after firing. This prevents media from getting stuck in the primer hole. Ever lube prior to tumbling.