Hornady Unique case lube

stonebuster

stonebuster

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After reading some here use case lube with carbide dies I've been experimenting with Unique paste case lube on cleaned/polished 38spl cases. Prior to this my Lee powder drop die had been sticking after dropping powder and retracting case. I've been swiping the paste wearing a black nitrile glove rubbing it into the fingers until there's only a sheen on the glove, no clumps. When decapping I roll the case between my fingers before it goes in the shell holder. It requires a lot less effort using the lube. I reapply lube on the glove when needed and careful to keep lube to a minimum. Doing this has eliminated the sticking I experienced after dropping the powder. I'm still a rookie reloader(3yrs) & wondering if there's anything wrong with what I'm doing. I don't want to gum up the dies so I use the lube sparingly.
 
stonebuster said:
I'm still a rookie reloader(3yrs) & wondering if there's anything wrong with what I'm doing. I don't want to gum up the dies so I use the lube sparingly.
Click to expand...
There’s nothing wrong with lubing cases for carbide dies. You could also try lubing every other case since the residual lube will still be in the die. If that works, cut it in half again. As far as gumming up the dies, run a cleaning patch up in them every once in a while, like when you take them out of the press.
 
I use it in my carbide dies too. Usually coat the first one, then pick each case up with my fingers getting some residual lube on them until sizing feels a bit harder. Then I dab the container and go again. Usually only needs some every 5-10 cases.
It cleans out easily enough too. A cotton swab when cases start coming out dirty helps. A little mineral spirits can help for a more thorough cleaning.
 
tmd16556 said:
I use it in my carbide dies too. Usually coat the first one, then pick each case up with my fingers getting some residual lube on them until sizing feels a bit harder. Then I dab the container and go again. Usually only needs some every 5-10 cases.
It cleans out easily enough too. A cotton swab when cases start coming out dirty helps. A little mineral spirits can help for a more thorough cleaning.
Click to expand...
Good thing is it’s all natural 😉
 
stonebuster said:
After reading some here use case lube with carbide dies I've been experimenting with Unique paste case lube on cleaned/polished 38spl cases. Prior to this my Lee powder drop die had been sticking after dropping powder and retracting case. I've been swiping the paste wearing a black nitrile glove rubbing it into the fingers until there's only a sheen on the glove, no clumps. When decapping I roll the case between my fingers before it goes in the shell holder. It requires a lot less effort using the lube. I reapply lube on the glove when needed and careful to keep lube to a minimum. Doing this has eliminated the sticking I experienced after dropping the powder. I'm still a rookie reloader(3yrs) & wondering if there's anything wrong with what I'm doing. I don't want to gum up the dies so I use the lube sparingly.
Click to expand...
Theres nothing wrong with this. I've only recently started lubing straight wall cases in my carbide dies. It reduces the effort by a lot, especially with the cases that operate at higher pressure. I'm currently using One Shot but will switch to Lanolin/Alcohol when the One Shot runs out.
 
dannyd said:
What I think people miss is on a progressive press a little case lube helps the whole process run smoother.
Click to expand...
This is exactly what I've found.

On a progressive press, where several cases are being operated on at the same time, what I find is that variations in OAL (made during the Seating operation) vary less when the Sizing operation is lubricated.
 
Even with carbide dies, when sizing .460 brass, I need to lube the cases if I don't want to stand on my press handle. With just the tiniest of a smidgen of lube on the necks, it's a breeze, one handed sitting down. Sometimes I only have to lube every other one. Seems that not lubing them would tend to work harden the cases faster. Generally use a small amount of RCBS lube on a pad and then wipe it with my finger to apply to the case. Again, doesn't take much. I then generally tumble the loaded cases for a few minutes to remove any lube left.
 
Years ago I’d lube about every 4th or 5th case resizing 38/357, and even 9mm, but now I just use the lanolin spray lube and do them all. Having carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, and shoulder pain on and off for decades the lube has made a world of difference for me. You don’t “need” to, but it greatly reduces the effort and makes it much smoother. I use little enough that I usually don’t bother to tumble again afterwards and haven’t seen any issues so far.
 
Hey I am just wondering, If those of you that lube your cases, even with carbide dies, do you clean them in media after reloading to remove the lube? If you clean them with media, how long do you clean them in a tumbler? Thanks.
 
I just leave the lube on because the way I do it, there's not much left over anyway.

Again it's not about just sizing, that's almost irrelevant in the process of a progressive press; it's the expander die, seating die and crimp die the lube helps most with.

Try it lube 25 cases and don't lube 25 cases then load 50 rounds, you will notice a difference.
 
74man said:
Hey I am just wondering, If those of you that lube your cases, even with carbide dies, do you clean them in media after reloading to remove the lube? If you clean them with media, how long do you clean them in a tumbler? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I use Hornady's One Shot for my lube for it does not have to be removed and does not attract dirt like lanolin does. Most wax lubes dry so they will not attract dirt.

If you use a lanolin lube or anything that is tacky, I run them through the tumbler with corncob media for 15-20 min.
 
dannyd said:
What I think people miss is on a progressive press a little case lube helps the whole process run smoother.
Click to expand...

+1, 2, & 3 on the above!!! What ever makes the process easier makes it faster as well!!! More time to check all aspects of the process and be safer too!!!

A little lube never hurt anything but less lube could hinder some things!

God Bless and stay safe out there!!!
 
I’ve tried just about every lube on the market, Imperial wax as well as the lanolin mix, and what I use now is 1 ½ oz of Hornady LIQUID one shot (not the wasteful aerosol) $5 at Midway, mixed with 12 oz of red Iso-Heet $2 at Walmart. The liquid does not affect primers or powder, no post-lube cleaning required. Just a couple sprays in a ziplock bag, shake, let the alcohol evaporate for 15 minutes, and reload. Leaves a nice slick (NOT sticky) coating on the brass that stays for weeks stored in another ziplock. How I came about this is another story, but everyone who has tried this agrees it works great.
 
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