Stuck cases in Lee 223

[jmorris]

I was asking for lube advise.

Of the spray on lubes, I have used Dillon lube with great sucess not so well with Hornady one shot. A bunch of the pad style lubes work well. As always read the directions as some amount of drying time often exists generally its seconds not minutes. If i were trying to be inventive with stuff I have around the house I might try cool bacon grease, if the case got stuck at least it would smell good.

 

[Swampman]

Before you get mad, perhaps you should re-read your original, unedited post. If you read it from the perspective of someone who knows absolutely nothing about you, it's pretty scary. Were we supposed to somehow read between the lines and know that you're aware of the need to trim cases? When communicating via print YOU are the one responsible for putting down the facts so that others can assess them.
In any case if you have to "discover" for yourself that bottleneck cases need lube, I still think you could stand to do a bit of reading.

To get back to the case lube problem, if you can find lanolin and 99% isopropyl alcohol locally, you can melt the lanolin in a double boiler, add the alcohol and have an excellent homemade case lube that will only cost about 5 times as much as a two ounce tin of Imperial Case Sizing Wax (that'll lube more than 5000 cases).

 

[tyeo098]

Bought a tin of mink oil boot waterproofing.
If that doesn't work I'll break down and order something from online.

Thanks all (well, some of you) for the help.

I'll report back tonight. I've got code to write!

 

[popper]

Mink oil works fine, just don't use too much.

 

[Hacker15E]

Why the need for a "non traditional" lube?

The path of least resistance is just to buy some kind of commercial case lube and run with it. I use Lee case lube, diluted with water. It's only a couple bucks.

Seems like you're asking for more trouble by being hell bent to not order something from an internet seller.

 

[tyeo098]

Why the need for a "non traditional" lube?

The path of least resistance is just to buy some kind of commercial case lube and run with it. I use Lee case lube, diluted with water. It's only a couple bucks.

Seems like you're asking for more trouble by being hell bent to not order something from an internet seller.

Ladies like a guy who is interesting.

I think I'm weird.

Anywho, the mink oil works WONDERS. Its like pressing butter. Thank you all who recommended it.
I bought it in the form of the Kiwi Boot waterproofer, Lanolin, Silicone, and Mink oil.

Sweet baby Jesus is it easy now.

MODS: Question answered, problem solved.

 

[popper]

Clean it off before you load em.

 

[cbuttre835]

I have heard that mica is a good dry lube that doesn't require tumbling to remove. Graphite might also work (stick the case mouth in it to get inside and out) but I have never tried it.

I have had .223 cases lubed with the Dillon lanolin / alcohol mix get stuck if I didn't stand them up and get a little in the case mouth.

There is a trick I read somewhere, where after you pull the case head off and it's stuck, you can drill and tap the case with a 1/4-20 tap and screw a long bolt and nut into it, and then tighten the bolt to pull it. I have a buddy who said it worked; I've never tried it. Safer than beating on the die.

 

[EddieNFL]

SLATHER IT: Cases only stick if I stop moving the ram.

Hos do you NOT stop the ram?

 

[MEHavey]

What do you all use for lube that I can find locally?

First: If you can't find RCBS Case Lube in a local Virginia gun shop,....

...you are in the wrong gun shop. :banghead:

Second (and while in that same righteous gun shop): Pick up a Lyman 49th or a Sierra reloading manual (or maybe both)

Third: Do the above in reverse order.

 

[whtsmoke]

I like the stuff in the white plastic squeeze bottle(RCBS), i made my own lube pad from some old towels that the little lady sewes togethere to make a pouch for me, squirt lube on it and rub together to et both side sticky and i dump so much brass in at a time and just rub them together. I have had stuck cases before but thats only because i forgot to lube the cases. we used lanolin on 45acp brass in a steel 44 die to size the case down to fit in a 44 and loaded them for plinking. alot of work but the end product was fun.

 

[MEHavey]

I used a pad for decades before I discovered putting a (very) small "BB" of lube on the first case,
and twisting it between thumb & forefinger to spread it up/around the case wall (and not on the
shoulder) before sizing.

`Worked wonderfully.

Even better, that same lubed thumb/forefinger could then twist-lube the next 3-4 cases
I'd pick up to size -- with no additional lube needed at all.

 

[LiveLife]

If I don't clean my rifle sizing dies after I use them, dried leftover lube inside the die will really stick the next case (guilty, only had to do it once).

Before I start another resizing session, I swab the inside of the die with a light coat of synthetic motor oil.

 

[rcmodel]

IMO: Synthetic motor oil is more likely to stick a case then leaving the old sizing lube in it.

If you stuck a case once, it was due to not enough sizing lube, not old sizing lube.

I can't remember the last time I cleaned a sizing die of old lube.

But if I did?
I would spritz it with a very light coat of new high film strength sizing lube.
Not low film strength motor oil!

rc

 

[LiveLife]

rc, I do use case lube in addition to the coating of oil.

Guess I'll try without it next time. After sticking a .308 case and having one heck of a time getting it out, I got overly cautious and thought of it as an extra measure of insurance.

 

[Sport45]

I give my dies a shot of silicone spray lube when I put them away. But that's only to slow down the rusting process, not to provide any supplemental lube.

 

[FROGO207]

My sizing dies are so slathered with lanolin that they would float in the ocean for 40 years without rusting. Never really cleaned them or had issues or even an oil dent in 30+ years. I just do not see what all the trouble is with stuck brass if the correct lube is used for the job. That said I have tried a number of things to lube brass when sizing and while other things work well to lube, the lanolin or Imperial wax are the easiest to remove after so I use them exclusively now. YMMV

 

[RustyFN]

I saw where somebody used Ideal wire lube and said it worked great. Never tried it myself as case lube but have used gallons of it pulling wire and it is very slippery. I use Hornady one shot

 

[egg250]

Vegetable oil can be an adequate case lube. You don't need much.

You can use case lube pad, or something else that will saturate with the oil (sponge comes to mind). Lightly roll the cases on your lube pad. The cases should be greasy/slick/oily to touch, but not so heavy that the oil is falling off like grease from a fat-burger.

Too much lube can cause dents to form in the cases. If any cases get too much lube, wipe them off with a paper towel.

Are you cleaning the cases before de-capping/sizing? You should. Also, cases need to be cleaned again, to get the lube off.

Good luck.

 

[tyeo098]

Man that Kiwi Boot Waterproofer works GREAT!

Thanks guys!

 

[ranger335v]

Any commericial case lube works fine if it's used correctly and nothing works well if it's not used correctly. Ditto there are quite a few excellant substitute lubes but you better have a stuck case remover if you gonna expeiment with substitues. Silicon spray is NOT a good substitute case lube.

 

[MEHavey]

If you stuck a case once, it was due to not enough sizing lube, not old sizing lube.

RC & I have had opposite views on this before.

I have stuck an LC/308Win casewhile using Imperial Sizing Wax -- in a small-base sizing die
that I'd not used in 4 months and which had old wax left in it from the last session.
Putting "more wax" on the next case did nothing but stick that one too. :banghead:

I then used a tightly-wound piece of paper towel to screw into the die and removed all sorts
of yucky old wax`n stuff..... after which the next case did fine. (Well... "much better".)

Tho' I have become a fan of Imperial over time, I will have to advise any new reloader that
the best lube -- bar none -- is RCBS.

Where the true test comes into play --small-base sizing-- that old tried & true RCBS case lube
makes life noticeably easier.

 

[Legion489]

Stop what you are doing, and go to your local library and get Lee MODERN RELOADING 2nd ed (ignore all the BS about how great the Lee pot metal presses are and the warranty, in my experience the warranty isn't worth the paper it is printed on, and not making good TP, is totally worthless, as are the pot metal presses), Lyman #49 (new) or #48 (old), and DBI METALLIC CARTRIDGE RELOADING 3ed ed and READ THEM ALL COVER TO COVER!

NOW, go get some proper case lube and READ THE INSTRUCTIONS before using them. Use EXACTLY as they say to use them (if a spray, let it dry!!) This will cure 99.9% of the problem you are having.

 

[ranger335v]

"...ignore all the BS about how great the Lee pot metal presses are..."

Cases stick in sizer dies for ONE reason; bad lube or improperly applied lube.

Ignore BS statements that Lee's high grade alum alloy presses are "pot metal". Ditto the alum presses from RCBS, Hornady and Dillon.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Stop what you are doing, and go to your local library and get Lee MODERN RELOADING 2nd ed (ignore all the BS about how great the Lee pot metal presses are and the warranty, in my experience the warranty isn't worth the paper it is printed on, and not making good TP, is totally worthless, as are the pot metal presses), Lyman #49 (new) or #48 (old), and DBI METALLIC CARTRIDGE RELOADING 3ed ed and READ THEM ALL COVER TO COVER!

NOW, go get some proper case lube and READ THE INSTRUCTIONS before using them. Use EXACTLY as they say to use them (if a spray, let it dry!!) This will cure 99.9% of the problem you are having.

I agree, get some LEE lube because they make the best products in the world.