Home
I've been pondering different ways to stop the bullets from seizing to the case necks. WD40 goes on wet and the liquid agent dries leaving a thin dry film. I'm wondering if using a qtip to apply a thin film inside the case neck and allowing the agent to dry before priming and loading the case would help? I realize the bullet seizure is a small problem in reality but would it help or hurt?
Imperial Sizing Wax.

(WD40 would not be in the running)
This is what I use.I start with a clean case that has been in my tumbler,lube the inside of the necks with powdered graphite,load cases and seat bullets.Never had an issue since.
[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

I use this for necks

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012768197?pid=614125
Imperial Dry Case Neck Lube works well.

A shooting buddy of mine is compelled to make his brass super clean and shiny. He'll use case neck brushes to remove every trace of GSR (gun shot residue) his word,
He seems to have more trouble with his loads than he should, especially the loads from a year or two ago that's fused the bullet to the case neck.

Being too clean can't hurt, right?
I've thought about rinsing bullets in a strong solution of Turtle Wax's "Zip Wax" and letting them dry before storage. I haven't tried it though.
I brush out the inside of the neck with a stiff brush dipped in motor mica or white mica, from Ballistic Product supplies and others. No sticking or verdigris and I think it might improve bullet pull uniformity. I also will use Hornaday one shot lube and only wipe it off the outside. Some but not all bullets get tumbled with wax, usually micro crystalline or carnuba, this can be done as a retro fit, but other than keeping the bullets looking pretty the other methods work just fine.

WD40 gets sticky, graphite attracts moisture unless in an oil base. JB beats the problem by not cleaning the necks of carbon fouling, works for me too.
Posted By: 308ld Re: Bullets seizing to case neck - 12/25/20
What is the time frame for a bullet to start the seizing process?
Posted By: GF1 Re: Bullets seizing to case neck - 12/25/20
What is the problem here? Do some of these loads produce higher pressures over this issue?

I have and continue to use handloaded ammo that I have loaded over a decade ago, and some much longer than that. I’ve never had a problem, but then I’ve never checked for “seizing.”

Outside of a quick pass with a nylon case neck brush I do not clean the inside of any case necks and Ive never had any issues with bullet "seizing".
Originally Posted by colodog
Imperial Dry Case Neck Lube works well.

A shooting buddy of mine is compelled to make his brass super clean and shiny. He'll use case neck brushes to remove every trace of GSR (gun shot residue) his word,
He seems to have more trouble with his loads than he should, especially the loads from a year or two ago that's fused the bullet to the case neck.

Being too clean can't hurt, right?



I know you say that tongue in cheek, but we all know the inside of the case necks being too clean is said to promote the bullet seizing issue you hear about. I have never had an issue, so it is very foreign to me. You guys can carry on with your bad selves though.. Hopefully you figure out what you are doing wrong..
Posted By: efw Re: Bullets seizing to case neck - 12/25/20
Originally Posted by Son_of_the_Gael
Imperial Sizing Wax.

(WD40 would not be in the running)


X2

On cases that a Lee Collet Neck Sizer is used (and therefore no lube) I’ve never had issues, as I don’t clean residue from necks.
Whenever my bullets seize, I roll them over on their side and grab a-hold of their tongues till they calm down.
I never load virgin or cleaned cases for ammo that will be around for awhile.

Fired brass, not cleaned is the way to go. That carbon inside the neck is a good thing.
The Campfire brings up a lot of issues that I never seem to have heard of or experienced...

in my case: Ignorance is bliss?
Originally Posted by Seafire
The Campfire brings up a lot of issues that I never seem to have heard of or experienced...

in my case: Ignorance is bliss?

So when the the military finds out about this issue, they will have to pull all the bullets and scrape the bullet sealant off?
The sealant is preventing the metal to metal contact.
Originally Posted by mathman
The sealant is preventing the metal to metal contact.

The neck sealant used in US military ammunition "seizes" the bullets so tightly that in order to pull the bullets you have to seat the bullets deeper, to break the seal, before pulling.
I've shot a few green cans of LC ammo and I'm familiar with what the sealant does. It's still a different mechanism.
Originally Posted by mathman
I've shot a few green cans of LC ammo and I'm familiar with what the sealant does. It's still a different mechanism.

Friend of mine used to say "everybody is squirrelly about something, some more than others, about different things".

I am as squirrelly as anyone else, I clean primer pockets and weigh powder charges when everybody knows it doesn't matter. But I guess I am with Seafire on this one, I can't quite figure out what the issue is here?

If all the necks are "seized" you get the same effect as military neck sealant, very high but consistent bullet pulls. Some "seized" and some not, yielding inconsistent bullet pulls/neck tension thereby causing a poor hit on something the size of a Big Game animal?
When I was shooting through the cans of LC M118 Match I popped the sealant and found they weren't super consistent.
I pulled a bunch of LC69 30-06 several years ago. The neck sealant was applied liberally and and had set up like concrete. They all required a lot of pressure to pull.

The LC M118 sounds like the crap Winchester is loading these days. Undersized bullets in oversized necks, some rounds the only thing holding the bullet in place are the sealant and the crimp. The neck tension is so low that with-out the sealant the bullet would never make it to the crimp station. You can tell these rounds by the fact that the bullet is seated so deep you can not see the cannelure.
My 70's vintage M118 Match didn't have undersize bullets. In fact one lot had .309" bullets. With the sealant popped and selecting rounds for good runout it actually shot very well in my bolt guns.
Winchester M80 bullets mostly run .3075". Very few over .308, some under .3075". Neck ID is supposed to be .306-.307", but some are closer to .308". Too often randomness lines up a small bullet with a large neck, and the bullet just catches at the top of the cannelure. Go through a couple boxes of WMA 5.56 or 7.62 and you will see what I mean.

The loader operators, Winchester calls them "adjusters", compensate for low bullet pulls by crimping the livin piss out of the loaded cartridges.
I don't know what the proper terminology is, but some people call it "cold welding" too. Maybe just corrosion. And I'm not sure how long it takes, or under what conditions it most readily occurs. I do know that it is very obvious, if you pull bullets with a collet-type puller. Normally, the bullet eases right out. If it is "seized" or "cold welded", it seems to take more effort and you hear a "snap" at the moment that the bullet starts to move out of the case.

I used to use motor mica, when I cleaned brass. I don't bother to clean brass anymore, so there is some carbon. And I use Imperial wax or One Shot for sizing.

The concern that people have is varying amounts of force required to release the bullet. Some handloaders focus on neck tension, but if the bullet is also bonded to the case, even a little bit, then there is another variable.

I'm curious if moly or hBN would prevent this.
Posted By: ERK Re: Bullets seizing to case neck - 12/27/20
Maybe not for bullets sticking but for resizing I has a swab brush and I squirt it with one shot so the expander goes thru nice. I’m just guessing but when it dries shouldn’t it then form a good inside neck lube? Edk
© 24hourcampfire