Case Lube on progressive press

[glenwolde]

What do you do to remove the One Shot? Or do you? I've considered using it with stainless pin cleaned brass. Cases get so clean, squeaky clean, that they drag on the expander plug. It makes processing on a progressive difficult. I'm thinking One Shot would be the solution provided I can figure out a suitable removal technique.

I don't remove it. I also wet-tumble and have the same issue. The One-Shot is hardly noticeable after loading if you follow the instructions, which are in the name. They mean it. One shot.

For this application (pistol cartridges) you don't need much. If you miss a case it won't matter as the die will be coated with the lube. I bag it in a gallon zip lock (quarter to a third full), give it a shot and shake-n-bake. For rifle cartridges you'll probably want to be a little more thorough.

One other thing: before you use it clean your sizing die really well. Sometimes One-Shot and other lubes mixed together will cause a failure with bottle-neck cartridges.

 

[DWalt]

My lube removal technique. First, with handgun cases, I normally don't. Second, with rifle cases, I wipe each resized case with paper towels dampened with mineral spirits while watching TV. But I seldom resize more than 100 rifle cases at a time.

 

[Krogen]

I don't remove it. I also wet-tumble and have the same issue. The One-Shot is hardly noticeable after loading if you follow the instructions, which are in the name. They mean it. One shot.

For this application (pistol cartridges) you don't need much. If you miss a case it won't matter as the die will be coated with the lube. I bag it in a gallon zip lock (quarter to a third full), give it a shot and shake-n-bake. For rifle cartridges you'll probably want to be a little more thorough.

One other thing: before you use it clean your sizing die really well. Sometimes One-Shot and other lubes mixed together will cause a failure with bottle-neck cartridges.

On my hand gun loads done on Dillon presses ,I do not worry about removing the hornady one shot. Not enough left to really make any difference. Many years of handgun loads with no problems

Thanks, glenwolde and dogdoc! I guess I have this ingrained notion that lube needs removal. It probably goes back to my early days using that sticky RCBS lube pad stuff. It stuck to everything, including my hands (for days it seems). I will give One-shot a try.

FWIW, stainless pin cleaning does an excellent job on range pickups. I don't bother with it for most cartridges, but in plate matches brass flies everywhere. We scoop up handfuls afterwards and the cases are a mix of who knows what. They get the stainless pins treatment and a good inspection before reloading. The problem of a progressive press and squeaky-clean brass has been unsolved. Enter One-shot . . . .

 

[uechikid]

I use a homemade lanolin and alcohol solution. It’s similar to Dillons case lube. Works great.

 

[Skeet 028]

I guess I should add. I have a Large Dillon Tumbler. I use corn cob media after loading with rifle. I even use Carbide 223 and 308 dies but they still need lube. About 10 mins in the corn cob to get lube off. Don't really need to do handgun but I do them too.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I'm loading 9mm and 38 spl/.357 Mag on a progressive press. What case lube are others using on 9mm especially when running through a progressive???

Not necessary and I have not had a problem in 40+ years of reloading.

 

[cmj8591]

I always use carbide dies for handgun cases. I like to lube one case about every 50 rounds or so just to keep the sizing process smooth. I haven't had any issues with the primers bouncing around on my Dillon. Another key with carbide dies is to start with clean cases. I also use the Lee carbide factory crimp die which sizes the loaded round after the bullet is seated. I have had zero issues with rounds failing to feed with this method.

 

[David Sinko]

I never use case lube with 9mm or .38 Special and carbide sizing dies. When loading rifle cases I tumble them first in corncob media. I don't like to use the ground up walnut shells because it tends to accumulate in the primer pockets and then get deposited in the shellplate and priming mechanism of the 550B. This will lead to rough operation. Sometimes corncob chunks will stick in the flash hole after depriming but I have never encountered faulty ignition because of this. Crimped primer pockets get reamed with a countersink. Sometimes I will load rifle cartridges on the 550B but I get a fair amount of powder leaking onto the shellplate and this further slows things down. The exception was 7.62X39 which I was able to improvise by using a .357 Magnum shellplate and a .300 Savage powder actuator.

 

[scattershot]

On .223 cases, I use a VERY light application of pure lanolin. I have found the sprays to result in stuck cases on occasion. Be sure not to overlube in the neck area, though, you can get oil dents on the shoulder.

 

[Krogen]

A point of clarification: Some posters say they never use lube on 9mm or some other cases. I'm in the same boat with pistol cartridges and carbide dies - except - when I clean brass with stainless pins. That specifically is the source of my headaches.

Others have the same dilemma. The cases get so clean they drag on the expander plug and to some extent in the sizing die. Bad enough on a single stage, it's particularly troublesome on a progressive where multiple things are underway at once.

My thanks to those of you who've offered up solutions to the issue!

 

[pistolpete10]

I have never used lube on pistol/revolver cases if using carbide dies. I have been using carbide dies for years. with single stage presses and now with a 550 Dillon. If I were gonna lube the cases why buy carbide dies?? The book says the lube should be removed, the case is supposed to grip the chamber when the cartridge is fired. I don't recall ever having a problem sizing 9mm cases. I don't wet tumble, never saw the need for squeaky clean.

 

[Skeet 028]

One solution for yourwet tumble cases. I have a Large Dillon tumbler I use to tumble loaded ammo to remove lube after loading. . I empty it into a kitty litter bucket(corn cob). After a while it gets enough lube in it that it doesn't do a good job on rifle cases...but after a wet tumble and dry...it puts just enough lube on sized pistol cases. Don't get that drag on the powder funnel in my 750s according to how much lube is in the media but I tumble in it for about an hour

 

[Skeet 028]

I've used carbide dies since hector was a pup. I don't think lube is absolutely necessary on many pistol cases...New ones sometimes. I lightly spray 38/357 and larger cases. Everything you can do to keep a real progressive running smoothly is worthwhile. I don't load 9s 380 25 32ACP. On 32 L/Mag/327 I lube new Starline cases. I also use carbide dies in 223 308 and I have a set of 30-06.

 

[glenwolde]

I always use carbide dies for handgun cases. I like to lube one case about every 50 rounds or so just to keep the sizing process smooth. I haven't had any issues with the primers bouncing around on my Dillon. Another key with carbide dies is to start with clean cases. I also use the Lee carbide factory crimp die which sizes the loaded round after the bullet is seated. I have had zero issues with rounds failing to feed with this method.

That's probably enough lube. I use the One Shot and give it the shortest spray I can in a zip lock of a couple of hundred cases and tumble them. In reality the lube is probably only on one in 50 cases and the tumbling is just distributing the lubed cases and not so much the lube itself.

I don't have a problem with primers bouncing but that's because on my Franken Dillon I still use the manual primer feed of the 450. Sometimes, simple things are best.

 

[Krogen]

I don't wet tumble, never saw the need for squeaky clean.

And that is the issue! The "need" for clean is with range pickup brass. I said it above, I shoot plate matches and afterwards we scoop up handfuls of brass to take home and reload. I'm not about to put that scruffy stuff through my dies. Clean is important. It saves your dies and allows you to inspect the range pickup brass with a critical eye. Squeaky clean is an undesirable side effect of wet tumbling with pins. I wish it wasn't, but it is so I have to deal with it. For me, dry tumbling avoids that issue but it has other problems I don't care to deal with.

 

[jcelect]

Case lube

I tumble in corn cob in my Dillon large tumbler or walnut shells in a small tumbler. When using the Dillon and doing about 1k of brass I dump about a tablespoon of Nu-Shine car wax in the media before putting the brass in. In the small tumbler I dump one cap full of the wax in first. This is used for small batches of rifle brass or large capacity pistol brass. Start the tumbler at night before going inside and dump the tumbler in the morning. The brass will be coated with the wax and I find it goes thru my Dillon 550 easier! I also use the Hornady spray lube on all bottle neck cartridges!
jcelect

 

[cadmike]

Interesting thread. Like to read about other folks’ methods. I use Dillon 550 and was taught to use a case lube pad for handgun cases. Not every case gets lubed, maybe every 3rd or 4 th case as needed to keep the pull smooth. With or without carbide dies. I never thought about removing the lube afterwards. Never been an issue. I’m working on an old bottle of rcbs case lube that seems to last forever.

 

[dogdoc]

Load almost exclusively with Dillon 650s and 550s. A small amount of hornady one shot just makes them run so smooth with little effort . You certainly don’t have to use it with carbide dies but it really helps when you are cranking out several hundred ar a time and I never waste time cleaning any of it off. It really is not enough to even notice

.

 

[Skeet 028]

Some of the old lubes were really different. CH sold a dark case lube that could have been STP it was so thick...some reloaders used STP anyway...I used it in my 1949 Studebaker...kept the oil thick 'nuff to keep the rods from knocking. I liked the Dillon 450 and can say they were not as smooth as loaders today. Just had to do too much when loading...push primer in powder too...put bullet on lots of jiggles

 

[Patrick L]

I resize on the progressive, but I do it as a separate operation. Then I remove the lube and run the resized cases through the rest of the steps progressively.

Regarding 9mm and carbide, back when I had a 9 I used RCBS carbide dies with no lube and never had a problem. That said, I need to lube .30 carbine brass, even though I have a carbide die. Others have said they don't, but I do. Go figure!