?Remove case lube?

[prs]

It is probably "the correct thing to do" and necessary for high power rounds, but I have pretty much skipped this step, removing case lube, for my 45 Colt, 45ACP, and 40S&W loading. I have used the Lee water based lube right from the get-go even though I use carbide size dies in a progressive because cycling the press is so much easier. After loading, there is virtually no lube left on the cases any way.

Then I saw that spritz bottle of Hornady OneShot on the store shelf and tried it. Had 150 clean 45ACP cases in a plastic bag and gave the bag one shot of OneShot and shook it up. Forgot all about that change in method as time passed. Nothing caught my attention during loading or even during magazine filling. Nothing different at the shooting range until I began picking up spent brass. THEY WERE SLIPPERY! Danged slippery! No obvious evidence of case head damage.

Do you folk clean this stuff off before shooting?

prs

[LUCKYDAWG13]

why do you lube your pistol brass ?

[Hawkeye45]

I use RCBS lube for sizing and put them all in a pan of water with Dawn dish washing soap, put them on the wood burning stove to heat up. Stir them around once in a while for about an hour or so then wash them under running water,drain and let dry. Solved my case discolorization problem and no slipperiness.
Just the way it works for me.

Mr. Ed

[Rick Hodges]

I do. Tumble, lube with rcbs case lube (steel dies only), deprime, and size. I then was with Iosso case cleaner..rinse with hot water and let dry overnight.

[john hayslip]

If your 45 resizer is a carbide one you don't need the lube. If not order just a Lee carbide sizing die when things settle down. I use the Lee lube of cases that need to be lubed, mostly rifle cases, and just wipe the lube off with a rag.

[13Echo]

If you are using a carbide pistol die just clean the brass of dirt and dust before sizing and don' bother with lube. If you are sizing with Lee lube and some other types cleaning the lube off the cases afterward is not necessary. Other lubes should be removed and it is best and most easily done with a brief tumble in walnut or corncob media with a bit of Stoddard's or deoderized mineral spirits added (about three caps full). Lube left on the cases can result in excess bolt thrust as it lubricates the case in the chamber and it attracts and holds grit and grime which you do not want in your barrel or chamber.

Jerry Liles

[prs]

why do you lube your pistol brass ?

It makes the five station press much easier to cycle. That is a big plus on a large run.

prs

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i use a single stage so i just though that it was odd to lube a pistol case
thanks

[oldfart1956]

The last inspection before I drop the loaded round in the box I wipe it clean. I use a single-stage press and carbide dies for .38/.357, .44 and 45 colt...all in Ruger Blackhawks. Since Ruger allows such generous dimensions in their chambers even carbide dies work to downsize em. I keep the tin of Imperial Sizing Die Wax open and every 3 to 5 rounds swipe a finger over it before picking up the next case to be re-sized and de-primed. It makes a huge difference. Eventually I'm gonna get some diamond paste and hone these carbide dies out or switch to steel dies and hone them out. Just the way I do it and not saying it's the only way. Audie...the Oldfart.

[sthwestvictoria]

I only shoot rifle so a bit different from pistol.
My routine is to use lanolin (as I use it for lube as well and am too cheap to have two seperate products) then tumble in corn meal (polenta) to take the lanolin off. This is to reduce the theoretical risk of increasing bolt thrust pressure by reducing case wall grab on the chamber.

[Char-Gar]

I have hand wiped every round I have loaded in the past 50 odd years. At least a half million is not more rounds. I first used cloth and now I use paper towels.

I find it somewhat remarkable that folks work so hard to avoid removing the lube from cases/loader rounds. It isn't toxic that I know off and contract with it isn't harmful. I guess we are living in times, when folks want to do the most with the least amount of effort. It all seems very odd to me.

[country gent]

I have several ways of doing this. On my rounds laded with the single stage presses I use a hand decapper clean lube and size then clean for a hour or so in corn cobs and a vidratory case cleaner. A little rubbing alchlol added really speeds this up. For the rounds loaded on my progressives most are pistol rounds that I very lightly lube even with the carbide dies. These are wiped down when boxing them up. A towel damp with alchlol and working the cases in it works fine. I load 308 223 on a progeressive and cleaned them the same way. A buddy actually would tumble loaded rounds in a tumbler 3-4 full of ammo and media. I dont recomend this but He never had a problem.

[Iowa Fox]

It is probably "the correct thing to do" and necessary for high power rounds, but I have pretty much skipped this step, removing case lube, for my 45 Colt, 45ACP, and 40S&W loading. I have used the Lee water based lube right from the get-go even though I use carbide size dies in a progressive because cycling the press is so much easier. After loading, there is virtually no lube left on the cases any way.

Then I saw that spritz bottle of Hornady OneShot on the store shelf and tried it. Had 150 clean 45ACP cases in a plastic bag and gave the bag one shot of OneShot and shook it up. Forgot all about that change in method as time passed. Nothing caught my attention during loading or even during magazine filling. Nothing different at the shooting range until I began picking up spent brass. THEY WERE SLIPPERY! Danged slippery! No obvious evidence of case head damage.

Do you folk clean this stuff off before shooting?

prs

prs I use just about your same method. Lee sizing wax for evrything sized in the single stage including carbide dies. For the folks asking why pistol with the carbide dies? Its just a matter of time before the friction of the bare case going into the carbide insert starts transfering metal to the carbide insert, either brass or nickel. Plus the handle pulls so much smoother. For my Dillon everything gets laid on its side and spritzed with Dillon spray lube. It will migrate all over including the inside of the necks. And yes I'm using Dillon carbide dies except the 223. After the ejection bin is full I take a rag with lacquer thinner and give each loaded round a quick wipe as I box them, that spray lube is really slippery and tacky. The spray lube will stay there until it gets wiped off.

[rasto]

I lube pistol cartridges as well because it is a big difference in multi stage press!
I put let say 20 lubed out of 100 just to relube dies.
Put them onto towel spray it with brake cleaner and shake well, all done within few seconds!

[Love Life]

I also lube all my pistol brass. Makes running a progressive much smoother even with carbide dies. I just tumble the loaded ammo afterwards for about 15 minutes. makes the boolits a dull gray, but there has been no nuclear explosion in my garage from doing so I'll keep on keeping on.

[Jon]

I use a little bit of one shot, and it seems to dry up just fine. It does make a big difference on 38spl cases.

[canyon-ghost]

Rubbing Alcohol or 90% alcohol

[John Boy]

prs, you know I shoot BPCR and I don't want any contamination in the chamber that will effect sealing to the walls. My case lube is a finger wipe of Bag Balm. Before the complete reloads go in the boxes they are wiped with a shop rag coated with Eezox ... one of the other attributes of Eezox besides a lube, cleaner and the best darn rust preventative on the market

[Alan in Vermont]

I also lube all my pistol brass. Makes running a progressive much smoother even with carbide dies. I just tumble the loaded ammo afterwards for about 15 minutes. makes the boolits a dull gray, but there has been no nuclear explosion in my garage from doing so I'll keep on keeping on.

That's the same approach I use. Rifle rounds get tumbled if there are more than 50 or so, otherwise they get laid out on a rag, sprayed liberally with brake cleaner, the rag gets folded over the top of them and the whole sandwich gets rolled back and forth a few times.

Ah jest hates tacky ammunition!

[Larry D.]

I know a guy that uses graphite to lube cases with.
He says it wipes right off easily.

[Wayne S]

WalMart brand "Pam" fill a small plastic bucket 1/4 full [45 ACP to 30-06] give a quick spray, tumble the cases and give another spray, I use a cloth glove to handle them, after sizing, they go into 5 gal. bucket with some Dawn, toss around a bit, add hot water, shake and tumble, pour cases into a colander, rinse and either sun dry.

[Skipper]

I let them soak in a container full of BBQ starting fluid. When they're done, pour the fluid back in the bottle and use it.

[jcwit]

I lube all my pistol brass cases, at 69 years anything to make life easier is a plus.

To clean the lube from the cases if I need to, I use white gas or reg. gas, which ever is handiest. Ya I know gas is flamable, so is filling my lawn mower.