Case sizing lube incompatibility?

[Blackwater]

Not sure if this goes here, but wasn't sure where else it'd fit, so ... with hopes for tolerance, I've got a problem and a question.

I recently acquired several bottles of Hornady's pump spray bottles of case lube. I tried it recently for sizing some .223's, and ... the dang case stuck in the die!!! I've only gotten a stuck case once before, IIRC, and this'un was no picnic either! Bent the shaft of the decapping rod getting it out, which RCBS incidentally replaced gratis. Thank you RCBS!

These dies are old but in perfect shape. I've always cleaned cases well before sizing, so it should last a lifetime. However, I've used RCBS's thick, clear and thck as molasses sticky lube in these dies.

Is Hornady's case sizing lube, which I think (?) is a wax based procuct, incompatible with the old RCBS petro stuff?

Has anyone had this problem before???

I took my dies and scrubbed them REALLY well with solvent in an attempt to get any residual RCBS lube out of the pores of the dies, in hopes of giving the Hornady lube another chance. The Hornady lube is good stuff. I know that. I've just never heard of this before and wonder if I'm not missing something maybe???

Any help is appreciated here.

Haven't had time to try the Hornady lube yet with the cleaned dies yet, but will report if I get to it tomorrow.

[trk]

I made a stuck-case-removal tool from a 1/4-20 bolt, some washers and a piece that could be duplicated by a socket - #7 drill and 1/4-20 tap to thread the stuck case and it pulls right out.

Then I learned to use a GOOD sizing lube. My favorite over all the ones I've tried is a very thin coat of anhydrous lanolin.

[Rockydog]

I've used the One-Shot Pump spray lube and found that it must be absolutely dry before sizing to have any shot at cases not sticking. I stuck so many .223 and 6mm TCU cases with this stuff (even after drying) that I quit using it. Went to Imperial Wax for the 6 TCU and back to my old lube pad with lyman pad lube for everything else. RD

[Blackwater]

Thanks, guys, but is there some incompatibility between the waxy stuff and the oily stuff??? I need to know what's CAUSING the stuck case in order to confidently use it again. Some sort of incompatibility that I don't understand seemingly HAS to be the problem ... seemingly ... because I've used other waxy lubes, mostly on handgun stuff, and never had a problem. I've got 4 or 5 bottles of the Hornady stuff that I got for a big discount, and I WILL end up using it. I just need to know what's CAUSING the problem so I don't get any more cases stuck, and I hate having RCBS send me stuff for free. I figure I ought to be smart enough to know not to make the same mistake twice, at least.

[shotman]

I havent used the Hornady but the stuff Midway sells . Frankfort arsenal It works good and easy to wash off . But it need to dry and I do the inside of the necks. On most rifle cases I spray and shake in a box and spray again. wait about 20 min and start sizing . I havent had one stick yet. Get the stuck case set from RCBS its about $12 and its worth it .

[bruce381]

Thanks, guys, but is there some incompatibility between the waxy stuff and the oily stuff??? I need to know what's CAUSING the stuck case in order to confidently use it again. Some sort of incompatibility that I don't understand seemingly HAS to be the problem ... seemingly ... because I've used other waxy lubes, mostly on handgun stuff, and never had a problem. I've got 4 or 5 bottles of the Hornady stuff that I got for a big discount, and I WILL end up using it. I just need to know what's CAUSING the problem so I don't get any more cases stuck, and I hate having RCBS send me stuff for free. I figure I ought to be smart enough to know not to make the same mistake twice, at least.

I do not know if the RCBS lube will MIX with the hornady stuff.
Any RCBS left on the die may not allow the hornady lube to WET evenly on the die ( or vice versa) and thus may cause sticking tho if any RCBS lube is left I would think it would help to prevent sticking. To me sounds like the Hornady lube is the problem, try going back to some "hand" lubes with RCBS and see if sticking goes away.

I can tell you that the RCBS lube WILL wash off with plain warm water and is water soluble.
bruce
bruce

[qajaq59]

You cleaned it all up so I assume you could try it again. However, you should bring it up slowly and if it begins to get hard to move, STOP right there and back off so you don't get another case stuck. I only size 30 caliber, not 223, but if they don't size easily I know there is something wrong with my lube. The presses have tremendous leverage so it shouldn't take a whole lot of force on your part to size a case.

[Dennis Eugene]

I also bought some of the Hornady pump bottles of case lube after haveing used the aerosol spray stuff for years. I tried just about every which way to get it to work stuck at least a half dozen case. I figger the stuff is just junk went back to the RCBS pump and the Hornady aerosol One shot and never looked back. Personally I think the pump bottle stuff from Hornady just happens to be junk I still have two full bottles around here some where but I ain't wasting my time looking for it. Dennis

[Echo]

I bought a bottle of spray lube at a gun show a couple of years ago. Tried it on some .223 cases, followed instructions, and stuck the first case. Used my RCBS case un-sticker, and managed to bend the de-priming/neck sizing spindle. Tried it again, with the same result. I have gone back to my old method of squirting a little blob of CD-2 in a ziplock, kneading it around until it is all over (mostly) the inside, then throwing my cleaned cases in, zipping up, and massaging them for a minute or so. Dump them in the plastic bowl, and have at it. The spray-bottle is put away.