Rip Van Winkle

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hdwhit

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Between 1993 and 2015, I suffered from a neurological condition (ultimately successfully treated) that kept me away from my reloading bench. Like Rip Van Winkle, the world of reloading changed dramatically during those 22 years.

The biggest thing I have had to get used to has been the new products that are available. One of these is resizing lubricants. Back in the day, the RCBS lubricant was predominant. Today there are many choices and I'm as bewildered as someone from the former East Germany being confronted with all the choices in the toothpaste aisle.

I would like to use a wax type lubricant. I have some familiarity with Lee's resizing lubricant and Hornady Unique. I would like to have one that I can wash off or tumble off rather than having to laboriously rub off. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
 
I use Hornady One-Shot. I'd like to try some Imperial Sizing Wax as I hear it is quite good but the shipping cost is more than the product and One-Shot can be procured locally.
 
I use Hornady Unique. It works well and tumbles off quickly. I recently bought some of the Hornady One Shot case lube but I haven't tried it yet.
 
Glad to hear you are doing better and are back at it again after so many years!

I have a couple tubes of the rcbs lube and while it works very well, I do not like the oily feel.

For most rifle brass, I use the lee toothpaste tube case lube. I empty a 2 ounce tube in a half liter water bottle and fill the bottle with ~14 ounces of denatured alcohol and shake very well to break up all the clumps of lube. When not being used, the lube will separate and sink to the bottom, you just need to give it a light shake. To lube brass, I spray a little in a gallon ziploc bag and just shake brass around. then I will go back with a qtip and non diluted lee lube to lube the neck of every other case

For pistol brass, I generally dont use lube with my carbide dies, but I will periodically use a little spray of hornady one shot when sizing more difficult brass like 9mm(tapered), 357 and 500 mag. I like oneshot because it doesnt leave the brass greasy feeling, it leaves a very slight protective waxy coat and does not need to be tumbled after sizing. I actually like oneshot a lot but it does seem that the majority of people that stick bottlenecked rifle cases end up doing it with oneshot. I have used it on 300blk brass with good success but that cartridge is almost a straightwalled case.
 
I use Lanolin and Alcohol mixing my own case lube. Try this, by lanolin from a Mother's Market or other source and try to get 95% alcohol. Drug stores usually carry 90%. In a small spray bottle, mix 1 part lanolin to 4 parts alcohol, shake and then spray on your cases.

Sometimes I will add a little more lanolin to get a heavier mixture. The stuff work great and is cheap comparted to the RCBS and Hornady products.
 
I've been using Frankford Arsenal case lube in the pump spray bottle. It's good stuff. I've been working on SB resizing a thousand LC 308s with nary a squeak.
I put 30 or so in a baggie, give it a squirt and work the cases around in the bag, dump them on a paper plate and go.
The lube stays wet, and I've noticed that when it dries it looks like it's gone. I wipe the cases anyway, and I'm still deciding if I'm going to tumble them before loading.
Sure don't appear to need it.
 
I've been experimenting with 0w15 synthetic motor oil. I had it sitting around for lubing AR's. I use the shake and bake method. Works ok.
 
longdayjake said:
I use wire pulling lube. Cheap and good stuff.
Click to expand...

Which is what LEE lube is. It is water based can be diluted with rubbing alcohol and sprayed on. I do not even remove it.

A bottle of pulling lube from Lowes or Homers will last you several lifetimes:)
 
I'll throw another one out there. It has multiple uses in the firearm world; cleaner, rust inhibitor and lube for sizing cases. Ballistol. Put some in a container beside press and just dip the tip of your finger you are going to pick up the brass with and give a little twist of the brass between your fingers as you are moving it towards press and you're done lubing. No sprays or trays. Once brass is sized, it will tumble off in 30 minutes or less and leave brass nice and shiney. A 16 oz bottle used only for sizing will last a looooonnnnggg time. A couple of tablespoons has easily done 1,000 cases for me.
 
longdayjake said:
I use wire pulling lube. Cheap and good stuff.
Click to expand...
I began with Lee sizing lube. It works well, but I don't like the finger smear method. So I tried pulling lube, and it works too. But it is water-based and I soon began finding rust in my dies.
I went to Imperial wax. Fast, works very well, cleans off easily, and no die rust.
 
Well, you can always roll your own. I use the RCBS case slick, the same one I have been using for decades. I like the small pump spray but at one time they offered an aerosol can which they quit offering. The Lee you mentioned is still around too. Case lube is one of those to each their own things. :)

Ron
 
Still using a bottle of sticky RCBS on an uninked pad, graphite inside case necks. Too much gives you dents but I've never stuck a case in 58 years.
 
Imperial Sizing Wax doesn't cost a lot and the 2oz tin seems to last forever since you need very little. It can be wiped off easily with one swipe of a cloth rag.
 
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