Lyman lube

[huntnfish72]

Came across this stuff in a big box of estate stuff. It is black and in cardboard boxes. Hole in middle. Box says lyman on it. Is this stuff any good? What for?

[1Shirt]

Used it for handgun blts for awhile back in the early 70's. Not bad lube, and the price is right. It is dirty however.
1Shirt!

[williamwaco]

The black lube is Molybdenum Disulfide

"The Molybdenum Disulfide in this lube coats the barrel for increased velocity and improved accuracy. In addition, it virtually eliminates leading and it flows through lube sizers without heat, yet won’t melt at 130°. All Lyman stick lubricants are hollow and fit the 4500 Sizer/ Lubricator and similar Sizing/Lubricating tools, including RCBS." - Lyman web site.

People either swear about or they swear at it.

It is reputed to be a very good lube but very messy and permanently stains anything it touches.


.

[fryboy]

actually the moly lube is more of a grey/gray , ye olde lyman ideal lube was soot ( lamp black ) mutton tallow and i suppose some beeswax , and it's black !! black as 300 foot down and around a couple bends , as stated it's dirty but .. it does work ( remember fit/size is king !! )

"BULLET LUBE"
"Q: Can you recommend a particular bullet lubricant for a given application?
A: Each lube is recommended for different purposes as follows:
Super Moly Bullet Lube: All purpose, high performance lubricant. Has Molybdenum Disulfide added for increased velocity. Works in lubricator/sizers without a heater. Recommended for any shooting situation.
Black Powder Gold Lube: Specifically formulated for black powder shooting. It has a high melting temperature which makes it ideal for long range shooting. This does not require a heater when sizing and lubricating.
Orange Magic Lube: Great lubricant for high velocities with lead bullets. It has a low smoke output which makes it perfect for rapid fire pistol shooting. Recommended for use with a lube heater.
Alox Lube: Best all around to 2000 fps. Made up of 50% Alox and 50% Beeswax. This is the standard NRA formula.
Ideal Lube: Best for low velocity pistol shooting to 1200 fps."

scroll down to bullet lube in their FAQ's ( link below )

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/faqs/bullet-casting.php

i dont believe i've ever seen their moly lube in cardboard boxes , the first tube i bought back in the early 90's was in a plastic tube , i tried doing a google search for the old boxes but came up with nothing ( me google fu must be off today ) i'd almost bet that the boxes are the old lyman orange boxes ( black and orange actually ) i used to have a couple but i gifted them to a feller ( darn it i should of taken a foto first )

[huntnfish72]

The boxes are black and white. Patterned diagonally.

[fryboy]

then they're newer than i originally thought and match the mold boxes from around the same vintage , fairly certain if they have no other identifying words that they're the ideal lube ( see above description )

[Hardcast416taylor]

It is better than having nothing at all. The stuff is not only dirty but over several years of sitting in a sizer it literally turns hard and is a real problem removing it. I cleaned out a 450 sizer that had this set up lube in it once. I boiled the sizer and scraped out this black dirt like hard substance that proved to be old Lyman lube. I still get a streak of it every now and again when lubing bullets of this old lube that I cleaned out 10 years ago.Robert

[huntnfish72]

So, I'd be better off just throwing it away?

[OuchHot!]

It was the first lube that I used, years ago, and seemed ok for .38sp and modest .30-30 loads. I never pushed it beyond that and used other lubes after I ran out. I couldn't say anything against it. It wasn't a hi-vel lube for rifle, and I would rather not use it at indoor ranges.

[gwpercle]

My first lube, late 60's ....it came with my brand new 450 lube/sizer. Been using it for handgun and 30-30 rifle and things that don't go too fast. Seems to work, smokes a bit but it used to be cheap and being a frugal sort I could buy 10 sticks for $6.00. Still got some and still using it along with some other old school lube sold by Choate Machine & Tool co., alox base , bright red color, wrapped in foil- $10.00 got you 20 sticks delivered . Man those were the days.

If you don't want the stuff , offer it to someone just getting started who can use it or I will take and use it, don't throw it away. It does work and I have never had it get hard on me. Momma taught me wasting stuf was a sin.

Gary

[MT Gianni]

+ 1 on ideal lube. It functions at 38 special speeds and is accurate. I would make FWFL if it were me.