4x4Wire

A re-sizing die can be used to remove spent primers.  However, as the cases have powder residue, that does provide undue wear on the die.  The decapping die does not touch the case while the center punch removes the spent primer.

There are two methods to clean spent cartridge case:  1) tumble them in a dry mixture (crushed corncob or walnut shells), 2) run them through an ultra-sonic cleaner with a formulated case cleaning solution.  

There are several brands of ultra-sonic cleaners available.  Mine, sold by Lyman, is used for a more than just cartridge case cleaning.  There are different cleaning solutions based on the material you want to clean.

The model I use, Lyman TS-2500, has a stainless steel tub with basket insert.  The tub is marked with MIN (about 3 cups) and MAX (8 cups) fill levels.  While tap water can be used, distilled water is recommended for better cleaning and reduced water spots while drying.  

For medium to heavy duty cleaning, a mix of 1 oz. cleaning solution to 20 ozs. of distilled water is recommended.

Place your dirty cartridges in the cleaning solution, agitate the basket to ensure there are no air pockets in the cartridges, and start the cleaning cycle.  For normal cleaning, a single three minute cycle should be enough.  The cycle timer can be reset for a longer cleaning cycle if desired.

After cleaning, rinse the cartridges in distilled water and allow to dry.  I do use a compressed air to speed drying time.  Once dry, the cases can be dry tumbled for a brighter finish.

First, I knew I needed powder, primer, and bullets. The kit included a reloading book that provided data for reloads. My calibers are limited to four - .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm, and 7mm Remington Magnum. The reloading charts provided the type and amount of powder and the type of primer for a given bullet weight.

Determining the combination for the 7mm Mag was easy. Finding the appropriate powder and primer was more challenging. Seems that with the scarcity of ammo there is a growing scarcity of reloading components.

Determining the combination for the .38/.357 and 9mm was more of a challenge. My criteria was to have a common powder and primer. The result was three types of powder and three types of primers. The .38 Special and 9mm can use the same primer and powder. The .357 Mag uses a different powder and primer. And, the 7mm Mag uses a different powder and primer.

That left me with two critical items before being able to reload - correct shell holders and reloading dies.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Lyle Laverty today announced that the Department of the Interior has finalized updated regulations governing the possession of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. The final rule, which updates existing regulations, would allow an individual to carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges if, and only if, the individual is authorized to carry a concealed weapon under state law in the state in which the national park or refuge is located.

The finish on my rifle was looking a little faded and there were a couple of rust spots starting to appear. I have used G96 Gun Blue Creme over the years for spot treatment. While they make a great product, I find the application process inconvenient. For small spots, it is easy to neutralize the treated area with water. For a larger job like the full length of the rifle barrel, neutralizing with water produces some logistic challenges.

There is an alternative that does not need water to neutralize - Brownells Oxpho-Blue. The liquid gun blue wipes on and wipes off. Quick and easy, without water.

Removing oil, grease, dirt and rust is a necessity for either product. However, the Brownells solution claims to work with the presence of a light oil. I did not opt for testing that claim.

After a complete cleaning of the barrel, I rubbed it with #00 steel wool to remove the hazy film. The rust spots needed a little more than steel wool. My Dremel with a fine wire wheel did a quick job of cleaning the rust spots to bear metal.

BELLEVUE, WA – Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and founder of the Second Amendment Foundation will appear this Sunday, Jan. 26 on the nationally-syndicated “Gun Talk” with Tom Gresham to discuss the controversy surrounding California’s microstamping law that now has major gun companies essentially dropping off of the state’s approved handgun roster.