So I'm just a little bit curious. What do you all use to keep your progressive (or single stage) reloading press lubricated and running smooth? I ask because I ran out of my regular lube and wanting to get started on my fall loading, I looked around for something to use short term. I found a can of Hornady "One Shot" case lube, and being a lube that doesn't deactivate powder or primers, I was curious how it would do on my Dillon 550. My press has been inactive since this spring, and was pretty dried out and very sluggish. I sprayed a tiny shot in the lube holes and a quick spray on the ram and it loosened up instantly. I got everything set up and loaded up a run of a thousand .38 Specials and the press ran very smoothly, with great sensitivity during primer seating. I gave it just a little touch up with the "One Shot" at the halfway point just to keep it humming. I've tried several different lubes, but am really liking this one, even though it wasn't meant for this purpose. What is your favorite?
Press lubrication
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rockquarry
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Whatever is handy works best, from light machine oil to motor oil and all the many snake oils will work fine. It doesn't take much to lubricate a press. My newest press is about forty years old, is used often, and works like a new one. That one and the others have seen a variety of lubes and none have been lubed on a regular basis. A few times a year is plenty, but if you miss a lubing or two, it doesn't seem to hurt anything. Enjoy handloading. Don't dwell on the unimportant.
tominboise
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ATF in a small squeeze bottle works nicely. But I do have to second that most anything handy will work fine. It's not a high speed machine.
DeplorabusUnum
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3 in 1 oil here. Works just fine.
I use an ancient single-stage press. I use the occasional shot of bullet lube on the main ram every now and again, and a bit of light oil on the pins every now and again.
I also use an ancient single-stage press and have been since 1980.
I use transmission fluid and motor oil on everything (handguns/rifles) and none show excessive wear after years of use.
My RCBS Jr. press is as tight as the day I bought it as far as I can tell, with a few drops in a few places every now and then.
As a friend once told me long ago, and which has stuck in my mind all these years: "All oils are slippery."
Synthetic motor oil on the ram of my 550B. Grease on the handle pins.
AJ
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Every so often I wipe down my press and get all the accumulation of dirt, powder residue and whatever else is on it. I use whatever was on the rag from the last time that I wiped down guns with oil.
gwpercle
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If your press is like my press ...it gets "grimey" with a build-up of burnt powder and "stuff" from decapping primers ... the grit and grime will mix with any oil or grease and make a black sludge ... well , sludge may be an exaggeration ... but the press gets black and gritty and needs cleaning .
I keep Ed's Red Gun Solvent in a spray windex bottle and spray the grimey parts and use shop rags / paper towels to clean everything off .
I have found that any type of "Dry Lubricant" works well and since there is no oil ...priming and case grit can't mix with it to form that black gritty paste/ film .
I've been using Liquid Wrench Dry Lube ... but any of the Dry Lubes should work just as well . Sometimes these modern Dry Lubes surprise me with how well they work ... not as well as grease but the dry stuff is cleaner ...I use the dry lube often , so the press stays lubed but since it's not messy I find the dry lube a better mouse trap .
Gary
I keep Ed's Red Gun Solvent in a spray windex bottle and spray the grimey parts and use shop rags / paper towels to clean everything off .
I have found that any type of "Dry Lubricant" works well and since there is no oil ...priming and case grit can't mix with it to form that black gritty paste/ film .
I've been using Liquid Wrench Dry Lube ... but any of the Dry Lubes should work just as well . Sometimes these modern Dry Lubes surprise me with how well they work ... not as well as grease but the dry stuff is cleaner ...I use the dry lube often , so the press stays lubed but since it's not messy I find the dry lube a better mouse trap .
Gary
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I think Dillon says ordinary 30wt motor oil for the ram and white lithium grease for the pins.
Reloading presses and shotgun reloaders are the only place I use dry lubricant. MDS spray, molybdenum disulfide, offers lubrication without sticky oil catching powder and dirt. The press stays cleaner longer and the lube seems to work over the years of service for my equipment.
Baltimoreed11754
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I use 3in1 oil on the linkages and white lithium under the Dillon shell plates and the center bolt on my TMag T2 turrets.
Barbarosa99
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I have an old C-frame Pacific that I have been using since 68, it started squeaking a few months back so I gave it a shot of clp that was on my bench. I might have done something else 20 years ago I just don’t remember.
Sometimes I'll liberally squirt my press(s) with Kroil then wipe. Ram and moving parts most likely to get a light oil, 3-in-1, whatever gun oil is on the bench. I have some synthetic oil that is for my pellet guns and pneumatic tools that occasionally is used on my presses...
After reading all the comments I went back and looked at my press. There was no oily residue, muck or sludge, and all the powder residue and "other" stuff could just mostly be blown off. A shop towel quickly took care of the rest. I don't know about you, but I really hated that wet, oily gunk that builds up when using an oil or grease. I've also tried a couple of "dry lube" products, but One Shot seems to work better IMO. I think I found my new favorite press lube.
Lee Precision, Inc. - Lubricating your Press
Lee says 30wt or STP
"You should keep your Ram and all pivoting points on the Toggle linkage lubed, with either 30 wt motor oil or STP. "
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ReloadforFun
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I haven't looked lately and have not heard mention of it in quite a while, but there was originally One Shot case lube and One Shot gun lube (or general lube or whatever). I suspect they dropped the gun lube to avoid confusion with the case lube.
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Dillon recommends grease on most of the parts that slide against each other and 30 weight non detergent oil on the ram.
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