Washing/degreasing bullets?

[gohring3006]

It just occurred to me that I wash to degrease my bullets when I hex coat them.
So, if it is important to get all the grease and oils off the bullets for a proper coat, then why wouldn't this grease/oil affect ES when fired?
It would be like having oil in the bore, when one bullets is fired, and maybe another bullet isn't as greasy so it would perform different.
Sounds like a cool test.

 

[dok7mm]

My guess would be that the amount of contamination on a given bullet could be enough to make the hbn coating somewhat inconsistent over the whole batch, but totally irrelevant to es when you consider the actual amount of any contaminate present. It would never make it past the heat and pressure of combustion, at least as any form of lubricant. JMO

 

[Bullet bumper]

One of the best washes I have found is first wash in CLR . One cup in 1.5 Pints of warm water , warm , not hot or anywhere near boiling . Then rinse off twice in clean warm water . Allow to dry somewhat and then wash aggressively to get the water out of any meplats in Shellite , AKA , Coleman fuel , Naptha , White spirit , White gas ,
http://www.recochem.com.au/files/downloads/Shellite.pdf

This is a hydro carbon solvent that evaporate very quickly and does not leave any residues like other solvents might . Place out in the sun to dry fully for a half hour or run a hair dryer over them for a while . Leaves the bullets squeaky clean and grease and grime free . Wear a mask when doing it . It does not take long . You can also do this after tumbling if need be .

 

[gohring3006]

I have one rifle I don't hex coat bullets, well actually two rifles. Both are ARs, so I might try to experiment with those. If I have a large Es I'll try degreasing the bullets and see if it changes.

 

[Lonewolf74]

One of the best washes I have found is first wash in CLR . One cup in 1.5 Pints of warm water , warm , not hot or anywhere near boiling . Then rinse off twice in clean warm water . Allow to dry somewhat and then wash aggressively to get the water out of any meplats in Shellite , AKA , Coleman fuel , Naptha , White spirit , White gas ,
http://www.recochem.com.au/files/downloads/Shellite.pdf

This is a hydro carbon solvent that evaporate very quickly and does not leave any residues like other solvents might . Place out in the sun to dry fully for a half hour or run a hair dryer over them for a while . Leaves the bullets squeaky clean and grease and grime free . Wear a mask when doing it . It does not take long . You can also do this after tumbling if need be .

Just a thought but couldn't you just use the shellite or naptha to wash bullets? Generally these things are awesome degreasers by themselves? I use brake cleaner on everything cus it's a great degreaser and dries with no residue but it be a pain to spray down each bullet and get expensive. I'm really wondering if I could just use shellite or naptha in my ultrasonic cleaner?

 

[Trnelson]

I would sure be interested in seeing a 'clean .vs staight out of the box test' with a sample of bullets sharing the same starting weight, diameter and base to ogive dimension. Especially from someone with a labradar, magnetospeed or ohler...

 

[Bullet bumper]

Just a thought but couldn't you just use the shellite or naptha to wash bullets? Generally these things are awesome degreasers by themselves? I use brake cleaner on everything cus it's a great degreaser and dries with no residue but it be a pain to spray down each bullet and get expensive. I'm really wondering if I could just use shellite or naptha in my ultrasonic cleaner?

Shellite will not remove patina (brass tarnish ) it takes a mild acid to do that and that gets right down to the base metal . The wash off with shellite is good insurance that any handling contamination or left over chemicals from the rinse water are also gone.
A really new clean bullet might be ok with just washing in shellite but short cutting the process could mean variable results .
Everyone who is interested in HBN fits the same mould. They want quick and easy . Well top class results are usually not quick and easy .
You want a mild diluted in water organic acid in the ultrasonic cleaner for brass to cut through patina and add a dash of detergent . Alkaline cleaners are bad on brass and accelerate hardening .
Be careful of Brake cleaners they could contain Methanol which is very dangerous and enters by the skin as well as breathing it in .

 

[Lonewolf74]

Thanks for the info Bullet bumper. I'm not looking for short cuts at all I just thought the only real reason to washing the bullets was to remove oil and or grease from the factory which just a wash in shellite or naptha should take care of. But cutting through any sort of tarnish would be different.

 

[Bullet bumper]

Thanks for the info Bullet bumper. I'm not looking for short cuts at all I just thought the only real reason to washing the bullets was to remove oil and or grease from the factory which just a wash in shellite or naptha should take care of. But cutting through any sort of tarnish would be different.

Once you start washing in warm CLR solution you will see that even those new shinny bullets have gained some amount of tarnish just in the time from the factory to you .
People seem to like Frankford Arsenal Ultrasonic Brass Cleaning solution .

 

[Lonewolf74]

Ok and just to clarify you mean clr like the house hold cleaner calcium lime and rust remover?

 

[gohring3006]

I do notice me when I wash them, there is quite a it of oil on them. They definitely feel cleaner and less slick.

 

[tbrice23]

I washed my first few batches to coat with Dawn and hot water which worked well because they were never touched and still sealed.

Comet bathroom cleaner would definitely work for patina removal next time. It has 6% citric acid. I've used it a lot in the past for cleaning dirty cases and bullets then rinsed with warm water. I seemed to have forgotten about it or I would have used it in the first batches

 

[Bullet bumper]

Ok and just to clarify you mean clr like the house hold cleaner calcium lime and rust remover?

Yes calcium lime rust cleaner from supermarket etc. Should have sulfamic acid in it .

 

[Bullet bumper]

I washed my first few batches to coat with Dawn and hot water which worked well because they were never touched and still sealed.

Comet bathroom cleaner would definitely work for patina removal next time. It has 6% citric acid. I've used it a lot in the past for cleaning dirty cases and bullets then rinsed with warm water. I seemed to have forgotten about it or I would have used it in the first batches

Yep that will work with citric acid in it .