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Old January 29, 2012, 04:35 PM   #1
rebs
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case lube for rifle cases ?

What brand of lube do you guys prefer and what method for applying it and removing it after sizing ?
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Old January 29, 2012, 04:49 PM   #2
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For most of my rifles I use Kiwi mink oil boot wax. I can't tell the difference between that and Imperial except the price.
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Old January 29, 2012, 04:53 PM   #3
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RCBS sizing lube on my lube pad, is what I use, and have for twenty plus years. I size them and throw'em in the tumbler for awhile,,works while I don't.
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Old January 29, 2012, 04:54 PM   #4
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+1 hooligan. Has worked for me since I started reloading 20+ yrs ago.

Well, make that 30+ yrs, now that I think on it.
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:03 PM   #5
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RCBS sizing lube on my lube pad
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:08 PM   #6
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Imperial. Wipe off with a rag. Remember on bottlenecks to keep lube off the shoulder and neck.
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:13 PM   #7
603Country
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RCBS. I've never had a stuck case.
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:15 PM   #8
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RCBS spray lube in the pump bottle works great for me. I use an ultra-sonic cleaner after case prep, and the cases come out clean as a whistle.
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:16 PM   #9
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RCBS Case Lube on pad.

To get this to work right, the pad has to be "damp", not swimming in lube.

And, while the bottle dispenses nice little stripes, it won't be uniform if you don't smear it around.

Roll the cases on the pad. Keep the shoulders dry. Use a nylon neck brush to put a little lube inside the neck, by rolling the brush on the pad every 5 cases or so.

As it's water soluable, it removes easily with a damp rag.

Old fashioned and still works well.
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:25 PM   #10
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As long as you remember that less is more, Imperial is the best lube to use as it is easily and completely removed at the time of use with just a wipe of a clean cotton cloth. Hornady used to make something similar (they still may) but it was not as easily removed as Imperial-- I still have and use them both.......a little bit goes a long long long way so it's not as expensive as it may seem just looking at the price in a catalog. You can't spill it and you need no pad.

Also, Imperial is the preferred lube for neck turning--on the pilot---and for lubing necks inside and out for wildcatting. Again it is easily removed with a cloth on the outside and a Q-tip on the inside--as long as you do not over dose the necks...........
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Old January 29, 2012, 05:34 PM   #11
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Imperial / it works good for me.
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Old January 29, 2012, 07:45 PM   #12
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I finger lube with RCBS because it is what I have at this time. I wet a cleaning patch with it. Then rub the patch between my thumb and fore finger. Then wipe the lube on the case. I have not a case stick using that method. I clean the cases afterwards in a sonic cleaner. I have used a tumbler, and still do if I need the cases for reloading quickly afterwards. Though I prefer the sonic cleaner due to bad allergies. I would rather wait for cases to dry than sneeze, and wheeze for the rest of the day.
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Old January 29, 2012, 07:46 PM   #13
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Hornady markets a product in a small plastic tub, like a 1/4 size cottage cheese tub. The product is like mink oil boot waterproofer, consistency of a soft shoe polish. One tub will last two lifetimes.

Touch a wee bit to a finger, rub around to the thumb and other fingers, rub onto the case as you position it in the shell holder. Re-grease the fingers every third or fourth shell.

Rub the sized cases down with an old towel afterwards.
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Old January 29, 2012, 07:52 PM   #14
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Lyman case lube on a lyman lube pad here. It's been working a long time for me.
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Old January 29, 2012, 10:10 PM   #15
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In my 40 years of loading my progression with case lube:

- started with the original RCBS case lube on the open mesh pad. This was the lube that was like STP. Removed by wiping with a rag with WD-40 on it.

- next I used the Lee water based lube on an RCBS closed cell pad. Easier to get off the case but if you didn't clean your dies well it could rust them. Wiped the cases with a clean cloth

- next I went to Imperial applied with fingers. Great lube and low sizing effort but just too slow for quantity sizing. Remove it with a clean cloth.

- for the past several years I have been lubing with synthetic motor oil squirted on a blue shop towel paper cloth. Never have an issue with dents on the shoulder, fast and low sizing effort. To remove I drop them in walnut media with a dash of OMS added and tumble them for 30 minutes. I can size 750 223 brass in an hour on a RockChucker. That includes applying the lube and sizing them. I will never use anything else.
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Old January 29, 2012, 10:22 PM   #16
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Hornady one-shot case lube, then tumble to clean.
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Old January 30, 2012, 12:59 AM   #17
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Been using Bag Balm for several years now. I haven't stuck a case since I've been using it. I have an old Pacific small base die and both RCBS and Lee lube have proven to be inadequate.

Shu, that Hornady lube is called Unique lube.
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Old January 30, 2012, 01:05 AM   #18
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+ 1 for hornaday one shot case lube
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Old January 30, 2012, 01:39 AM   #19
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Been using Hornady One-Shot for years. Like it so well I use their products for case cleaning and even the gun cleaning spray w/ dry lube. Used the gun cleaner to clean and lube my 550, awesome results in minutes. I know some folks have experienced cases sticking w/ One Shot but I guess techniques vary. I toss a big handful of cases in a saucepan, spray for a 2 or 3 count. Shake and repeat, sometimes do a third rep. Then I do something else for a few minutes while it dries. Last step is very important. Resizing is usually uneventful. Then I re-tumble them.
Not knocking the purists who use Imperial or RCBS. Excellent product and a small amount can be a lifetime supply. Will have to try them again soon but last time I used RCBS and their pad I overdid it, never learned to do it right.
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Old January 30, 2012, 04:44 AM   #20
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TXG you might like mt method. I toss the brass in a ziplock bag, add the lube to it, seal the bag, and roll the brass around in it. Just a suggestion, you might like it better. I reuse the same bag and it takes less lube each time. Of course I'm using Bag Balm, so it is a little different. I have sprayed a little Pam in the bag to liquefy the old lanolin.
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Old January 30, 2012, 08:22 AM   #21
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I am using some random no name stuff that I got in bulk. Just like jimkim I use the bag method. Put 50 cases in a bag, drop in 3-4 drops of lube at MOST, shake it up really well and you're cruising without using a lube pad or getting your fingers dirty. . . . .
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Old January 30, 2012, 08:26 AM   #22
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I use Frankford Arsenal Spray lube.I spray it on size and decapp and tumble off.Seems to give it a little bit of shine to when i tumble it off.
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Old January 30, 2012, 10:45 AM   #23
tim s
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For years I used Imperial with nary a problem, now Royal case lube. Gentlemen you want to try this stuff. In our benchrest resizing we use FL dies in small portable presses and with this stuff the sizing resistance is 1/2 what it was with Imperial, yes 1/2. The best part of it all is that all you need to clean it off effectively is a small microfiber towel. It's also the best smelling stuff I ever saw.
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Old January 30, 2012, 12:29 PM   #24
Clifford L. Hughes
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REBS:

For forty years I have used RCBS lub. After Hornady came out with their One Shot I lubed the outside of the case with RCBS and the inside of the necks with the one shot. This reduced the neck lengthing and the need to trim so often.

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Old January 30, 2012, 12:41 PM   #25
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Frankford Arsenal spray, never have any problems.
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