Questions Re Paste Case Lubes (e.g. Hornady Unique)

[otisrush]

Last night I picked up a tub of Hornady Unique case lube. I have been using RCBS lube and lube pad. That has worked fine - but I didn't like it very much. The RCBS lube is hard to get out of the tube - and overall I find the whole process of lubing the pad and such really messy and a pain.

I gave the Unique a go this morning and I liked it a lot. The overall process didn't seem as messy - and cases (I only tried .223) sized very easily.

Two questions:
* For folks who use this style of lube - how do you lube the inside of the neck? After my sizing session I read one guy simply runs his finger over the mouth of the case - that's enough to lube the neck/expander. How do other folks do it?
* How do you remove lube after sizing? I just wiped off each case with a rag - and I think that will be fine. I know many tumble again after sizing. When I had a vibratory tumbler I did this. But I recently switched to wet tumbling and I don't want to do a 2nd tumble.

Thanks.

OR

 

[hdwhit]

Two questions:
* For folks who use this style of lube - how do you lube the inside of the neck? After my sizing session I read one guy simply runs his finger over the mouth of the case - that's enough to lube the neck/expander. How do other folks do it?
* How do you remove lube after sizing? I just wiped off each case with a rag - and I think that will be fine. I know many tumble again after sizing. When I had a vibratory tumbler I did this. But I recently switched to wet tumbling and I don't want to do a 2nd tumble.

Let me say that once I got a technique worked out for applying it, I love Hornady Unique. As to your questions,
1) I use a carbide expander ball so I only lubricate every tenth case neck. To do that, I use a make-up applicator (kind of like a Q-tip but with a firmer tip). The secret with the make-up applicator is that you have to put some Unique on it and then let it be absorbed by the cotton fibers and then apply some more so that you leave a very light coat on the inside of the case mouth.

2) I remove the lube after resizing by tumbling the cases in walnut media for about two hours. If you don't like the idea of doing a second tumble, you might consider changing your reloading process to where you decap your brass, wash it in detergent to remove dirt that might scratch your dies, lube and resize the cases and then do your wet tumbling to both shine the cases and remove the lubricant.

The way I prepare my cases is by soaking (not tumbling) them in a weak acid solution (Lemishine at the rate of 1 teaspoon to 40 ounces of water or Vinegar at the rate of 2 ounces to 40 ounces of water) for fifteen minutes aggitating it every five minutes and then tumbling them after resizing so the tumbling works to both remove the lubricant and also impart a final shine to the case.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I use a supply of Imperial sizing wax, which got bought out and is now Hornady Unique.

I use sizing dies with neck collets whenever possible. There is no sizer button, so I done lube the inside of necks. The older style dies using expander buttons were inside lubed with a powder of graphite or mica dust, before the outside lube was applied. The outside lube was removed by washing, tumbling, or cloth wiping.

A very thin coat of the wax based lubes will dry and not effect the function of ammo, even in semi-autos. Too thick of coat causes sizing dents, long before it effects actions. This goes for finger applied, pump or aerosol.

Ivan

 

[Boogsawaste]

What I do is take a very small container (I have a tiny play dough container from my son), and dump a shells worth of #8 or 9 shot from a 12 gauge in. Add a bunch of powdered graphite and shake (lid ON of course), to coat the shot. I dip the necks in this and twist them a few times. I wipe the outside of the neck with a rag while wearing gloves because graphite sticks to everything!

Then I simply lube the body of the case with unique leaving the outside of the neck and shoulder free of lube. Works for me.

 

[Clovishound]

I use either Lee resizing lube, or RCBS 2. Both are water soluble and do not require cleaning prior to loading powder. I use either a Q-tip, or a small dowel with a couple wraps of cloth glued on to put a thin coat of lube inside the mouth of the case. The Q-tips tend to bulk up and separate from the stick after a little while. They are cheap and disposable. The lubing tool I made works well, and lasts.

The RCBS lube is a little slicker, the Lee is a little easier to use.

I tried lubing the inside of the mouth every couple of cases. Took me a while to remove the stuck case from the die.

 

[Peak53]

What I do is take a very small container (I have a tiny play dough container from my son), and dump a shells worth of #8 or 9 shot from a 12 gauge in. Add a bunch of powdered graphite and shake (lid ON of course), to coat the shot. I dip the necks in this and twist them a few times. I wipe the outside of the neck with a rag while wearing gloves because graphite sticks to everything!

Then I simply lube the body of the case with unique leaving the outside of the neck and shoulder free of lube. Works for me.

I have found this graphite method to work very well to lube the inside of case necks on rifle cartridges. No worry about contaminating the powder charge. I also like the Lee lube for the outside, as it doesn't need to be removed - IF applied very sparingly. I find the Unique lube to be a bit greasy and too easy to apply too heavily resulting in annoying dimples on the shoulder. These techniques are perfectly adequate for my use up to and including 30-06, the largest caliber for which I reload. Giant magnums might require something more, but I don't have experience with those.

 

[ageingstudent]

I also use unique and imperial. I dip the neck in powdered mica and swipe the body on a kitchen sponge with unique or imperial on the sponge. Then into the lct for sizing, priming, powder, bullet seating, and crimping. I do both .223 and .22-250 in this fashion. You don't have to clean out the neck before seating bullets this way. The mica isn't black and migratory like the grafite. I just wipe off the outside of the finished cartridges with a clean cotton cloth before they go into the box.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I also use Hornady's Unique lube.....I smear it on my pad and roll the cases on it it. I use a Q-tip to lube inside the necks.......To remove lube I lay the cases side x side on a paper towel..Lay another towel on top and roll back & forth..Works for me.....

 

[K-framer]

I, too, use the Hornady Unique. However, I do something a bit different with it. I dissolve about a teaspoon of the lube in about 8-10 ozs of alcohol. Then, I spray my cases (a couple of squirts) for each lot of about 20 cases, in a flat bottomed plastic tray. Roll the cases around a bit....then remove them one by one and stand them up on the table. I give them about 10 minutes or so for the alcohol to evaporate, before sizing them.

What I get is a nice, thin coat of the lube on the cases. I find it relatively unneccesary to remove it, after sizing. Sometimes however, if the cases feel a bit over-lubed, I will lightly wipe them down with a rag, after sizing.

As for inside of the case necks, I do nothing. But, after lubing my cases, I give the interior of my sizing die a squirt of the solution. By the time the cases are ready, so is the die.

Works very well....

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I use Imperial or Hornady. I just touch the wax and rub my finger on the case and across the mouth . That has always been enough . I usually just lightly rub the case with a cloth afterwards so it does not collect any grit.

Back in ancient times I used an ink stamp pad impregnated with STP. That stuff was tough to clean up after but it worked like a champ and only cost about .79 for a lifetime supply. Sure am glad I don't have to use it anymore.

Eddie