Case Lube

[OldSchoolRanger]

For years, I've been using RCBS lube and pad while resizing rifle brass.

Recently I ran into an old friend, and during the conversation about the lack of 223 ammo, I mentioned that when I managed to scrounge up enough components.  I was going to use my Dillon 550 to reload for that caliber.  He told me that he was using synthetic motor oil, during case prep, specifically Castrol 5W-20, as a case lube during the  resizing process.  He stated that he uses his finger to wipe the oil on a case every 5-10 cases, and the synthetic oil stays in the die long enough to full length size those cases.  The synthetic oil does drip out of the die, and you have to wipe the bottom of the die every so often.  He then throws the resized cases back into the cleaning media to get the oil off.

Anyone else using synthetic oil for this? 

[YRUpunting?]

I've read of others using synthetic motor oil, my reloading area is in the house so dripping motor oil is not for me.    I'm a fairly low volume bottle neck loader, but I do basically the same thing with Hornady Unique.  I take a q-tip with a very thin coating of Unique and lube the die, then lube every 2 or 3 cases depending on feel. 

[nodlenor]

Imperial sizing die wax is the only way to go. I've used a lot of other lubes but since I started using Imperial I think it works as good or better than anything else that I've tried. Why mess with motor oil when Imperial is handy works good and lasts for a long time.
I used some spray lube from Midway and got along good with it. Then I bought a can of Hornady One-Shot and had all kinds of trouble with stuck cases. I know other reloaders who get along fine with it but I'm going to stick with Imperial. I don't get in a hurry when I reload so I don't mind cleaning the lube off after sizing. I guess it is mostly a matter of preference as to what you use so "to each his own" or "whatever works best for you".

[Ranger99]

too much chance for any leftover
oil residue inside case and primer
pocket for my tastes. i'd have to
give the cases a bath in a gallon
of acetone before my mind would
be at ease. 

[Lloyd Smale]

go to your local pharmacy and ask for anhydrous lanolin. Its the same thing as imperial sizing wax and is much cheaper. I use it for most of my loading. I just put a bunch of cases in a box and put a dap in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together and then work them through the brass in the box.

[Larry L]

[size=78%]Anyone else using synthetic oil for this? [/size]

I would sincerely hope not. There is absolutely NOTHING in any base motor oil to provide for the extreme pressure lubrication required for sizing cases. There are additives that can be added to the formulation to provide SOME EP properties but none are going to have the quantity necessary. He may get by with it using it on smallish cases or straight wall cases but a fairly large size case that requires some grunt to get it thru the sizing and he's not only not getting the case out of the die, he's going to buying a new die. FWIW, I know the formulations of Castrol oils. There is absolutely nothing remarkable them and surely nothing in the mix that would ever lead me to believe that it would perform anything more than failure in a the extreme pressure lubrication state.
FWIW, I retired from an automotive R&D center and lubrication was my department. I work as a consultant now at the same place.

[Lloyd Smale]

Larry to defend the oil a bit ill say this. I have mold lube which is basicaly synthetic 2 stroke motor oil and it does great as a case lube for really tough sizing jobs. i dont use it much though because its tough to tumble off and i worry about oil contaminating my tumbling media and then leaving a residue on my cases that may deaden powder.

[beerbelly]

I have been using no stick cooking spray from the dollar store. Throw them back in the tumbler after sizing to clean it off.

[Land_Owner]

Whatever is used, I would be dissatisfied with every fifth round lubed as #4 is going to get stuck once in a while.  Clearing a stuck case is a PITA.  Drill, tap and pull or hydraulic shock, or other stuck case removal technique is just wasted time from getting on with the job at hand.  Lube every case, just in case, and avoid spending time at the reloading bench with a stuck case.

[Luckyducker]

I have never used synthetic motor oil to lube cases but I started with the RCBS lube/case pad (what a mess) and then lubed with sizing wax, which worked okay, have since switched to Hornady One Shot spray lube and have not looked back.  This spray lube is the best idea since the introduction of sliced bread.  It does not leave an oily residue on the cases or your hands and works very well for it's intended purpose and is waaaay easier to apply than any of the previously mentioned products.

[Buckskin]

go to your local pharmacy and ask for anhydrous lanolin. Its the same thing as imperial sizing wax and is much cheaper.

 
Maybe I will try that if I ever run out of Imperial. Love this stuff. I've run thousands of my original can and haven't really made a dent. I lube about every 3rd or so case. I can feel if it needs it and have never stuck a case in my life. Only other lube I've tried was the RCBS pad, which I hated.

[Land_Owner]

If you are resizing/depriming a whole lot of cases at once, get your hands dirty with RCBS Case Lube, forget the pad, and save some $$.  Put some lube in your palm.  Work it into both palms.  Grab a hand full of cases.   Roll the cases between your palms.  Put those cases in a bucket or Tupperware.  Grab another hand full of cases and repeat. 

When the lube is "low", and you know after a while when that occurs, put some more lube in your palm and repeat.  When the lube is "too much" and you also know when that occurs by observation and feel, stretch it out over a whole lot of cases to thin it out.  Maybe even rework the same cases to thin it out.  When your bucket is full or you have "enough" lubed, then start resizing/depriming. 

RCBS Case Lube is water soluble, comes right off with soap and water, and I believe less costly than spray lubricants, although I have not done a cost comparison, but by gut, not purchasing an aerosol and its pressure container would appear to be a cost reduction.

The above is a result of decades of reloading, the acquisition of a pair of 223 AR's that chew up and spit out rounds with a passion, and multiple handguns in various calibers that I like to shoot and to shoot often.  Keeping them "fed" and to have fun means some changes in the reloading regime.  Five hundred (500) to one thousand (1,000) cases of a single caliber to size and deprime at one time is now "normal" as I stockpile handgun and 223 rifle brass for quantity runs of cleaning, sizing, depriming and repriming.

I do "save money" by reloading (in comparison to the same number of Factory rounds), and I sure shoot a lot more - a WHOLE lot more.

[stimpylu32]

I started years ago with the Lee - tube lube and still have some on the shelf , found Imperial sizing wax when I got into case forming for wildcats , yep still have some of that too , but for everyday jobs its Hornady's - One Shot , I never have less than 2 cans on the bench and am a happy camper . 
 
stimpy

[Lloyd Smale]

if you like the convience of spray lubes try the pump bottle of rcbs lube. It doesnt dry like one shot but thats no big deal as i tumble one shot off anyway. It seems to be a much better case lube then the hornady though. Ive had just to many stuck cases with the hornady spray and dont use it much anymore.

[gypsyman]

Just to make life easier, I give my straight wall pistol brass, a real light spray of the Hornady One Shot. Even though, all my straight wall pistol stuff is carbide, makes working that handle on the Dillion much easier. On my bottle neck rifle stuff, Imperial is what I've used for years. Been pretty happy with it, I did switch my rifle dies over to a carbidy sizing button, and that helped alot too. gypsyman

[LaOtto222]

I would not personally use motor oil, synthetic or other wise. I have used the RCBS case lube 2 for a whole lot of years. I tried the one shot, almost stuck a case so it is not being used. I have 1 full can and almost one full can setting on the shelf. I went back to the RCBS case lube and pad. I use it for lubing the inside of the of the case mouth too. Yep it is a mess, but a trip to the sink with some warm soapy water gets it right off my hands. It will clean up your pad too, when it gets dirty. When you are done sizing the cases, they get a good rinse in warm water and the Case Lube is gone, inside and out. I have used it for making wildcat cases and have not stuck a case in all the years have used it. The only caution I have to watch for is using too much and denting shoulders, a little bit goes a long way. I have gotten good results for years, so why change?

Good Shooting and Good Luck

[bucco921]

I currently use the LEE tube, works good for me. Hornady one shot was the worst thing I ever tried. Had to use all 275 lbs of me more than once to get a shell down out of the die....

[OldSchoolRanger]

go to your local pharmacy and ask for anhydrous lanolin. Its the same thing as imperial sizing wax and is much cheaper. I use it for most of my loading. I just put a bunch of cases in a box and put a dap in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together and then work them through the brass in the box.

Lloyd - Is there a brand name for the anhydrous lanolin?  I know it's an over the counter item, the only thing I found at my pharmacy (CVS) was "Lantiseptic" (It's a Multi-Purpose Daily Care Skin Protectant).  The active ingredient is: Lanolin USP 30%.  Inactive ingredients: Beeswax (yellow wax), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Lanolin Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Oxyquinoline, Petroleum, Purified Water, Sodium Borate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate.
 
Is this it?  I want to get it a shot (pun intended).

If not, I have new skin lotion/cream for my feet.

[Lloyd Smale]

I had to ask the phrasist and he ordered it for me. the lanolin they carried on the shelf was water based lanolin and thats not what you want.

go to your local pharmacy and ask for anhydrous lanolin. Its the same thing as imperial sizing wax and is much cheaper. I use it for most of my loading. I just put a bunch of cases in a box and put a dap in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together and then work them through the brass in the box.

Lloyd - Is there a brand name for the anhydrous lanolin?  I know it's an over the counter item, the only thing I found at my pharmacy (CVS) was "Lantiseptic" (It's a Multi-Purpose Daily Care Skin Protectant).  The active ingredient is: Lanolin USP 30%.  Inactive ingredients: Beeswax (yellow wax), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Lanolin Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Oxyquinoline, Petroleum, Purified Water, Sodium Borate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate.
 
Is this it?  I want to get it a shot (pun intended).

If not, I have new skin lotion/cream for my feet.

[Buckskin]

go to your local pharmacy and ask for anhydrous lanolin. Its the same thing as imperial sizing wax and is much cheaper. I use it for most of my loading. I just put a bunch of cases in a box and put a dap in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together and then work them through the brass in the box.

Lloyd - Is there a brand name for the anhydrous lanolin?  I know it's an over the counter item, the only thing I found at my pharmacy (CVS) was "Lantiseptic" (It's a Multi-Purpose Daily Care Skin Protectant).  The active ingredient is: Lanolin USP 30%.  Inactive ingredients: Beeswax (yellow wax), Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Lanolin Alcohol, Mineral Oil, Oxyquinoline, Petroleum, Purified Water, Sodium Borate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate.
 
Is this it?  I want to get it a shot (pun intended).

If not, I have new skin lotion/cream for my feet.

Why don't you just get some Imperial Wax??? What is it? $7 a tin that will last you decades. You are not saving anything by running back and forth to the pharmacy, although now you do have some nice lotion.  There are ways to save money on reloading, this is not really one of them. I bet the per round cost for Imperial wax is about .02 cents per round.

[OldSchoolRanger]

Why don't you just get some Imperial Wax??? What is it? $7 a tin that will last you decades. You are not saving anything by running back and forth to the pharmacy, although now you do have some nice lotion.  There are ways to save money on reloading, this is not really one of them. I bet the per round cost for Imperial wax is about .02 cents per round.

Buckskin - It's not about saving money.  Besides hating to use a lube pad, reloading supplies are hard to come by right now.  Example: Midway doesn't have Imperial Wax in stock, expected date of new inventory is May 2013.  I have an order in for some from Brownell's. 

I'm just trying different things in case it's no longer possible to get the normal stuff for reloading.  A perfect example is: if you load for 223, I'm sure you had to substitute a different powder, when you ran out of your favorite. 

[Buckskin]

Why don't you just get some Imperial Wax??? What is it? $7 a tin that will last you decades. You are not saving anything by running back and forth to the pharmacy, although now you do have some nice lotion.  There are ways to save money on reloading, this is not really one of them. I bet the per round cost for Imperial wax is about .02 cents per round.

Buckskin - It's not about saving money.  Besides hating to use a lube pad, reloading supplies are hard to come by right now.  Example: Midway doesn't have Imperial Wax in stock, expected date of new inventory is May 2013.  I have an order in for some from Brownell's. 

I'm just trying different things in case it's no longer possible to get the normal stuff for reloading.  A perfect example is: if you load for 223, I sure you had to substitute a different powder, when you ran out of your favorite.

Well that makes perfect sense then!  I do load for 2 - 223 AR's, but no I didn't have to substitute powder for that caliber or any other. I learned after the first obama scare. I have plenty of all components to get me through his tenure and beyond.
I'm really hoping the Senate kills this Feinstein bill so we can move back toward normalicy though...

[YRUpunting?]

Buffalo Arms has Imperial in stock.

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Search.aspx?TERM=imperial

[Graybeard]

I've used nothing but RCBS liquid lube in the pump spray bottles since RCBS put it on the market. I've gone thru a bunch of bottles of it and it works better for me than anything I've ever used.

I've stuck exactly two cases in a die in my years of reloading. One was when I tried the Hornady spray can and the other when I tried some Redding Imperial Sizing wax. Haven't used either since.

[Hairy Chest]

I currently use the LEE tube, works good for me. Hornady one shot was the worst thing I ever tried. Had to use all 275 lbs of me more than once to get a shell down out of the die....

I like Lee lube a lot.  The other lubes mentioned above are greasy.  How do you get that grease out of the neck?  Then when you wipe them down a little grease is always on there.  Not with the Lee.  Water based, it goes on slippery, then turns into dry lube.  Lee lube works great in the necks.  Cases wipe off with a damp rag. 

[stimpylu32]

In 30+ years of loading I've stuck a total of 3 case's and those were my fault by trying to shortcut the process and not lube every case , I realy don't get the major issue with stuck case's , sure its a PITA but not to the point that I'd stop loading .
 
Point is , all the lubes on the market WORK , its just a matter of which you like best and using them properly , when in doubt = Read the directions ! 
 
stimpy

[Buckskin]

 I agree with Stimpy. If you get one stuck and are using real case lube, it's user error. All lubes work, some work better.

[OldSchoolRanger]

too much chance for any leftover
oil residue inside case and primer
pocket for my tastes. i'd have to
give the cases a bath in a gallon
of acetone before my mind would
be at ease.

FWIW - I gave synthetic Castrol 5w-20 a try as a lubricant, it worked flawlessly.  After full length sizing them, I wiped the oil off with some rags, then threw them back into the case vibrator for a half hour.  Trimmed them, then reloaded them.  Didn't have any problems with any FTF's.  Guess this is a good substitute, for when you can't get regular case lube. 

[size=78%]Anyone else using synthetic oil for this? [/size]

I would sincerely hope not. There is absolutely NOTHING in any base motor oil to provide for the extreme pressure lubrication required for sizing cases. There are additives that can be added to the formulation to provide SOME EP properties but none are going to have the quantity necessary. He may get by with it using it on smallish cases or straight wall cases but a fairly large size case that requires some grunt to get it thru the sizing and he's not only not getting the case out of the die, he's going to buying a new die. FWIW, I know the formulations of Castrol oils. There is absolutely nothing remarkable them and surely nothing in the mix that would ever lead me to believe that it would perform anything more than failure in a the extreme pressure lubrication state.
FWIW, I retired from an automotive R&D center and lubrication was my department. I work as a consultant now at the same place.

Larry L - If you read my original posting, you'll see that I was specifically talking about 223.  For most other rifle calibers, I use a single stage press, and mostly use Dillon spray case lube.  I also use a (RCBS) case lube pad, when I only have a few cases to load.

I don't regularly use case lube when I reload straight wall pistol cases, I do use carbide dies.  Maybe I've been lucky, but I've loaded thousands of rounds of 38's, 45's, and 9mm, and I've never had a struck case.  I will say I recently got a case stuck, while using the case lube pad, while reloading for my 30-06.

BTW what do you consider an "extreme pressure lubrication state"?  How many foot pounds of pressure?  What size cases are you talking about?  It would be nice to know.

[bucco921]

The cases Ive stuck with hornady one shot was NOT operator error. Clean dies, spray a lil in the dies, spray at an angle blah,blah blah. I read and reread the directions after the first time it happened. If it works good for you guys then great but please dont tell me it was something I did...

[revbc]

Hornady Unique IMO is the best hands down.  Tried Lee, Imperial wax, made up a spray with lee lube, water, and alcohol.  Found the Unique (which I think is lanolin), smells good, wipes clean, doesn't dent cases.  Works for me.