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Hello, I was wondering when the time to lube cases should occur and the best practice in doing so. Should cases be lubed after cleaning them, but before resizing them or at a different time in the reloading process? What if the brass is brand new, does it still need to be lubed? What if you are using a dies such as, Hornady Titanium Nitride sizing rings that are suppose to eliminate case sticking and are said not to require lubrication? I guess I am looking to find out what you all do from experience pertaining to lubing cases or any other component while reloading. Right now I am just starting off and I primarily reload 9mm and 380 auto, but I then plan on moving towards .223 and eventually other calibers. Thanks Thanks, Steve | ||
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I'm not as experienced as others around here, but here's what I do. I lube the cases only for full length resizing of fired brass. I roll the brass on the very lightly coated lube pad and then immediately resize. This brass then goes straight to the tumbler for cleaning, that way the lube is removed. New brass that has not been fired should not require lubing as it should be sized already. You still need to neck size however if you're getting brass out of a bag where the pieces have been banging against each other and the necks will be out of shape. I have no experience with the Hornady dies that you mentioned, so can't comment. One word of caution concerning the lube, be careful how much you use. I don't know what effect will occur if you use too much on pistol ammo, but I can tell you what will happen with shouldered rifle brass. If you get too much, the lube will collect at the top of the die and under the pressure generated, something will have to give. What will give is the brass and specifically the shoulder will end up dimpled. Ask me how I know? Of course using too little can end up in a stuck case which is no fun either. I'd recommend starting out light and carefully start resizing the brass paying attention to the resistance you encounter. A little practice and doing things slowly as you start out and you'll get it figured out. | |||
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x2  ____________________________________ There are those who would misteach us that to stick in a rut is consistency - and a virtue, and that to climb out of the rut is inconsistency - and a vice. - Mark Twain | Chinese Proverb: When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others. ___________________________________ | |||
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For straight-walled cases, e.g., pistol cases like 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, if you are using carbide dies, no lubrication is necessary. If using steel dies, you must lubricate prior to sizing. For bottle-necked cases, e.g., most rifle cases, 357 SIG pistol, you must lube before sizing. For fired cases, I usually clear before re-sizing to remove any grit that could potentially scratch the inside of the die. On smaller cases like 223 or 308, a spray-on lube as offered by Hornady or Lyman will provide enough lubrication for sizing and is unlikely to put too much lube on the case. For larger cases like the 375 H&H, a thicker lube like RCBS applied using a lube pad will give better results. After rolling the case on the lube pad, don't forget to apply some lube to the inside of the case neck. A nylon case bore brush works nicely. After resizing, I clean the cases again to remove the lube. If I'm doing a small number of cases, I'll just spray some degreaser on a paper towel and wipe down the cases. For a large number, I'll put them back into the vibratory cleaner for 10-15 minutes or so. "Personal is not the same as important", Corporal Carrot, Men at Arms | |||
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Especially if you shoot outside and pick up cases from the ground they will have dirt,sand etc on them Sand , SiO2 is very abrasive and will scratch and wear even carbide dies. I find that with even carbide dies a little lube makes it easier to size the case. | |||
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Sizing and depriming is the first thing I do in my reloading process. I lube my cases just before sizing them. I size them immediately after lubing so they don't have time to collect dust and dirt. After I size the cases I run them in my tumbler for a few minutes to remove the lube. Good luck on your reloading. Red C. Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion. | |||
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Quote from Brian Enos' FAQ
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thanks everyone! Awesome help and info! Thanks, Steve | |||
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lube before resizing.. LIGHTLY lube .. try several techniques and find the one you like .. right now, i am liking gallon ziplock and hornady "shippable-without-extra fee" water and lanolin ... impirial sizing for singles opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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I do it a little different. Ill tumble my cases, then lube, resize, prime, charge and seat. Then a rag with a little acetone to wipe off the lube. Biggest reason for this is I hate having to clean corn cob out of my primer pockets. Wiping the cases with a rag last gives me one more chance to inspect my reloading efforts before they are loaded and fired as well. | |||
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Matt, Did you mean to say you tumble dirty cases to clean, lube, size, THEN wipe off and tumble again so the media doesn't stick in the primer pockets......prime, charge, seat? I would be careful wiping the cases with any solvent after they are loaded for fear it may contaminate the primer. | |||
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I found its better to lube cases before rather than after sizeing | |||
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Very few pistol cases or dies need lube. Carbide/TiN coatings were to get rid of lube and make the process fast and easy. A little different take on things; PISTOL Tumble in corn cob for 1 hour (polish optional), Shake out media. Check for length (I've yet to trim for pistol.) Deswage if mil brass. Put in progressive press, pull handle, repeat until out of brass or something else. Replenish components as needed. RIFLE Night 1, Tumble in corn cob for 1 hour (polish optional), Shake out media. 2 or 3 loads. Night 2, Put in gallon bag (about 100 .223 or 50 .308). Lube and shake to spread. (Home made lanolin and alcohol.) Spread to dry. Size/ deprime. Start trimming/ deswaging as needed. There may be a night that is just trim and/or deswage. Night 3, Run through ultra sonic cleaner about 24 minutes(removers lube, no media in flash hole.) 2 or 3 batches. Shake out water in towel, quick bake at 150 degrees (until the next batch comes out of the cleaner), Dry over night. (NO BAGGIE.) Night 4, Prime. Couple nights before match. Load as many as I need. I'd rather spend a couple hours a night for a week processing a years worth of brass than do it as I go. Less set up time for and I run 500 to 1000 in the week. Next purchase will be a Giraud trimmer, many times faster than my RCBS. A bad day at the range is better than a good day at work. | |||
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As you develop a feel for the resizing process, you may find that you don't have to lube every case if you are using a good quality lube and a pad. Depending on how much you are actually moving the brass you can get by with only lubing every second or third case but don't push it or you will find out how to remove stuck cases. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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I got rid of the pad lubing system years ago and went to the Hornady spray. Then I gave that up (too expensive) and now use Imperial wax and don't think I'll ever change from that method. | |||
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Throw everything else out and use Imperial die wax. You don't need to polish cases except to impress guys at the range. Good luck! | |||
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Smokin J, my method is to tumble dirty cases, lightly lube cases, resize/deprime, prime all cases, then charge and seat bullets. after all are loaded I wipe cases with a a solvent to clean off any lube.I use a rag with just a little acetone after their loaded, no chance of contamination that I can see. | |||
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What really helps to remind you to lube before resizing is just one situation with a stuck case!!!! | |||
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Yup, once you buy and use your stuck case kit, you'll put it on the shelf and never need it again. Aim for the exit hole | |||
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Yup! Stuck case removal tool is GREAT insurance. If doing straight walled pistol cases, carbide dies save SOOOO much hassle. Worth the price even if they were x3 the cost!!!! For rifle cases, tumble then, lube them, size and deprime them, wipe off the lube with a rag wetted with WD-40, and tumble them again! Check them for trim length and possible start of head separation. Make sure there is nothing in the primer pockets and flash holes ... and load them. Mike -------------- DRSS, Womper's Club, NRA Life Member/Charter Member NRA Golden Eagles ... Knifemaker, http://www.mstarling.com | |||
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I use Hornady One Shot, making sure I get some into the necks of the cases, then resize, trim to proper length, clean primer pocket, then tumble. Regardless of carbide die, or not, I always lube. If the tumbler weren't so damned loud, I could do it in my sleep!  ______________________________ Well, they really aren't debates... more like horse and pony shows... without the pony... just the whores. 1955, Top tax rate, 92%... unemployment, 4%. "Beware of the Free Market. There are only two ways you can make that work. Either you bring the world's standard of living up to match ours, or lower ours to meet their's. You know which way it will go." by My Great Grandfather, 1960 Protection for Monsanto is Persecution of Farmers. | |||
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Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question but I just bought my first AP Press and was wondering. When you have the sizing die in the AP, how do you handle the lubing and removing the lube? By this I mean, in a single stage scenario, it is clear that I lube and resize all my cases, clean them, prime them, etc.... But with an AP, isn't the point to do everything at the same time (i.e. a bullet a pull)? Do you guys resize and clean before you start the AP process, use Hornady spray lube and just resize during the AP process, etc??? I have been thinking about this since I want to start reloading a lot of 300 Whisper rounds. Thanks, Eric | |||
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For decades, I've sized tumbled but unlubed pistol cases in carbide dies. When I bought my XL650 Dillon, I was given the advice to spray lube the cases prior to load them (using carbide dies). I gave it a try and wished I had done it earlier. Press handling have become as smooth as silk and the lube's liquid vehicle evaporates soon (Dillon spray lube), so that I don't even remove it from loaded ammo. André DRSS --------- 3 shots do not make a group, they show a point of aim or impact. 5 shots are a group. | |||
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In my process all rifle cases get tumbled twice. The first time after depriming the second time after resizing. but before they go back into the tumbler for their second ttime they get WASHED in HOT SOAPY water to remove the lube. And it doesn't much matter to me if the lube is water or oil based my process doesn't change I also lube the INSIDE of case necks because most of the stretching of brass is a result of dragging that expander ball through the neck and you don't want to reload with any of that lube INSIDE the case And the various dry lubricants simply don't lube the expander ball very well. If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
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Just for simplicity's sake, the way I lube the inside of my necks: I use a stamp pad to lube my cases; I lay them out and roll them back and forth and then I roll one toward me and as I pick it up, I stand it upright and press the mouth of the case into the lube pad. Kinda like I'm trying to cut a little, round hole in the pad. This puts enough of a trace of lube around the inside of the mouth of the case to ease the resizer into and out of the case. Then I toss it into the tumbler for a while. As the media cleans the outside of the case, it is also cleaning the inside and the primer pocket. As I take the brass out of the tumbler, I wipe each piece with a soft cloth, pick any stray pieces of media out of the flash hole, and I'm ready to prime and charge the brass. Aim for the exit hole | |||
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