I was reading about how some people mix Hornaday Unique Case lube with Heat injector cleaner (1oz. to 8-10oz ratio) and make a spray lube and lube their cases even though they use Carbide Dies. My question is: Is it necessary to clean off the lube after loading using a Media cleaner or just leave the lube on the case? I do lube using a lube pad and only lube every 4-5 cases in my Carbide Die and I use a walnut media Vibrating cleaner after loading to clean off the lubed cases when I use the lube pad!! I load mostly straight walled cases, 9mm, 40 S&W, 38SPL, 357Mag, and 30 Carbine cases and only use Carbide dies to load with, even though I have regular Steel Dies in all those calibers but only use them sparingly and clean my dies after a loading secession. Thanks for your opinion.
LUBE QUESTION???
- Thread starter 74man
- Start date
nettlle
Contributing Member
With home brewed lube the only way to know is try and see. I don't clean off One Shot when I'm done. If I am using a wax lube like Imperial it's got to come off when I'm done.
FROGO207
Member
I use Iso Heat dry gas and liquid lanolin at about a 12:1 ratio for regular sizing. When I am done the complete reloading process on each round I will run a bunch of it in a corn cob-walnut mix for 15 min to remove enough on the outside so they do not feel sticky to the touch. Never had a problem with my ammo not going off. Not sure what your lube is made of so looking at the MSDS might help decide how you want to proceed.
bullseye308
Member
I too use the red iso heet and liquid lanolin sparingly and it’s just enough to make sizing easier and not leave the cases sticky, so I don’t clean them after. If you put enough on there where you can feel the lube, you should probably clean it off. I did till I got the amount figured out and now I don’t clean after loading them.
Varminterror
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
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- 14,935
Yes, that mix needs to be removed before loading.
JohnMc
Member
Iso Heet is mainly isopropyl alcohol, which evaporates easily. The rest is ethyl benzene, which will evaporates more readily than the isopropanol. Let it completely dry, leaving only the Hornady Unique behind. The Hornady website has the following text about it, which leaves me to believe it would be fine to leave it, assuming the mix is allowed to dry.
For those who want to use a high quality paste lube, this non-petroleum product will not contaminate powder or primers.
That said, I'd test a small batch first.
Unique™ Case Lube
Item #393299For those who want to use a high quality paste lube, this non-petroleum product will not contaminate powder or primers.
That said, I'd test a small batch first.
WeekendReloader
Member
I use the LEE paste lube in a tube. Mix it into a bottle of 70% alcohol from the drug store and use it as a spray (10:1 mix). It dries to leave a thin wax coating. No need to remove after loading.
tightgroup tiger
Member
There is something that RC Model used to say about case lubes, Leaving it on, they caused the case to slip in the chamber instead of the case gripping the chamber for a moment when fired.
Whether that's bad or not I've not seen any clinical results to say one way or another over the last 50 years.
I clean the One Shot off my 9mm loaded cases by running them through my rotary tumbler for 10 minutes. The extra weight of the bullets really makes them shine up fast in a very small amount of time in the wallnut media.
Then I roll them on a towell to get any dust off.
Don't know if there is a wrong way of doing it.
Whether that's bad or not I've not seen any clinical results to say one way or another over the last 50 years.
I clean the One Shot off my 9mm loaded cases by running them through my rotary tumbler for 10 minutes. The extra weight of the bullets really makes them shine up fast in a very small amount of time in the wallnut media.
Then I roll them on a towell to get any dust off.
Don't know if there is a wrong way of doing it.
ReloaderNoob
Member
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) $6 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.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Thanks. Is this the same Hornady liquid you’re talking about? https://a.co/d/j2JY6Hr
They don’t label it One Shot.
Screenshot from: https://www.hornady.com/reloading/case-care/lubes-and-cleaners/case-lubes
Do you also use your mix on bottlenecked rifle cases?
JohnMc
Member
You're right, that isn't One Shot, it's Case Sizing Lube.
That's 100% castor oil, according to the MSDS:
I'd just get castor oil instead of #50009, I saw some for under 50 cents per oz on amazon.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
Thank you.
I think I will pass on the Castor Oil. Just typing those words gave me flashbacks of visiting my grandmother’s as a little kid and getting a big spoonful of that stuff before breakfast.
ReloaderNoob
Member
223/556. 300 BO, 30-06 all get my version of homemade lube spray.
tightgroup tiger
Member
Stop it , your making me quiver.Thank you.
I think I will pass on the Castor Oil. Just typing those words gave me flashbacks of visiting my grandmother’s as a little kid and getting a big spoonful of that stuff before breakfast.
What was it with Grandparents and caster oil back then?
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
I don’t know. If it wasn’t Castor oil it was Cod Liver oil.Stop it , your making me quiver.
As I was writing this it dawned on me that back in the late 90’s a fellow Cowboy Action shooter was trying to get people to buy his Whale Oil for gun lubrication. He gave me a bottle of it. I never tried it as I figured it might not be any good for gun lube.
tightgroup tiger
Member
I Wouldn't put it on my gun either, maybe in my kerosene lamp for outdoors.
Lennyjoe
Member
I’m lazy and just buy Hornady 1 shot for 90% of my cases requiring lubrication. The other 10% (straight walled cases like 45-70, .450 Bushmaster and .50 Beowulf) get imperial wax.
