Straight up JPW as a tumble lube

[Deep Six]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I couldn't resist trying it anymore so I gave it a go. I have a box of 200 gr RNFP .431 commercial cast bullets that lead something terrible due to a bevel base and some sort of super hard dark blue lube (SNS brand). I figured some better lube may help the leading issue so I put 50 of them in my TL tupperware and dropped a pea-size piece of JPW in and gave them a good shake. It coated super easily with minimal shaking and no nasty brownish-hue that you get with LLA. I set them out to dry while I loaded some other rounds. Within an hour they were dry to the touch and pretty slick. I'll load them up in 44 special tomorrow and shoot them as soon as it gets above 20.

I've got my fingers crossed that straight up JPW will work as a TL for standard velocity pistol rounds in 38, 44 special, and 45. It goes on super easy, dries fast, and doesn't discolor boolits like LLA does. I hope I'm on to something here.

[35 shooter]

Used it with rifle boolits double coated up to 2400 fps. No leading but seemed to give a purge shot every so often and throw one out of the group.

[45-70 Chevroner]

What is JPW? What is the difference in price as apposed to LLA?

[Echd]

Johnson Paste Wax, a material you can buy at Lowes/Home Depot. It is inexpensive and not a liquid at room temp like LLA.

A lot of people like to mix it with LLA and make 45-45-10 lube (Recluse lube it's sometimes called). I would suggest just buying it from White Label if you want 45-45-10, it's not worth the trouble and fire hazard of mixing up large quantities of JPW in my opinion. I had a thermostat on my hot plate go bad and send it into a flameup one time, and that was decidedly NOT FUN.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I had a thermostat on my hot plate go bad and send it into a flameup one time, and that was decidedly NOT FUN.

Yeah, I had my first batch go into flame thrower mode as well, a little bit exciting.
O friend of mine from the range, old guy, 80 or so, tried making a batch and it flamed as well.
He was not as lucky as me. I got away unscathed, he had 3rd degree burns on one leg, Its almost a year and
he still isn't 100%.
It is a good lube though

[bangerjim]

I have been told by those older than I that they used to use JPW for lube back during WW's.

Alox has been around for a long time and was designed NOT for boolit lube, but a rust inhibitor.

I use JPW for coating lots stuff...wood finishes, saw tables, sticky doors and drawers, sliding surfaces, and just about anything that needs to slide or have a protective finish.

I PC every boolit now and do not worry about JPW, 45-45-10, LLA or any grease lubes any longer. Makes life much much simpler and barrels much cleaner.

bangerjim

[dmize]

Double boiler on a hot plate. Petroleum distillates of any kind and open flame is never a good idea.

[357maximum]

You got to meet the tinsel fairies dog...his name is WOOF :lol: Has visited me a time or two also. :mrgreen:

[btroj]

I have no burning desire to meet Woof

[scattershot]

Is Minwax paste wax the same stuff?

[rsrocket1]

Deep Six,
Have you measured the actual diameter of the bullets and have you slugged your barrel?
I have a feeling it's not the lube, it's that your barrel is bigger than those hard cast boolits.

Sometimes a high enough pressure-fast enough powder will overcome too small of a bullet, but not always.

[Deep Six]

I finally got a chance to do some shooting today. The JPW definitely helped the commercially bullets, much less leading. I also tried the same thing on some homemade boolits that had been previously pan lubed with 75/25 paraffin/vasoline. It helped them too, although they already worked pretty good if you kept the loads reasonable.

Finally, I tried tumble lubing some freshly cast Lee 429-200 LFN. This is where things fell apart. I put a coat on them, let it dry, sized them to 0.431, and then put another coat on. All was well until I shot them. I've never seen a barrel lead up that bad in 25 rounds. Accuracy was not good either. This is a revolver that's usually a tack driver and has never really had leading problems. Lesson learned is that while JPW makes a good lube ingredient at the correct ratio, it is not sufficient by itself.

I plan to experiment some more with other tumble lube recipes. My goal is something that goes on easy, dries clear and fast, is accurate, and doesn't lead at standard 44 special / 45 acp velocities.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Straight ole JPW is my standard for .380 ACP bullets.

[Old Dawg]

Did you considered that sizing after you lubed the bullets may have been the problem? Try sizing then lubing.

I have been using straight unheated JPW for over 30 years. It is unbelievable how clean it leaves the barrel. It is the only thing I use for handgun bullets. The first time I used it, as an experiment, I loaded 500 H&R Magnum rounds with a 104 gr WW version of the SAECO 98 gr SWC at 1200 fps (chronographed). It was at least as accurate as factory jacketed.

I cleaned the barrel very good before starting. After firing all 500 rounds the barrel looked like a wet mirror all slick and shiny. I have put about 3000 rounds through that particular gun and it still has never seen anything but a dry patch and still is shiny.

[DanWalker]

I use JPW, but I don't heat it. I heat the boolits in an oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, then just drop a gob of jpw on them and swirl. Melts almost instantly and gives a nice golden coating. I pour them out on a yard sale bought cookie sheet to dry.

[oscarflytyer]

I make my own 45/45/10. Great so far.

However, I have pan lubed a bunch of 45-70 405 grnrs - because they have such HUGE lube grooves! And i had some pan lube cakes I had yet to try/use.

[singleshot]

Did you considered that sizing after you lubed the bullets may have been the problem? Try sizing then lubing.

I have been using straight unheated JPW for over 30 years. It is unbelievable how clean it leaves the barrel. It is the only thing I use for handgun bullets. The first time I used it, as an experiment, I loaded 500 H&R Magnum rounds with a 104 gr WW version of the SAECO 98 gr SWC at 1200 fps (chronographed). It was at least as accurate as factory jacketed.

I cleaned the barrel very good before starting. After firing all 500 rounds the barrel looked like a wet mirror all slick and shiny. I have put about 3000 rounds through that particular gun and it still has never seen anything but a dry patch and still is shiny.

Are you sure you don't mean 32 H&R Magnum vice 500 Mag? LOL!

[smokesahoy]

Is Minwax paste wax the same stuff?

My home depot only carries this too. I didn't buy it because they don't say anywhere on it what it is.

[Deep Six]

Did you considered that sizing after you lubed the bullets may have been the problem? Try sizing then lubing.


I lubed, sized, and then lubed again. The bullets need some lube before they can be pushed through the sizer, hence the order I did things in. I did not, however, heat the bullets. I just put 50 of them in a tub, dropped in a pea-sized chunk of JPW, and swirled until evenly coating. This was in my basement with an ambient temperature of about 55-60 F. Maybe I'll take the other fellow's advice of heating the bullets to 200 F before coating next time.

[Old Dawg]

I sure did. Wonder how that slipped through? The older I get the more frequent the brain farts.

[Old Dawg]

In warm weather I put my bullets in a capped mayonnaise jar and set it in the sun for about 30 minutes. In the winter I set it on a floor heat register. They don't need to be hot, just warm enough to cause the wax to melt as the bullets are tumbled.

[JimA]

How long does it take for straight JPW to dry on your boolits? Is it tacky?

[DanWalker]

I usually wait a day or so to load them. Standing them up to dry helps a lot. The excess lube will actually run down off of them if you stand them up immediately after tumbling. My boolits when fully dry, have a waxy feeling to them just like 22 ammo does.

[JimA]

That sounds OK.. I'll try it for some of my powder puff 38 special loads.

[pastor]

Pc ???

[pastor]

i have been told by those older than i that they used to use jpw for lube back during ww's.

Alox has been around for a long time and was designed not for boolit lube, but a rust inhibitor.

I use jpw for coating lots stuff...wood finishes, saw tables, sticky doors and drawers, sliding surfaces, and just about anything that needs to slide or have a protective finish.

I pc every boolit now and do not worry about jpw, 45-45-10, lla or any grease lubes any longer. Makes life much much simpler and barrels much cleaner.

Bangerjim

pc ??

[DLCTEX]

Powder coat.

[BAGTIC]

Yup! I did. Amazing how leaving those two little numbers (32) out changes things. OTOH I did say "H&R Magnum" not S&W, AFAIK that is the only 'Magnum' H&R has ever made.

I will be trying it in my 500 S&W Handrifle as soon as I recover from shoulder surgery but I think I will be keeping the loads mild.

[DLCTEX]

The JPW dries to a flakey crust if left on the boolit for an extended period before loading ammo. The 45/45/10 will be there a year later with no ill effects IMHE.