Squeak! Friction When Seating Clear PC?

[KVO]

I am getting an audible squeak/ chatter and notably increased force when seating boolits coated with Eastwood clear gloss PC. So much so that I've taken to applying a dab of lanolin on the bearing surface when seating them. I've used several different brands of pigmented PC with good results as well. Clear coated size the same as the others, coating does not measure any thicker before sizing. Accuracy from a pistol is not noticeably different on target, haven't tried them in a rifle yet. It would be enlightening to chronograph some of the "squeaky clear" vs other coloured boolits. I have to wonder if this particular clear PC has a significantly different coefficient of friction? Anybody experience this with another brand of clear PC?

[OS OK]

I use clear gloss & haven't had this happen.
A few thoughts come to mind though...

*First, I wondered if the PC was cured completely. Thinking that your coating isn't 100% hardened...it might want to drag against the brass inside the neck as it may be softer and tackier than the normally hardened PC.

*Next thought was that I wondered if you might be cleaning your cases spanking clean inside and out. I've heard it said that the remaining carbon inside the case neck helps to lubricate the round as it is seated. They were talking of rifle rounds/cases but I think the same principal applies to some extent.

*Clear gloss is a little different in characteristics than a PC filled with color pigment...so, thinking about other angles I thought about the size of the case neck expansion you do and exactly what size cast you are stuffing in there. A good number of loaders around here use expanders that came with their die sets that are made for J-type rounds...less expansion with these expanders as they are stuffing bore size projectiles. It could be that you may have to enlarge your expansion to accommodate the over bore size casts. I use a variety of mandrels made by NOE that go inside a universal Lee expander die so that I can expand my cases .001" over sized PC'd cast...the brass generally springs back by .002" and gives me an overall 'holding/squeezing' of the case on the projectiles by .001".

I dunnoh really...could be a combination of the above or I could be way off in left field here...you need to post lots more details about these things I mentioned to solve this riddle. Pictures go a long ways too...good pictures that is.

[stubshaft]

I get the squeak intermittently when seating boolits with the Square Deal press. I pulled a couple of them and checked the PC. There was absolutely no damage to the coating and accuracy was no different then the boolits that didn't squeak.

I do not add any lube to the PC boolits when loading. They are slippery enough.

[KVO]

Replies to above: I mostly use the NOE expander setup and run on the high side when possible to prevent swaging down when seating, e.g. for a .431" boolit I use the .430x.433" expander. My cases are tumbled in walnut shells with a shot of Flitz media additive. I don't go for mirror bright cases, just get the dirt and grime off. I have experienced galled brass in particular with new cases (Starline being the worst offender) and jacketed bullets as noted above. I make it a habit to tumble new brass for a 20-30 min just to get a layer of "something" on them before loading. I bake in a convection oven with the same setting for all the powders, 400 degrees verified with a thermometer for 30 minutes. It's worth looking back at the instructions for the clear, though I hadn't gotten the impression that they are under-cured. At this point it's an annoying oddity that doesn't seem to affect performance. Perhaps there are some potential benefits too, such as increasing neck tension on thin walled or bottle necked pistol brass that is prone to setback (.357 Sig or .30 Luger anyone?). Appreciate the input y'all! I'm all ears. P.S. Pics coming as soon as can be made to happen.

[popper]

Sized after coating? I've heard it a few times in 40sw for tight boolits.

[wrench]

I have also experienced 'the squeak' when loading pc bullets. Smoke's powder, several different colors/combinations. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.
Are you loading mixed brass? I wonder if some headstamps are tighter than others, causing more friction? I've never seriously tried to figure it out.
Have never noticed any negative effects from it, either.
Just another of the things that make you say, 'Hmmmmmm'.

[stubshaft]

Sized after coating? I've heard it a few times in 40sw for tight boolits.

I always size after coating. Makes the boolits slip through the Lee sizing die STOS.

[CASTER OF LEAD]

I have also experienced 'the squeak' when loading pc bullets. Smoke's powder, several different colors/combinations. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.
Are you loading mixed brass? I wonder if some headstamps are tighter than others, causing more friction? I've never seriously tried to figure it out.
Have never noticed any negative effects from it, either.
Just another of the things that make you say, 'Hmmmmmm'.

I too have heard ,and still do at times that audible squeak when loading Pc'd boolits in pistol cases. Even up in neck expansion (What seems to be almost to the point of over belling) I still randomly hear it. I am agree with wrench's statements . It does not affect my accuracy, any pulled boolits look just as good as when they went into the case. Just for reference I use Smoke's Clear gloss powder, and have not heard the sound with any of the other colors I use which I get from him. So here I sit now going..........Hmmmmmm lol

[KVO]

Right two were squeakers, all the above retrieved from clear ballistics gel for comparison. Coating appears to be intact, has that "PC slick" feel and can't scratch any appreciable bare lead with a fingernail. So... it's seeming to not matter any more than I currently can't load clear coated boolits at midnight because the squeaks wake up my preschooler. 1st world problems...