Moly Lube in Lyman 45

[Joel Chavez]

I recently won a Lyman 45 on Ebay and was wondering what lube to use. I visited Cabela's yesterday and the gentleman that is in charge of the reloading dept. suggested moly lube. The stuff is hard lube and is black. Do you guys think it will work for my 38spl, 357mag., and 45acp using ww cast boolits? I've been using beeswax and vaseline, but the stuff is sticky and kind of a pain to use. Thanks in advance. :-D

[DLCTEX]

You'll have to run it with heat until the temp reaches 100*+ this summer, then if you are casting indoors, you"ll still have to heat it. I use a blow drier, but some here use a piece of aluminum protruding from under the press and place an iron(for clothes) on it for a heat source. Do a search here and you can find lots of knowledge on heating lubes. Dale

[dubber123]

Until I switched to Verals lube, I used alot of the Super Moly. Yes a little heat is in order, but I had very good luck with it, and shot many of my smallest groups with it. For commercial stuff, I consider it very good.

[Joel Chavez]

Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to using my Lyman #45 and experimenting with lubes, boolits, etc. I guess that is one of the reasons why I got into reloading and casting in the first place. I'm going to figure out a "hot plate" for the lyman. Chat with you all later. Hope its warm and dry where you are. Here, its 90% chance of t-storms with heavy flooding possible. In other words, it might rain. It depends on which lying weatherman you listen to. Later.:castmine:

[KCSO]

I have used a 45 since about 1973 and I do use a hair dryer to heat up the hard lubes. I also don't put a lot of pressure on the resevoir. I usually turn the handel every 2 or 3 bullets. By doing this this unit has lasted me and my father in law for over 40 years and has lubed ??????? bullets.

[Joel Chavez]

I've seen many posts about Lars's 45 Carnauba Red lube. Have any of you guys used it before. I'm thinking of buying some, but wanted to get some feedback on it first. I've emailed him requesting a sample and look forward to trying it out. Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas? Thanks in advance.:castmine:

[Calhunter]

I've used that black moly lube stuff before. I lubed everything from 223 to 460 S&W with it. It worked good for high pressure mag loads, 460, 357, 44 mag., and rifle loads. But with 45ACP, 44 specials, and 38 specials all of the recovered bullets still had all the lube grooves full of wax. I've noticed a small amount of leading as well. I've switched to a softer wax for my 45, 44, and 38 and have had no problems. The softer waxes are stickier but I'd rather deal with a little bit of sticky than a whole bunch of lead in my barrel.

:drinks:
Calhunter

[Joel Chavez]

thanks for the heads up Calhunter. I think I'll take the Moly stuff back to Cabela's and wait for Lars45 free stick of Car. Red. I'm just itching to try it. Chat with you later.:Fire:

[MGySgt]

FWIW -

I have been using Lyman Super Molly for a number of years and many 1000's or rounds in 45/70 - 45/90, 38's, 45ACP and 44 mag and soon to be 475 Linebaugh.

These are my thoughts on Lyman Super Moly.

1. No heat is required if your using it inside where the temp is over about 65 (some basements are cooler then others.

2. In Veral's book, on Cast Bullet shooting he states that Lyman Super Moly is 'Almost as good as his'. from him that is high praise.

3. Lars Carnuba red is a very good lube, but I got no better from his then I did from Lyman Super Moly and it needs heat to flow through a luber/sizer. I am still thinking of switching to Lar's Carnuba red, but am undecided. The hard lube migrates around the cylinder pin and gets a bit of build up and the cylinder doesn't turn as easy in double action shooting, and can make the cylinder pin hard to remove on my SA's. The verdit hasn't come in yet. Still want to do some more testing.

I also tried Lars 50/50 Alox and Beeswax - for 38/357 and 45 ACP that might be a better solution then his Carnuba Red.

Drew

[leftiye]

For lubes like moly lube, and Carnaube red, where only a little heat is required, I just put a heat lamp bulb in a desk lamp and shine it on the sizer. Temp can be controlled from too hot to touch down to almost nothing by moving it closer or farther away. They come in several sizes too.

[44man]

Drew, put STP oil treatment on the pin, front of the cylinder and ratchet and see if it helps the binding. I would not be without the stuff, it prevents wear better then anything and even my cap and ball keeps going all day. The STP gets black and dirty looking but never stops turning.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive shot and tested many lubes, both comercail and ones i made myself and if you want an honest opinion and all your shooting is handgun ammo something like 5050 is all a guy needs whether it is lars mix or javalina or any of the 5050 lubes. Lars lube is alot cheaper to buy though.

[MT Gianni]

If you get Ly super moly on you or your clothes it shows up on your next born child. Gianni.

[GLynn41]

After all that has been said before -- not much I can add-- have used several tubes of Lyman moly and it works fine- but to me it is messy-- it does have moly in it after all-Also i have never used any heating with as I have never had to-- Lars lubes also work and i think I going to like his slightly softer one-2500 i think it is- for what ever it is worth- I have gotten really great loads out of soft lubes- but the velocity is and will be some what higher with one that is harder-- than softer- Dan at Mountain Molds thinks it is because harder seals better than softer

[MT Chambers]

The Moly lubes are very hard to clean out of your sizer if you decide to change lubes.

[Joel Chavez]

Thanks for the insight

[MGySgt]

44man - Got to try STP on the base pins - I currently use a lube called Mil-Tech1 and it sure does work. But the hard lube gets in and around the cylinder pin and then re-hardens when the gun cools down. I have a bottle of STP on my shelf from a try at lube with it.

Mt Chambers - the only lube I had a problem getting out of the sizer or dies was Rooster Red. for the dies - put in a dish and run hot tap water on it for about 5 minutes - lube wipes right off. For the Sizer body - take die out and push all the lube out you can with the pressure washer, then take it apart and put it in a bucket of boiling water for about 10 minutes - the lube melts and floates to the surface. Dunk the body a few times and all lube is out. Let air dry and re-assemble.

Drew

[LarryM]

I've shot several thousand cast bullets lubed with Lyman Super Moly through my .357 Mag Vaquero and two different .30-30s and most recently a 1894C. pretty much eliminated 99%+ of any leading problems I had had previously and the only time I ever recovered a bullet form my backstop that still had any lube in it was a December day when it was colder than Hillary's heart and my ammo had been stored in an unheated garage for a few days. I've never needed to heat my Lyman lube/sizer. I admit to not having a lot of experience with other lubes but I found one that worked for me and stopped looking.