Cleaning dies. How often?

[bballwizard05]

Mainly in question for me is my 38 special carbide set. Since I don't get lube in them, how often do I need to clean them? Will I notice extra "sticking" on handle operation (single stage) when they start to get dirty?

I wash my cases with lemi-shine and water, but still they seem to have some crap in them that may get on my sizing die.

Also I'm sure I could youtube some random guy cleaning his dies, but I want to know how the wise and sage calgunner reloaders clean their dies?

[Quinc]

I use a q-tip with some hopps when i see rust.

[ireload]

I clean mine twice a year since I'm a low volume reloaded. I use fast drying brake cleaner to flush out any gunk inside the dies. I take apart the dies first. After cleaning, I coat the outside with a rust inhibitor. I also use Q-Tips to clean/scrub hard to reach places

[Lead Waster]

Wait, you have to clean them!?!

[bballwizard05]

Lol ok looks like I'm doing good. I'll probably clean every 1000 rounds or so.

My rifle dies will probably be cleaned much more often as I must lube'em

[M27]

about twice a year when rust starts to form I will disassemble scrub with gun cleaner and 0000 steel wool, rinse with Birchwood Casey gun scrubber then coat with dry lube

that can easily be 2500 rounds between cleaning

[Cheap Shot]

haven't cleaned the 9mm dies (carbide and no lube on brass being sized)
wipe down .30-06 dies after every session (lots of lube)
I have a universal decapper die and I de-prime, tumble clean and then size (or lube and size) so dies are fairly clean (except for lube).

[G38xOC]

I only clean resizing dies every 1000 brass or so .

[troysland]

I resize in batches of a couple hundred to maybe 500 at a time. When I'm done with that die, I spray some Rem-Oil and let it sit so the lube won't rust the inner walls.

[Divernhunter]

Cleaning??? I remember doing that to a pistol seating die when using lead bullets.......but that was so long ago.

Darn now I feel I should go look at all my dies.

[Chief-7700]

Loading lead bullets clean out the excess lube out of you crimping die.

[Sky_DiveR]

I just clean the excess lube out after I'm done loading. Then once or twice a year I spray the whole die down with Hornady gun cleaner/dry lube to keep from rusting.

[Paper Boy]

My resizing dies I will blow out with brake cleaner every now and then.
When I load LSWC I clean them out with a Q-tip every now and then.
The rest I just wipe down with oil if I see rest.

[17+1]

I just use a rag with some Nufinish, and some type of dowel/rod to clean them.

[biggestez]

Thanks for the reminder i havent done it in 6k rnds.