Case Lube Report

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I been using Hornady Unique, I have tried Imperial - works well, I just like the Hornady Unique a little better and it is inexpensive.

[Mr Peabody]

Either Imperial or Hornady Unique, I give a very slight better to Unique but they are both very good and not very messy. STP does work but it's very sticky and messy.

My choice too

[gwpercle]

If you do not mind using a lube pad, STP (VERY lightly!) makes tight cases/dies behave more civilized. I have used Imperial Sizing Wax when custom forming cases and have found STP to be superior.
What I want to know is where in the World you found RP 41Long Colt brass!

STP Oil Treatment is greasy and slickery ... but is the absolute best resizing / reforming lube . Put the STP on a clean ink pad , let it soak in and lube cases by rolling them lightly on the STPed ink pad ... a thin -thin coat will get the job done .
Gary

[45_Colt]

STP Oil Treatment is greasy and slickery ... but is the absolute best resizing / reforming lube . Put the STP on a clean ink pad , let it soak in and lube cases by rolling them lightly on the STPed ink pad ... a thin -thin coat will get the job done .
Gary

I've been meaning to ask, what is the best method to remove the STP from the cases? I like of idea of an inexpensive and easily available sizing lube. But removing the lube is always on my mind.

45_Colt

[Mk42gunner]

I have never liked using a lube pad, they always seemed to give too heavy a coat of lube.

What I did with STP, successfully I might add, was to put a small amount on a rag then just wipe my fingers on the rag. Give the cases a twirl while inserting into the shell holder and they are lubed. No muss no fuss.

As for removing such a light coating, I just wiped the completed rounds with a shop towel.

I use Imperial the same way, except there is no need for the rag; just swipe your finger over the opened tin about every three or four cases.

Robert

[popper]

Can't find any one-shot so tried the RCBS and isopropyl. 20 drops of lube and tablespoon of alky. Did 200 300BO cases, none stuck and I propably should try 2 tablespoons alky. 308W next. Oh, a few drops in a baggie and 50 cases, mush around for 30 sec or so. Waited 10 min to 'dry'.

[imashooter2]

I've been meaning to ask, what is the best method to remove the STP from the cases? I like of idea of an inexpensive and easily available sizing lube. But removing the lube is always on my mind.

45_Colt

Throw the cases away and buy new.

Seriously, a can of Imperial lasts darn near forever and a quart of the RCBS/isopropyl or lanolin/isopropyl will last an awful long time. There’s no need to mess with difficult.

[imashooter2]

Can't find any one-shot so tried the RCBS and isopropyl. 20 drops of lube and tablespoon of alky. Did 200 300BO cases, none stuck and I propably should try 2 tablespoons alky. 308W next. Oh, a few drops in a baggie and 50 cases, mush around for 30 sec or so. Waited 10 min to 'dry'.

Make it by the quart and never look back!

[curdog007]

0W-20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil - makes FL sizing large Nitro Express cases quite easy.

[DocSavage]

To clean petroleum based lubes wash in mineral spirits if you don't have a case tumbler. Thought about acetone but that's an operation for outdoors not indoors.

[gwpercle]

I've been meaning to ask, what is the best method to remove the STP from the cases? I like of idea of an inexpensive and easily available sizing lube. But removing the lube is always on my mind.

45_Colt

Sad to say ... there is no easy way to remove STP ... I use any solvent (mineral spirits , paint thinner or Ed's Red Gun Solvent ) spray some on cases , and roll the cases on / in and around old hand towel or shop cloth ... I wipe each one off .
It is a pain but STP is the only thing that let me resize 303 British that had been fired in a machine gun ... the chamber was very generous .

The cleanest is Lee Case Lube , it is a water soluble wax ... it is a metal forming lube and a thin dry coat wipes off easily ... just handling the cases will easily remove it ... a dry paper towel or shop rag ...it wipes right off ... but Lee's didn't work for the 303 British fired in machine gun ... I tried but the Lee Lube wanted to stick ... only STP allowed sizing without a case sticking .
Gary

[45_Colt]

Sad to say ... there is no easy way to remove STP ... I use any solvent (mineral spirits , paint thinner or Ed's Red Gun Solvent ) spray some on cases , and roll the cases on / in and around old hand towel or shop cloth ... I wipe each one off .
It is a pain but STP is the only thing that let me resize 303 British that had been fired in a machine gun ... the chamber was very generous .
Gary

I was afraid of that. So far I've been OK with the old RCBS aerosol lube and Imperial. But I can see where STP can come in handy. Thanks for the feedback.

45_Colt

[Kestrel4k]

I have never liked using a lube pad, they always seemed to give too heavy a coat of lube. [...]

I couldn't agree with you more on that; my least favorite part of reloading was the constant too-heavy / too-light lube from the RCBS lube pad; hated that stuff for sure.

Years later, forum research indicated that Hornady Unique was the way to go, and can certainly concur on the high effectiveness /and/ considerable economy of that little tub.

I recently came into some 30-30 brass from a friend who was downsizing; he had a few hundred cases that he had full-length resized w/ the RCBS case lube, and then never cleaned.
Over /40 years/ of sitting there curing - it took me /hours/ to get that crud cleaned off. If I knew how hard it was going to end up being, I would have dumped the whole lot into a can of mineral spirits and let it soak for a few days first. :-/

[GONRA]

GONRA sez - ALWAYS keep a bottle of STP Oil Treatment on hand! !!
If you hava sizing die that "sticks" and "Just Doesn't Seem To Verk" -
TRY SIZING IT ONE LAST TIME with STP "Case Lube"
before polishing die, other dorking around, to make it "size gud".

PS: Semiauto Guys: Don't beat yer brains out "cleaning brass".
Leave the case sizing lube residue
on the cartridge case. Helps Functioning! !!

[Unclenick]

Hornady Unique is a lanolin-based lube, so if you don't want to mix your own, just buy the Unique. Like Imperial Sizing Wax, too much will cause dents in the shoulders of bottleneck cases, but with the 41, you won't have to worry about that. I've used both, and both work pretty well. I've mainly used Imperial, but I have, even with Imperial, had one case get stuck, so nothing is 100%. Still, with straight wall cases, I wouldn't expect anything like that to happen. It's the taper in cases that causes sticking grief.

[challenger_i]

I couldn't agree with you more on that; my least favorite part of reloading was the constant too-heavy / too-light lube from the RCBS lube pad; hated that stuff for sure.

Years later, forum research indicated that Hornady Unique was the way to go, and can certainly concur on the high effectiveness /and/ considerable economy of that little tub.

I recently came into some 30-30 brass from a friend who was downsizing; he had a few hundred cases that he had full-length resized w/ the RCBS case lube, and then never cleaned.
Over /40 years/ of sitting there curing - it took me /hours/ to get that crud cleaned off. If I knew how hard it was going to end up being, I would have dumped the whole lot into a can of mineral spirits and let it soak for a few days first. :-/

2 tablespoons TSP to 1/2 gallon boiling water (preferably distilled). Place offending brass in a gallon plastic container and pour TSP solution over the brass. When the solution has cooled to room temp, rinse. Stickie stuff is gone.

[deltaenterprizes]

Tonight while forming 300 Blk brass that I had sprayed with the lanolin alcohol mixture it was working but taking a little more effort than my old arm was comfortable with so I sprayed a mixture of STP/alcohol and another solvent that I can’t remember right now and there was a noticeable difference!
I had just made a small batch to experiment with and now I will have to make another larger batch!

[rbuck351]

To get stp off, rinse in gasoline. It works great but I wouldn't do it indoors. It even works on brass that was lubed long ago. Another lube that works very well is straight castor oil but it's pretty messy too.

[Ben]

A very thin film of Lucas Red and Tacky has worked for me for years.
Never a stuck case.

[VariableRecall]

Make your own lube from liquid lanolin and isopropyl alcohol there are loads of recipes out on the web. Midway has a lube that looks like petroleum jelly that works well I use it but can't recall ots name at 4 am. Question have you tried applying a coat of lube on the inside of the size die.

I have found a very similar lanolin based recipe from a fellow reloader works very well for me. It's about 2oz of plain petroleum jelly combined with about 2 squeeze tubes of lanolin nipple cream, both parts mixed thoroughly. It doesn't smell bad, it's delightful for your hands, adheres nicely to brass, and does a great job with lubrication.