Do you lube handgun brass with carbide dies?

It's so easy to use lube, it never occurs to me not to. Big Ziplock bag, half full with wet-cleaned, decapped brass, a squirt of the RCBS water-soluble liquid, knead for a couple of minutes, and hey Presto! Dump into a clean stainless bowl, and start sizing. Rinse sized cases with hot water to remove lube, let dry, then prime.

Dry tumbling has been eliminated from my shop due to the airborne lead dust issue. If you're counting on the residual dust from the dry tumbler to lube your cases, then you're getting that lead dust on your hands.

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Originally Posted by rcslotcar

Using lube makes sizing much easier/smoother with less stress to the cases.

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jmho - also makes die more vulnerable to picking up containments + scratching brass

A little Imperial wax every 5, 10-20 to keep the process smooth.

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Originally Posted by Greg S

A little Imperial wax every 5, 10-20 to keep the process smooth.

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Do you then remove it?

Nope

I answered "yes"

I am using a case feeder on a progressive so it's all or none, no way to do it occasionally.
I rub some Bag Balm (it's mostly lanolin) into a 30cal. patch, put it in a plastic container with the cases, cover it, and roll/tumble/shake to lube.
I think that's better than a spray because no lube gets inside the case but still a little on the case mouth for the expander.
You can spray it into an empty Zip-Lok bag and add the brass after spraying to minimize getting lube inside of the cases.

When do I remove the Lube?

I don't have the opportunity to remove it after sizing when reloading on progressives.
I don't wipe down loaded ammo, too slow, I just store and shoot it lubed.
The lube is removed when it is tumbled the next time...

Relative to Lube/Not lube.
I shoot a lot more 22LR now, it's cheaper than primers, I don't have to load it, and it's available in every Walley-world where I live.
I have minimized 22LR feeding/jamming problems by LUBING ammo before filling mags.
Same routine, spray some case lube into a Zip-Lok add the 22LR ammo and give it a shake.
No more hiccups,
jmo,
.

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Originally Posted by Kenstone

I answered "yes"

I am using a case feeder on a progressive so it's all or none, no way to do it occasionally.
I rub some Bag Balm (it's mostly lanolin) into a 30cal. patch, put it in a plastic container with the cases, cover it, and roll/tumble/shake to lube.
I think that's better than a spray because no lube gets inside the case but still a little on the case mouth for the expander.
You can spray it into an empty Zip-Lok bag and add the brass after spraying to minimize getting lube inside of the cases.

When do I remove the Lube?

I don't have the opportunity to remove it after sizing when reloading on progressives.
I don't wipe down loaded ammo, too slow, I just store and shoot it lubed.
The lube is removed when it is tumbled the next time...

Relative to Lube/Not lube.
I shoot a lot more 22LR now, it's cheaper than primers and I don't have to load it.
I have minimized 22LR feeding/jamming problems by LUBING ammo before filling mags.
Same routine, spray some case lube into a Zip-Lok add the 22LR ammo and give it a shake.
No more hiccups,
jmo,
.

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I never would have thought of lubing 22s that way. Thanks for comment and tip!

Sometimes extra lube, sometimes just the car wash n’ wax left on the cases after cleaning.

Starting out, I put lube on everything (I loaded only a few flavors of straight walled pistol) because it kept new brass from sticking, and made my progressive press cycle much smoother and easier (and therefore giving me more consistent ammo). I gave up the lubing when I switched to once or multi fired brass (the powder residue seemed to act as enough lube to eliminate expander ball sticking), wet tumble cleaning with car wash n’ wax, and batch processing in a way that made sizing resistance less of an issue.

Most recently I ran into a galling problem on my carbide sizer that seems specific to one brand of colored brass. Lubing that particular brass has stopped the galling; other brands haven’t caused the same issue and don’t get extra lube.

I shoot in sandy, dusty and windy conditions, where lube attracts grit, so I’m glad I don’t need to do the extra steps of lube application and removal to the reloading of most of the 20-30 K rounds I need yearly.

If you have to lube your brass when using carbide dies, why pay the higher price for carbide dies? Why not just buy the steel dies if you are going to lube anyway. I use both carbide and non carbide and I lube on the brass to be used in the steel dies only, never carbide. I have been reloading for 64+ years and I have only stuck one case in a die and it was a 8x57mm case that was in bad shape that I was trying to iron out and salvage. I should have never put a very badly mangled case in the die to start with. my experience anyway, james

i only lube when sizing feels harder than usual.even then just one case.

[ I shoot a lot more 22LR now, it's cheaper than primers, I don't have to load it, and it's available in every Walley-world where I live. ]

here in the east primers + .22 Rf are about the same price - both are unavailable at any price lately -

I lube about every third case,makes it a lot easier on this old guy.

9mm and 40sw only straight wall I have so nope.

Everything works better with a little lubricant.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kenstone

Relative to Lube/Not lube.
I shoot a lot more 22LR now, it's cheaper than primers, I don't have to load it, and it's available in every Walley-world where I live.
I have minimized 22LR feeding/jamming problems by LUBING ammo before filling mags.
Same routine, spray some case lube into a Zip-Lok add the 22LR ammo and give it a shake.
No more hiccups,
jmo,
.

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I lube 22s also. Got the idea from an old timer when I was shooting bulls eye.

I only lube big bore magnums - 500 and 460.

I never realized lubing handgun brass in any form was as prevalent as it is. Thanks everyone for sharing.

I use the Home-Brew Dillon style, lanolin and alcohol spray when processing rifle brass on my DILLON XL650

afterwards, I tumble in 20/40grit tiny corn cob media, it's too small to get clogged in the primer pockets.

On some pistol, I use the same lube, but more sparingly

44mag
45LC
9mm.

not- 38, 357, 45ACP, 380, 40, etc.

even though 9mmm is dinky, my XL650 still runs smoother when I give them a little spritz

https://i.imgur.com/hv28znX.jpg

Wet lube guy here about 1/3 .

I've regresseded to steel dies for Colts , S&W , ACP 45s , 380 , and 38/357 .

For 99% of handgun brass, using carbide ringed sizers, all cases are lubed. My thoughts include increased longevity of all components in the reloading process. My last operation before boxing is to give each a swirl with a paper towel, and (maybe just superstitious?) I am convinced that the microscopic but still present layer of wax provides enough of an approaching zero permeability layer to arrest corrosion of the brass, while making it more appealing to the eye.
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