Lithi-bee contaminating powder??

[shredder]

Guys, what are the odds of a lithium grease componant in a boolit lube contaminating a load of 14 grains of Herco in 30/06? IF the boolit bases were not wiped after pan lubing, and sizing, could we see a misfire or a dud?

[runfiverun]

the oils that are not locked up by either the wax or the lithium soaps can easily contaminate a powder.
if you had direct contact betwen li lube and the powder i would fully expect the free oils to migrate.

you ever open a can of wheel bearing grease and see oil rolling around in there?

[RobS]

What grease brand and was it plain lithium, complex, high temp??? Also what were your ratio's or percentage of beeswax to grease?

Personally I've never had any issue with grease "sweating out" with the lithi-bee type lubes I make. I don't have any lube grooves exposed on the inside of the brass case either (bottle neck cartridges) such as in my 375 H&H so there's not a way for the powder to be indirect contact with a lube groove.

[357maximum]

VERY VERY SLIM....


I have used some pretty "wet" soft lubes made with assorted grades of lithium grease......never had one not go bang yet. I do not let the feet of the boolits dangle in the case either though. You could put water in the lube groove and the brass/boolit fit would prevent it from going anyplace.

[btroj]

Maybe if you stored the ammo for quite some time in a very hot environment it could be an issue. Ammo shouldn't be stored there anyway.
I don't wipe bullet bases and I don't have squibs. I suppose I just don't even worry over it.

[shredder]

What grease brand and was it plain lithium, complex, high temp??? Also what were your ratio's or percentage of beeswax to grease?

Personally I've never had any issue with grease "sweating out" with the lithi-bee type lubes I make. I don't have any lube grooves exposed on the inside of the brass case either (bottle neck cartridges) such as in my 375 H&H so there's not a way for the powder to be indirect contact with a lube groove.

Thanks guys. I just had some concerns with the petroleum contamination. I mixed up a batch with 60/40 beeswax/high temp lithium bearing grease with a little atf. It is nice and soft. The stuff is "grease master" high temperature lithium complex. When I made the lube it was a bit too soft so I added a square of parrafin and that made it a bit stiffer. It is probably closer to75/35 wax/grease now.

[Eutectic]

You could put water in the lube groove and the brass/boolit fit would prevent it from going anyplace.

I was taught many years ago in a different (no rush) time I guess.... But what is so hard about wiping a boolit's base before seating it??

357max sums up a correctly seated boolit's ability to be a perfect gasket and seal for leakage.... BUT...

Necks have to be sized without internal damage. I have picked up fired brass that looked like splines were inside the neck! So for a dependable seal necks need to be smooth inside after sizing which means they need lubricated prior to sizing.. The boolit also needs a smooth sized surface..

I was taught 50+ years ago to reload every round like your life may depend on its proper function.... It is good advice... I have yet to have even soft lubes migrate and affect a round; some now decades old.

Eutectic

[shredder]

I was taught many years ago in a different (no rush) time I guess.... But what is so hard about wiping a boolit's base before seating it??

357max sums up a correctly seated boolit's ability to be a perfect gasket and seal for leakage.... BUT...

Necks have to be sized without internal damage. I have picked up fired brass that looked like splines were inside the neck! So for a dependable seal necks need to be smooth inside after sizing which means they need lubricated prior to sizing.. The boolit also needs a smooth sized surface..

I was taught 50+ years ago to reload every round like your life may depend on its proper function.... It is good advice... I have yet to have even soft lubes migrate and affect a round; some now decades old.

Eutectic


Thanks for that. I too lavish care on each boolit so your post really hit home for me. The smooth case necks makes perfect sense to me. I neck size and clean the necks scrupulously.

[runfiverun]

if you introduce lube into the powder container you will have oil migration.
keep it out.

[leftiye]

It can and will happen. Notice no one here says it can't happen, only that they haven't experienced oil contamination. Plus no one says oil and grease won't hurt powder. I have heard of contaminated rounds failing to fire. Most everyone else has too. Lithium based lubes will weep oil, at the very least, they can be soft enough to easily contaminate powder. Though they are a purty good lube even then. So the obvious answer, keep lubes out of touch with your powder. Easily enough done.

[buck1]

I have used Lithi-bee lube for years now. Both in rifle and pistol and love it. Some ammo setting on the shelf for several years before getting fired. I live in the hot south west and have had -0- trouble.
The only trouble I have ever had with lube of any kind and FTF was many years ago with case lube in a shell. That will kill the powder. It was RCBS case lube II. And it was my fault for getting over eager lubing the necks.