Just wondering about Alox...

[Corner Pocket]

I've just started casting .40 S&W here, using Alox as my lube in a bowl that I tumble the bullets in. (This completely coats them, of course.) Is it necessary to try to wipe off the Alox from the tip of the bullets after I load them? IE, is there any danger of Alox "gumming up" the feed ramp? Thanks!

Corner Pocket

 

[NuJudge]

Worry more about it building up on the seating stem in your seat die. As it builds up, it incrementally seats your bullets deeper. The only way to deal with this is to disassemble your die and clean it, which loses adjusment with all makes of seating die, except the Dillon.

You also can clean the stuff off the nose with some spirits, or dip just the driving band portion of the bullet, or use a small paint brush to paint only the driving band portion.

I have not seen significant build up on pistol feed ramps.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

ditto nujudge, the alox actually serves as a lubricant for the feed ramp also. no worries there.

 

[Corner Pocket]

Thanks, fellas. As I was loading some of these cast bullets earlier this morning, I did happen to think of looking inside the seater die. There was a little bit of Alox there that I easily and quickly dispatched of with a Q-tip. But that doesn't look like it's going to be problematic at this point.

I'll watch the follower in my mags when I go shooting next, to ensure that I don't allow Alox to make any sort of mess in there...

CP

 

[Galil5.56]

Dust a very small amount of corn starch on the dried bullets, and greatly reduce/eliminate seating plug build-up.

 

[sqlbullet]

I have had no more issue with LLA building up than other lubes. Actually, probably less. I bought some 155 grain .401's at a gun show before I started casting my own. They were lubed with some bright yellow lube that I suspect was at least half beeswax. That stuff really tended to build up on the seating stem. The LLA can be cleaned out of the stem with some cotton swabs with mineral spirits on them.

I have had no issues with feeding/reliability. It is a little smokey, but nothing too bad. As Galil says, you can use corn starch if you want to kill the stickiness.

Also, I cut the LLA with mineral spirits before I use it. Probably about 80/20 LLA to mineral spirits. It goes a ton farther, and the LLA dries less sticky, at least here in the western mountains.

 

[Corner Pocket]

Update

After firing 100 rounds yesterday (that were put together with Alox-lubed bullets) I see nothing that should cause me concern in future firings of the same. Good stuff, this!

Corner Pocket

 

[fourdollarbill]

Due to the speed of a 40SW you need very little LLA. Don't lube it thick enough to color the bullet. You should barely be able to see the tint of the alox under a good light then you wont have to dust them with corn starch.

 

[jcwit]

Worry more about it building up on the seating stem in your seat die. As it builds up, it incrementally seats your bullets deeper. The only way to deal with this is to disassemble your die and clean it, which loses adjusment with all makes of seating die, except the Dillon.

You also can clean the stuff off the nose with some spirits, or dip just the driving band portion of the bullet, or use a small paint brush to paint only the driving band portion.

Back in the days that I still used liquid alox I kept an empty qt. paint can part way filled with lacquer thinner and droped the seating die in the thinner for overnight. Solved the build up problem, if reloading a bunch where some might build up during reloading the Q tip trick with lacquer thinner worked just fine.