[Smokey Joe]

PeteQuad-- +1 to Shoney's comment re studying up! There is nothing like it. The ABC's of Reloading is The Standard Textbook on the subject. You chose well.

On case lube--For yr pistol cases, as has been stated, use carbide dies and don't lube.

Were you Full-Length sizing and loading bottleneck cases you'd need to lube. I started with those and with RCBS Case Lube. I was warned not to over-lube the shoulder so I really gooped up a case shoulder, experimentally, and sized it. Dented the shoulder pretty good, all around, where the lube squeezed out and down as the die came down on the case. Cleaned the lube from, loaded up that case and fired it, again experimentally. Result: the dents all fire-formed right back out to spec, and you couldn't tell that case from any of the other fired cases. Wouldn't reccommend that as a regular proceedure (waste of lube; more wear & tear on the case) but if it happens it's no big deal.

Except for that one case I avoided lubing the case shoulder and never had any trouble.

More recently got into Lee Collet Neck-Sizing dies, and so now I rarely Full-Length size cases. So I rarely lube cases.

Read about Imperial Sizing Die Wax and wanted to try it. Have done so, and it works (Tony the Tiger-like roar) GRRRR-eat! Clean it off the sized cases in my tumbler with corncob medium. That works great too, and less messy overall than the RCBS lube.

No experience here with the spray-on or powdered lubes. They have their advocates, too.