Case Lube

[C7AR15]

Hello Reloading crowd,

For some of the rifle matches I enter, I require 100++ rounds and I would like to speed up the process a bit.

I have tried a number of case lubes,
1. Lee Resizing lubricant
2. RCBS on a roll pad
3. Imperial Sizing die wax

Lyman Quik Spray Case Lube was my latest snake oil. This stuff works pretty good. Spray on , roll the brass and spray again. Easy and Quik !
There was not a whole lot of residue to wipe off as in the case of the first 3 products, But there is still some work to do.

Have any of you found the perfect case lube - like say , the one that evaporates immediately after resizing your brass. No work involved?

Maybe just wishful thinking.

 

[Smokey Joe]

"perfect" case lube...

C7ar15--A case lube that'd evaporate away might leave you with stuck cases, if, for example, you had to take a 'phone call during a reloading session.

FWIW, I like Imperial Sizing Die Wax--Wipes on with a finger, you use VERY little of it, and it wipes off really easily. Used to use RCBS Case Lube on the roll-me-over pad, but when I tried ISDW, that was so much less hassle that I haven't looked back.

I must confess that I don't like the idea of spray-on case lubes, nor spray bullet lubes either, for that matter. Or the Lee tumble-it-on bullet lube. Spray anything requires that you pay for the spray gas--A wasted expense, IMHO. But that's just my opinion; I haven't tried any of these.

It may be that Imperial is as close to perfect as you're going to get...

 

[Mike / Tx]

Another vote for Imperial.

I have run the list as well and this is the best I have come across. In a pinch I have even used straight Mink Oil from the shoe section at wally world.

When I use the Imperial, I slather a little bit in the palm of my left hand, then rub both hands together like I was trying to warm them up, and grab up 4-6 cases and roll them between my hands. This works like a champ, and leaves the cases with enough to be sized, but light enough to simply wipe off with a shop rag when done loading.

Even if I load on my progressive, as I pull them out of the catch box it only takes a quick wipe and all done.

 

[droptrd]

Ive been using Hornady One Shot for ever. Quick and Ive NEVER had a problem. It doesn't evaporate but it cleans up with a damp towel in seconds.

 

[jepp2]

I have tried a number of case lubes,
1. Lee Resizing lubricant
2. RCBS on a roll pad
3. Imperial Sizing die wax

I have used all three you list, but none would meet my criteria for high speed sizing. Of the 3 I like Imperial the best, but it is way too slooooow for me.

For my high speed lubing I either use 5W-20 synthetic motor oil on a blue paper shop towel (I can lube and size 750 per hour on a Rock Chucker single stage press), or homemade case lube. The homemade is a mixture of liquid lanolin and Iso Heet. This goes on fast and is an excellent lube.

PM me if you want a link that shows you how to make it.

 

[Eppie]

I have used Imperial Size wax for several years, but I decided to try Petroleum Jelly from Walmart. At $1.50 for 4 oz. It works like Imperial and it is easier to wipe off the case.

 

[Gary L. Griffiths]

I tried Hornady one-shot, but after a number of stuck cases and a ruined die, I ordered some of Dillon's case lube when I got a set of their dies for my ARs. Works just as advertised -- a couple of sprays and by the time I can box up the cases, they're ready to go. Press operates like a dream -- the hardest part of the sizing stroke is popping out the primer!

 

[1stmar]

I haven't tried it but doesn't lee or rcbs make a lube die?

 

[C7AR15]

Poll from Midway

I just checked out 3 products that are in this discussion. I went to the Midway website and came up with:

Imperial case sizing wax 4.9/5 Rating 172 Reviews

Lyman Quik spray 2.2/5 Rating 17 Reviews

Hornady One Shot lube aerosol 4.4/5 Rating 61 Reviews


No reviews yet for the homemade lube (1 positive for sure)

I think I will try the Hornady One shot

Thanks for the input people. JD

 

[Sport45]

I use Kiwi Mink Oil polish when I'm reloading a few. If I want to lube a lot of brass in a hurry I use a Lyman lube pad. I can roll 5 or 6 across it at a time and have 100 cases lubed in about a minute.

 

[bbqncigars]

Any of the lanolin/alcohol lubes will work. The Hornady One Shot case lube works as well, but you have to make sure you let it DRY before resizing. Failure to heed this well result in a stuck case.

 

[C7AR15]

wiping off

I should state that my concern is really about wiping the crud off after. This is where your hands get worn out.
Yah, I could throw it into a tumbler for a couple hours but I want to keep going.

 

[Sport45]

They all have to be cleaned. I run them through the tumbler or use a shop rag damp with mineral spirits. Doesn't take any rubbing to speak of, just a quick wipe down.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Cleaning finished rounds...

I've rubbed. I've wiped. Most effective wiping is with a rag dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Easiest is putting the finished rounds back in the tumbler for a short while.

Either of these produces nice clean, non-sticky, non-greasy rounds.

 

[Remow2112]

Dillon

Dillon case lube. Best I have ever used, Put cases in shallow cardboard box spay 3 or 4 times and shake around.


Dan...

 

[hooligan1]

Rcbs and lube pad

I've used the same bottle of lube for 30+ years, same routine: brush carbon from inside neck, run lube brush in neck, roll on pad back and forth a few times, and I can roll eight cases easily, and then size and hand case to grandbaby and he drops them into tumbler thats rumning at our feet, sometimes he waits until he has one in each handand then drops em in.....and says "bye bye see ya".. He's two years old...

 

[Eppie]

C7AR15 said: I think I will try the Hornady One shot

Since you seem very interested in trying the easy way, a word to the wise: Get a stuck case kit. With One Shot, you will need it.

 

[Bart B.]

I've used a 1-2 mix of 1 part Hoppe's No. 9 bore cleaner and 2 parts STP engine oil treatment for decades. Deprimed and cleaned cases are tumbled in a foam lined coffee can on a Thumbler's Tumbler base. A few drops of the lube on the foam surface uniformly coats each of 50 cases put in it. They tumble as long as it takes me to full length size 50 cases removing one from the shell holder while holding a lubed one at the same time in my left hand. This ends up with sized case headspace with less than a .002" spread.

Sized cases are put in a can of laquer thinner which quickly dissolves all the lube on the cases held in a strainer, then they're put in a terry cloth shush tube made from a terry cloth bath towel with one end sewn closed. Raising and lowering each end of the shush tube rubs the laquer thinner off easily then they're laid out on a flat surface to dry. Sometimes in hot weather, I'll just dump them from the thinner filled can on a towel out in the sun. They heat up and all that thinner evaporates in a short time.

All the cases are lube free and nothing sticks to them with this process.

 

[Unclenick]

Hooligan1,

A caution about your procedure. Due to primer residue dust, tumblers and media separators are the one area where high contamination levels of water and acid-soluble lead compounds (the dangerous forms) appear in modern reloading. They are in the primer residue dust that the tumbler puts airborne with its lid off. Small kids are particularly susceptible (ten or twenty times as sensitive as adults), because their level of development opens them up to lead interfering with their neurological and internal organ development. Can lead to various problems discussed here, from lower IQ to stunted growth and behavioral issues. Little kids are also more likely to put their hands in their mouths or on food without thinking to wash them first, which is a big source of lead toxicity when they are around toxic lead compounds.

You could safely have the grandbaby around any other part of the process. Even around where you do casting, and there won't be nearly as much contamination risk. The tumblers and separators are the on area where caution is really needed.

 

[hooligan1]

He wears a mask just like me, its a dust mask but still I didnt give it any yhought past that, until you posted. I wash his hands of course but pobably better be safe than sorry, thanks for the "heads up" Unclenick..