Some observations from this weekend

[HammerMTB]

I got a chance to go shoot a bowling pin match this weekend. Thought I'd try the .40 loads I worked up. I have some lubed with Javelina, and others using LLA. One thing I wanted to know is if with more than a few test rounds fired, it might lead up with one or the other.
I was pleased to find absolutely NO lead at the end of the pin match... I shot some of the grease lubed boolits first, and the LLA lubed boolits after. I would have thought after 150+ rounds, there would have been at least a trace of lead.
Oh, and this was in a Glock 29 with a Lone Wolf 40S&W bbl.

Then, in separate goin's on, a while back I came across a .401 Lee sizer at a gunshow. I got it for $5, so figured I couldn't get hurt too bad on the purchase. Since I didn't get any paper with it, I didn't know you were s'posedta lube the boolits BEFORE ya size 'em. It was a bit sticky, but seemed to git-er-dun.
So, after reading here that the boolits were s'posedta get lubed before sizing, I wondered what might happen if I just polished the die to a high luster?
So I did.
And tried it tonight.
It works like a charm....
No lube needed, real easy sizing push, and the boolits come out of the sizer die absolutely polished looking.
I don't know if this has been discussed here before, but I hadn't run across it. If you wanna save a step, you might give it a try....

[Wayne Smith]

I notice you are not telling us the diameter of the boolit after polishing the sizer??

[mpmarty]

I don't use LLA before sizing in LEE sizers, I spritz them with Frankford Arsenal case lube in a coffee can and rattle them around a bit then size them. Saves handling that filthy LLA or waiting for it to dry.

[HammerMTB]

I notice you are not telling us the diameter of the boolit after polishing the sizer??

Well, you're the first to ask, and until now it didn't seem important, but they run .4014-.4015
It was a nominal .401 die to start, and tho I didn't even bother to mike any sized boolits from before polishing, I have no reason to think they were other than .401.
The die was pretty rough inside. It is glassy now! :-D

[kbstenberg]

Hammer how did you polish the sizer? Emery paper / Valve lapping comp. / other

[HammerMTB]

Hammer how did you polish the sizer? Emery paper / Valve lapping comp. / other

Finer and finer grits of sandpaper. Ended with 400 grit, which by the time it was well worn left a very smooth appearance. It took maybe 15 minutes in the shop, on a high-speed drill with the die in my hand.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I found that a small dish with warm water and a spritz of Dawn and mixed well will allow me to size the boolit thru a Lee push sizer really easily.

[yondering]

Most lee push through dies need to be polished.
Also, every one of mine have been undersized, which works fine because you can polish them to the right diameter.

Split dowel wrapped with emery cloth in a cordless drill works pretty well.

[HammerMTB]

I tried 1 other thing that I hadn't before:
I have modded my 175 BB Lee mold to a FB boolit. I found that in sizing it, it would leave a little bit of flashing on the boolit base, leaving it uneven. I didn't like that, so tried turning the boolit base first. Since it is a TC design, it went easily, as long as I guided it to start with my fingers. Now no more flashing at the boolit base!
I love it when some cock-eyed idea happens to work! [smilie=w: