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Thread: Removing wax from Minimags

  1. #1
    Hammertime
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Desert Southwest

    Removing wax from Minimags

    I have a lot of Minimags. There is limited availability of other .22 LR ammo right now and I would like to make better use of the Minimags, however some of my guns really dislike the wax residue that CCI seems to like to coat the Minimag with.

    Do you reloaders know of any way to bulk dewax these cartridges without damaging them? Wiping them off individually is just too time intensive.

    I don't have any reloading equipment or tumblers etc but would be willing to invest to be able to process/de-wax a brick at a time of .22 LR.

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    Wax ring on the right cartridge. Wiped off on left.

  2. #2
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    Mar 2015
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    "carbine-infested rural (and suburban) areas"
    Pretty sure the wax is there to prevent leading. How many "de-waxed" cartridges have you shot?

    Not sure it will help on the Mini Mags, but on another brand where the wax/grease is soft and tends to form a drop on the nose, I've found it helpful to pull the tray out of the box and put it on the bench so all the bullet noses are pointing up, then just wipe all the noses with a paper towel. Slide the tray back into the box and go to the range. In that case, I was having issues with the nose wax gumming up the magazines and causing feeding issues. Resolved the problem nicely without affecting the wax on the sides of the bullet where it does its job.
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    Not another dime.

  3. #3
    I use a small Lyman vibratory tumbler for removing case lube from loaded pistol rounds. It would probably work on the wax.

  4. #4
    Hammertime
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Desert Southwest
    Quote Originally Posted by OlongJohnson View Post
    Pretty sure the wax is there to prevent leading. How many "de-waxed" cartridges have you shot?
    The Aguila Super Extra doesn't seem to have the wax build up and I have shot tons of that.

    Essentially my 43C gets gummed up with extraction with the Minimag and I am 99% sure it is the wax. The ammo works fine in almost anything else.

  5. #5
    Member Wheeler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Jawja
    Some of the Steel Challenge shooters I used to hang with would use a vibratory tumbler to reduce the amount of wax on their bullets of choice. I’ve run a couple thousand Wax Reduced Mini Mags with no ill effects. YMMV of course
    Men freely believe that which they desire.
    Julius Caesar

  6. #6
    Site Supporter rdtompki's Avatar
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    Jul 2014
    Location
    Treasure Valley, ID
    I bought some very waxy Aguila several months ago for wife's pistols. I wouldn't even touch them to load mags. Tried to remove the wax with my tumbler but all i succeeded in doing was producing bullets speckled with walnut shell debris. Wonder about a US cleaner?

  7. #7
    Site Supporter
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    Jul 2017
    Location
    Texas
    The wax is bullet lube which in .22 rimfire lead bullets is always externally applied.

  8. #8
    Site Supporter Oldherkpilot's Avatar
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    Dec 2019
    Location
    Warren, Ohio
    Quote Originally Posted by Leroy View Post
    I use a small Lyman vibratory tumbler for removing case lube from loaded pistol rounds. It would probably work on the wax.
    You should be judicious in using that tumbler on loaded rounds. That sort of jostling is what breaks down powder and could lead to FTFs or squib loads. My local PD swaps ammo at regular intervals and I think that's common practice.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    Mar 2015
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    "carbine-infested rural (and suburban) areas"
    Quote Originally Posted by Oldherkpilot View Post
    You should be judicious in using that tumbler on loaded rounds. That sort of jostling is what breaks down powder and could lead to FTFs or squib loads. My local PD swaps ammo at regular intervals and I think that's common practice.
    More particularly with rimfire would be affecting the priming. That's the main rimfire reliability issue in any case.
    .
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    Not another dime.

  10. #10
    This is how I’ve done it since I was a kid- Get a good pair of dungarees. Dump 100 rounds in each front pocket. Starting just before sunup, hike across your favorite desert until lunch time. Eat a squished sandwich and take a nap. Head back to camp. Bonus points for bringing back a brace of fat bunnies for supper.

    Yes, it really does work. Never had a malfunction due to waxy build up, or a misfire, using this method.
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