Case lubes over the years!

[KHornet]

When I first started loading, it was on a 310 tool for 222. Didn't need a lube for cases. Then I bought a full length resizer pound in lyman for 222, and I used a little mineral oil, and that worked ok.

When I started loading for 6.5x55 and 06, I bought a small plastic tub of a commercial case lube that smelled like mutton, but it worked. Then someone recommended STP on an ink pad. Got empty STP cans from gas stations, and let them drain into a pint jar over night. Never had to buy a can. That worked well for a number of years, but was very messy to clean the loaded brass. (Couldn't afford a tumbler back then!) Next came Imperial Sizing Wax. Works super, and still have a can.

Then about 5 years ago someone suggested a mix of olive oil and rubbing alcohol about 35/65 well shaken in a spray bottle. Worked well for those 5 years. Then in the last 6 mo. Ben suggested just using Red Tacky, and have been using that for the last few months. Almost forgot, someplace along the line and for a fairly short period of time, I used lanolin (maybe 2/3 mo, and didn't care for it for some reason. Bottom line, they all worked to one degree or another. About 2 years ago I found the old STP'd ink pad, and tossed it. Even after all the years gone by, it still was quite sticky.

Think I will stay with Red Tacky for awhile!

 

[S Mac]

So I guess you are talking about Lucas Red&Tacky, an ingredient of Ben's Red?

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
When resizing "new to me" cases I start with 10w50 motor oil. If the case feels "sticky" on enter or removal the RCBS case lube in the little squeeze tube gets the task. If that is not slick enough Auto Transmission fluid. Once as a last resort I tried "Bull lube". That was with some 375 H&H cases that were "once fired". Must That blue slick liquid is a real "loosy goosey" for brass needing a major reshaping.
Reforming cases anymore I start with Bull lube. Never any failure yet.
Mike in Peru

 

[KHornet]

SMac, correct! Yep it is the Lucas Red & tacky, per Ben's recommendation. Found it to be, in my opinion, a bit slicker than Imperial, not by much but in my case a little bit of plus is great! A very little bit goes a long way!

Mike, have never tried Bull Lube, may have to get some now that you have brought it up. It is the once fired cases, fired in a loose chambered rifle, other than yours that require the slickest of lubes. I also, once bought 20 supposed to be once fired 375 H&H brass at a gun show, and almost stuck a case, realizing that I was on the edge of sticking. Can't recall what lube I was using, but I removed it before it stuck, and got a tin of Imperial. That worked well, but it required getting the sizing wax all the way down on the base with emphasis on the belt and just before the belt. Never bought any more once fired, or supposed to be once fired belted mag cases.

 

[Lost Dog]

Guess there's another 310 loader here. Started with one in .45 Colt using neutral Kiwi shoe wax in the summer and Remoil in the winter. Still use the same for my 310 and seldom use the bench press for rifles at all, just the 310.

I tried that Franklin spray stuff and though I shook it up good one day, I got my first and only stuck case in my RCBS .45-70 die. And it's still in there. Fifty six years and never got even close to a stuck case and then I changed up. I keep telling folks I don't like new stuff. Should-a stuck to what I know. Threw that spray stuff in the trash.

 

[462]

A few years I switched to Royal Case and Die Lube, in the 4 ounce jar, and have been very satisfied. No stuck cases. Smells delicious.

 

[Brad]

Hornady Unique case lube for me. It just works. Residue washes off my hands easily.

 

[Minute Of Berm]

Another vote for Sharp Shoot R Royal here, although if it is below 40 degrees in the loading room, I have the Hornady Unique to fall back on until the fire gets the chill off.

 

[35 shooter]

I've been using lee case lube for quite a few years and have been pleased with it and also surprised at how long it's lasted.

 

[Barn]

I agree with Missionary that for the tough stuff Bull Lube is the answer. I got some from Dan while he was still in Alaska. I suppose that I could speculate the components in it but if Dan wanted us to know he would let us know.

 

[Craig Duncan]

I was forming some new Starline 45-70 into 40-65. Their brass is somewhat hard and I should have annealed them first.
But being in a hurry and lazy I didn't. Imperial case lube didn't work. The synthetic motor oil we pour in fine German cars wanted to work somewhat.
Then I found a littl bit of uber expensive BMW transfer case fluid. Those transfer cases only hold 1 1/2 liters and in theory it's good for 100K miles. And of course BMW sells it in 1 liter bottles so there's always a 1/2 liter left after a service.
BMW won't tell you whats in it but a thin coating of that stuff and cases were sized easy with one pull of the lever.

Nirvana achieved!

Then I tired to clean it off. Brakleen? Nope. Carb cleaner? Nope.
I threw it in our heated parts washer and that removed some of it. I ended up letting it soak in that parts washer for two days then tumbled it in SS pins to get it clean.
I doubt I'll use that again

Craig

 

[Lost Dog]

In the army we called that "Lessons Learned".

Know the feeling though.

 

[Brad]

I dislike STP for a similar reason. Works great but removal is a pain. Not easy to wash off the hands either.
Film strength is a benefit but at some pont it gets ridiculous!

 

[Ben]

Think I will stay with Red Tacky for awhile!

I really like Red and Tacky also.

Some stubborn cases ( with other case lubes ) size easily when I apply Red and Tacky.

Some 7.62 brass that has been fired in an M-60 machine gun can be a real challenge for a case sizing lube, a breeze with Red and Tacky.

Ben

 

[RicinYakima]

For the last two years I have been using a homemade mixture of 95% Castrol Die Forming wax ($8.50) and 5% lanolin. A little thicker than Imperial Sizing Die wax, but very effective and odorless. Since I got the 1 pound tube on sale at ENCO, price has gone up, but it will last at least 10 years for the tube. So little is required, it was designed for this type of work, I have not even been wiping it off.

 

[KHornet]

There are more variations and ideas on the subject than I expected.

 

[John]

Way back in the Oldfeller days of the CB site, he mentioned the cure for keeping old milsurp brass from gangrene until you got to it was putting 1/4 to 1/3 cup cheap vegetable oil on top all the cases you could fit in a 3 gallon bucket. Whirl it furiously to coat things and store until you get to it. I put the cases in an small trash can liner first but it keeps them from the faded dull spotting and they size great. I still use a pump spray cabelas case lube for small cases, magnum rifle get imperial wax but veg. oil is a cheap effective lube.

 

[fiver]

the vegetable oil thing works to preserve eggs too.

I just use the same thing old Townsend Whelen recommended about 100 years ago, only slightly modified.
it works in my 450.00 dollar swaging dies so i'll go ahead and trust it in a 20.00 sizing die too.

Lanolin cut 2 to 1 with castor oil, and about 10% neets-foot oil added in.
I put 100 cases in a baggie and swipe a Q-tip through the lube and roll it around in the cases to get it off the Q-tip.
then I just mash all the cases together in the bag rolling them all together for a minute.
if I'm re-shaping the cases I wipe the film off the shoulder of the case before inserting it in the die
[like making 30-06 into 7.7 jap/7.65 Argie]
there is enough on the body and in the die to lube the case right there.
the less the better you just want to feel it on the cases.

this is the same process I use to apply it to the jackets to be swaged.

I can feel the difference between this lube and imperial or stp or anything else I have tried, it just gives the press handle a silky smooth glide feeling.
which is exactly what you want to be feeling to make quality consistent bullets. [i.e. re-shape brass under high pressure]

to get it off.
I toss the cases in one of the media tumblers for about an hour and a half and do something else.

 

[Lost Dog]

I've been using lee case lube for quite a few years and have been pleased with it and also surprised at how long it's lasted.

Thank you sir for reminding me about this case lube!

Found a half tube of the very same yesterday stashed in a box. Cleaned the old Lyman AA .38Spl sizing die of any old residue and lubed up 50 cases. Just used my fingers and was ready to load in a couple minutes. And I forget just how easy it was to wipe off too. Good stuff!

 

[KHornet]

Have a stash of Lar's lubes, probably 20-25 sticks, however am now using Ben's red with Overcloating of Bll on most every thing. Will probably stay witht the green lube that Brad made me for very cold weather, but will overcoat it.