LLA and feeding problems?

[kamikaze1a]

Has anyone found that having liquid Alox on the nose of your boolits causes feeding problems? After all, it's more sticky than bare lead... I prefer to tumble lube and hand dipping is too tedious. Thought about wiping off the lube one by one but that is also too time consumming. Considering going back to my Lube/sizer... Anyone have the same problems or a easy solution?

[jack19512]

I have had the same problem with LLA and my Marlin lever rifles. I had to start wiping the LLA off the nose of my boolits. The LLA was gumming up the works of my rifles. I haven't come up with an easy way to remove the LLA yet, I just use an old rag and wipe the nose off. It is a lot more work for me though and I have been thinking of a better way to do this.

[redgum]

For what it's worth, I roll 'em in baby powder, corn flour or anything similar.
Coats the 'sticky' and doesn't interfere with functioning in my guns.
I've read all the "blah-blah-blah" about bore abrasion and I believe its a crock, these things are physically much softer than barrel steel.
I am yet to see any negative effects

[ribber@shaw.ca]

I've had problems chambering alox coated boollits in a Bisley. I've decided to use a lubri-sizer and not use alox.

[mooman76]

I have had a few problems and it builds up on the feed ramp too!

[OldBob]

I have noticed that the Alox seems to gum up the freed ramp on my Colt Commander after shooting 6 - 10 magazines full of Lee TL boolits. I think it is blow back as I do wipe their little noses off after loading. I figure it is a good trade off though because I get no leading and lubing is fast and easy. I do give the old warhorse a serious cleaning afterwards though, wouldn't want a sticky boolit at the wrong time.

[runfiverun]

try some mineral spirits or the such on the rag.
the lla everywhere is what prompted me buying my first starr. still get the speed and not the mess.

[shotman]

If you use it right it is not sticky I have used it in a lever and 45-40 -9mm and no problems. put moly in it and heat it . rick

[kamikaze1a]

I've wondered about rolling them down a ramp coated with LLA. That way lube only gets where it's needed...anyone try that?

[jcwit]

This is one of 2 reasons I don't like LLA. The other reason is the lube builds up on the face of the seating die and if not watched seats the bullet deeper and deeper. The fix is to clean the seating die every so often. I switched back to my lube/sizer and even tho I still check OAL very seldom have to clean the seating die.

Don't get me wrong, all in all I really like LEE products, just not their tumble lube. Overall great value for the money spent.

[jack19512]

The other reason is the lube builds up on the face of the seating die and if not watched seats the bullet deeper and deeper. The fix is to clean the seating die every so often.






This is a fact. I just cleaned one of my dies today. It was pretty gummed up.:(

[jonk]

I've never had it interfere with the functioning of a weapon. Nor can I imagine it doing so unless you're pouring half the bottle on and letting it harden into semi soft glop. But, I take your word for it.

I've never had it gum up a seating die. If it is then you are using too much, or aren't letting it dry enough. Or the profile of your seater punch is wrong for the bullet you are using. Yes, I DO see some brown in there but it is just a few specks.

Where I do see this happen is when using a lube sizer and not flaring the case neck enough... a whole ring of lube will get scraped off and get onto the case or up above packed into the seater.

[jack19512]

I've never had it interfere with the functioning of a weapon. Nor can I imagine it doing so unless you're pouring half the bottle on and letting it harden into semi soft glop.






In my Marlin lever actions the boolits got to where they would hang up in the feed tube and not feed. I lubed like most do, I would put some boolits in a baggie and add the LLA and then mix them up good then stand them on their bases on some wax paper until dry. I haven't had any more problems since I started wiping the noses off which is a lot more work for me.

[BoolitSmith]

I always wipe them off after I'm done.I just use a dry terrycloth type towel.It's a little extra work but its worth it.

[jdgabbard]

I gave wiping them off with a rag and fingernail polish remover earlier. Yeah, that is a bit more time consuming then I think it is worth. Man I need to invest in a lubrisizer...

[unclebill]

I have been tumbling them with corn starch after the LLA has dried.
and then loading.
it helps.

[Shiloh]

Are you fellows having the feed ramps, chambers and shell hoists (Lever Actions) putting this stuff on too thick??

Shiloh

[Crash_Corrigan]

My first mold was a Lee 6 Banger in 158 GR LSWC TL design.

I have strong plastic 2 quart container with a tight fitting lid. I throw in a couple of handsfull of TL boolits. Then I squirt a table spoon of thinned out {mineral spirits} LLA onto the pile. Put on the lid swirl them around for a minute of so. When they all have a thin coating I dump them out into a stainless steel baking pan {18" x 12" x 2" deep} with a lining of heavy waxed paper. When I have a couple of hundred in a pile I take a putty knife and spread them around flat so they are all lying down flat on their sides.

I place them in the garage under a small fan for 8 or 12 hours. Then I run them thru my Lee sizing die. Another treatment with a thin layer of LLA and JPW mixed with mineral spirits and back to a clean sheet of waxed paper for another session with the fan in the garage.

After the rounds are assembled I take a rag soaked with mineral spirits and wipe off the Lead alloy portion of the round. If there is any goop on the casing that too is removed.

I use Dillon dies in my Dillon 550 because after about two hundred rounds I get some goop inside the seating and crimping dies. With the removable guts to the dies it only takes a moment to run a Q tip soaked with mineral spirits to remove all the goo.

As a final step I have another plastic container into which the completed rounds are placed. I then sprinkle them well with a table spoon or more of the cheapest corn starch found in the supermarket. A few swirls and they all have a light coating of corn starch which prevents and handling problems for the duration.

I leave that container alone and only add corn starch as needed as what falls off the rounds stays in the container.

Rounds conventionally sized in my SAECO and Lars White Lable lube also get the corn starch bath upon final inspection and sizing. There is less of the CARNUBA RED on the dies but every 500 rounds of so I also reem them out with Q-tips soaked in mineral spirits.

The corn starch does not gum the actions of any of my weapons and I have all kinds except single shots.

I know I have added some more steps to the process but as I am getting along the trail I find that I enjoy all aspects of this addiction we have. From scrounging ww's, smelting into ingots, casting and fluxing into boolits, assembly of complete cartridges and finally shooting THE ROUNDS THAT I HAVE MADE and cleaning and storage of all my firearms I enjoy it all and intend to continue to do so as long as I can. Along the way I am actively recruiting younger shooters to carry the torch.

Thanks to 45 NUT, Buckshot, BruceB, Bullshop Daniel and all the members of this forum for their kindness and willingness to share their knowledge and wealth of experiences with others and even newbies without favor.

I am laid up with a broken leg and at least I have something to do while parked on my Kiester and I have hope to enjoy the fruits of my labor in the spring.

[kamikaze1a]

I just finished lubing a bunch of non-tumble lube .401 boolits. I didn't TL, dip or lube-size them..I rolll lubed them. No lube on the bases or nose, just the sides.

Started with a piece of sheetmetal and bent up a lip on one edge. I lined up a handfull of boolits in the bend, end to end, brushed LLA onto the sheetmetal and then tipped the sheet letting the boolits "roll" down onto the lube. Unfortunately, they did not all roll as I had hoped but needed to be helped along by shaking the sheetmetal. Once they were lubed enough, I let them roll off the edge into a waxed paper lined box.

End result, lubed boolits with lube only on the sides....none on nose or base. Gonna load them up later and test fire. Results to follow...

[Junior1942]

Lee Liquid Alox is the best thing since sliced bread, tab-top beer cans, and babes in spandex. It's very little trouble to scrape the nose of a bullet across a rag before you seat it.

[cajun shooter]

I believe what you're saying there JR. but it can't be as good as babes in Spandex, even my old 61 eyes still enjoy a peek.

[kamikaze1a]

Yup, like Alox....LOVE babes in spandex! lol

Haven't decided yet if "roll lubing" is easier than wiping off the lube from the nose. I used to use lighter coats with the micro-grooved boolits but with this single big groove, I tend to apply more lube. Have to try firing after just a single light coat but haven't got around to that yet. Kind of concerned about the lube being scraped off during seating though. Have had thoughts about a custom mold with micro-grooves for my 175gr .401 with the truncated cone profile...

[bcp477]

I've had zero problems with LLA on my paper-patched bullets (the only ones I shoot). I only coat the paper patch with the lube, however, not the exposed portion of the bullet.