To Lube or Not to Lube, That is the question!

[mvozz]

Here are a couple of great questions. I have been casting, powder coating, and sizing some NOE 135gr 9mm HP boolits. I size with a NOE sizer to 355 only because I can't get a 356 right now. I sized in 2 batches of about 300 each, the first batch were a bit tough to size and took some real oomph to get to size and some of the powder rubbed pretty thin. The second batch I lubed with some lanolin/alcohol case lube I made and they went through like butter. I tried some Hornady One Shot on the first batch - No Joy!! I thought that I can't be the only one with an inquiring mind about this so here are the questions: Do you lube before you size and if so what do you lube with? This should be interesting!!

[El Greco]

Polish your 355 sizer with emery cloth on a drill shaft until you get 356 or more. I spray my PC boolits with alcohol landline mix. It works like a charm.

[Big Boomer]

Do not know anything about your specific equipment but I powder coat my cast boolits then size afterward, even with gas check boolits. However, I have a couple of Star sizers and use 50/50 clip on/stick on ww with a bit of tin for good fill-out. Since I still have some lubed boolits of all the boolits I cast, when sizing I keep a lubed boolit handy and run a sized & lubed boolit through the sizer and the lubed boolit leaves enough lubrication for several successive boolits before I have to repeat. I still have lube in the Stars but I don't bring the handle down far enough to engage the pump. BTW, I'm using .3575 to .358 boolits in my 9mms. Too, you can powder coat then use regular lube if you like if you have a Star. Just load a dummy round and give it the plunk test. As the previous poster noted, your sizing die can be reamed out to the desired size. That's what I did with the sizing dies for my Star sizers. Big Boomer

[Ozark mike]

I pan lube then size with a lee push thru

[popper]

I use a tad of one shot in a baggy and let it dry, worked ok.

[sigep1764]

I see problems sizing to 355. Most 9mms in my experience require 357 or 358 sizing to achieve accuracy and lead free bores.

[Burnt Fingers]

I see problems sizing to 355. Most 9mms in my experience require 357 or 358 sizing to achieve accuracy and lead free bores.

Yep.

I'd slug the bore(s) and make sure. I size all my 9mm boolits to .357 and they work quite well in over a dozen different firearms.

[sutherpride59]

To answere the original question it’s been my understanding that anything will work to make it easier, some guys put a few drops of LLA into a bucket of PC bullets and roll em around to make it easier. When I finally try my hand at it I plan to put them all in a container with a little ATF and give them a light coat that way. I haven’t found anything slicker than that.

[fredj338]

The longer the bullets set the more diff they tend to be sizing. I have used one shot, you have to use it per directions, let it dry, to size harder alloys or larger dia bullets. I would alSo never run 0.355" in most 9mm. I also have neber had a modern 9mm need to go all the way to 0.358".

[Burnt Fingers]

The spray lube that Donny sells works like a champ!

http://hi-performancebulletcoatings.com/sizing-lube/

It has no effect on the powder so that's a huge plus.

[Ozark mike]

A little ky goes a long ways:lol:

[mvozz]

Finally got back to this. NOE is out of sizing dies for now but I plan to pick up both .356 and .357 dies but my Beretta 92 just seems to love the .355 sized boolets, as does my wife's EAA Witness. I am watching for leading but if nothing appears I just may stick with the .355.

[onelight]

If they work and shoot good with no leading why Not shoot .355 .
what size are your bullets before sizing ?

[gwpercle]

Your life will be a lot easier if you size those coated bullets to a larger diameter .
Over the last 50 years ... I started by the book with .356" but that was iffy at best .
Size them to at least .357" and in some guns .358" and believe me when I say ...
Sizing will be much easier , accuracy will be improved and leading will be non-existent .
Gary