Is resizing lube necessary?

[BondoBob]

I have the Lee carbide set for my 38/357 reloads. The brass is very clean (wet tumbled). I've seen the the lube may not be needed and has to be cleaned off. My first batch I cleaned first, primers in. Going forward I'll be de-capping with a universal first then cleaning. Is there a reason to use lube with the carbide dies?

[mikejonestkd]

Straight walled handgun rounds do not need to be lubed when you use Carbide dies.

[Aguila Blanca]

With carbide dies, lube is not necessary.

That said ... loading .45 ACP and 9mm with Lee carbide dies, I use Hornady One-Shot aerosol case lube, and on a Lee turret press I can definitely feel the reduction in effort needed each time I pull the lever to resize a case. The aerosol One-Shot dries almost instantly, it's dry to the touch when handling the cases, and it does not need to be cleaned off afterwards. (Unlike the liquid One-Shot, which is messy to handle, has to be wiped off after loading, and which gums up the dies.)

I don't think the aerosol One-Shot is enough for bottleneck rifle cases but for straight-wall handgun ammo I wouldn't work without it.

[Gary Gill]

I sometimes roll a case on my nose and the natural oil does make the cases size easier. Doesn't last long and might leave something on your nose.

[lordmorgul]

A little denatured alcohol and lanolin in a squirt bottle, let dry, size! Does not need due to carbide also does not mean that cases and dies and you don’t appreciate lube while doing it.


Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, CRPA member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / FPC / CCRKBA / GOA / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member - Support your defenders!

[hikingman]

My preference with carbide dies is Hornady One Shot. Line then up like trees inside a big box top (storage box- carboard top flipped upside down), and spray them across from two directions to cover the territory.

[lordmorgul]

Randall had a good idea (ar15barrels) doing this in a shoebox too and rolling around to coat so less work than getting all coated standing up, then letting one box dry while starting the second one and sizing a dry box. You actually dont need each case too perfectly coated anyway because on average every 3-4 will have lube on the dryer sides of the others and the die will stay generally lubed enough.

Even with rifle brass I do every couple cases deliberately lubed and others don’t worry about it except my fingers still a little lubed, averages out.

* main reason I use lube on pistol cases is most of my pistol cases are nickel, which though still not requiring lube can leave debris in dies and mar following cases so the lube may help clear that if any nickel flakes, I haven’t seen any issues with it, actually didn’t use any lube for the first several years I resized the same batch of nickel brass many times

Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, CRPA member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / FPC / CCRKBA / GOA / NAGR / NRA-ILA contributor, USCCA member - Support your defenders!

[44 AMP]

Clean cases, carbide sizer, the makers say lube is not necessary.

Some people do it anyway, and it does make sizing a little easier.

Most of us don't bother and do just fine.

HOWEVER, be sure not to use a standard steel sizer without lube. You will regret that...

[zeke]

Wet tumbled brass is "stickier" than normally dry vibrated brass. How much the case expands on firing depends on the firearm it is fired in. How much leverage is available to size the brass is dependent on the press being being used. What i'm trying to say, and others already have, is just try it with and without. Have found that just finger lubing with the occasional pistol case with imperial die sizing lube makes it considerably easier to size large batches of brass without extensive prep or clean up. As i get older, this now matters.

[10-96]

I put my cases in a 50rnd or 100rnd loading block and touch every 5th round with a dab of Imperial wax. I can start to feel a bit of resistance by the 4th round through the press. It's not too much extra effort to wipe them clean, and they need a good looking at anyway I guess. It really does make the process go smoother.

[BondoBob]

Well it's not bad, I did 100 dry today. But I'll pick up some One Shot at Cabelas and give it a try. Perhaps down the line it will come in handy.

[pete2]

I've never lubed a case for sizing in a carbide die, I load .38, .357, .44, 9 mm, 45 acp and 45 colt. I have loaded .40 S&W, none with lube. It ain't necessary, it's why we buy carbide dies.............................

[sparkyv]

I never lube pistol cases; I do use carbide dies. It may reduce the ram effort, but really it doesn't take considerable effort to resize handgun brass...even on 460S&W cases.


Now that's resourceful! Use your own "lanolin"!

Originally Posted by Gary Gill

I sometimes roll a case on my nose and the natural oil does make the cases size easier. Doesn't last long and might leave something on your nose.

[Kevin Rohrer]

Short answer: No.

[Average Joe]

Not necessary, but it sure makes it a lot easier on the arms.

[zxcvbob]

With carbide dies, lube is not needed for straight-sided cases, like .38 Special. Lube might be helpful with short tapered cases, like 9mm. Lube is necessary with long tapered cases, like .30 Carbine.

[FTG-05]

I've always used Dillon's resizing lube on my pistol cases, even though they were all Dillon's carbide dies. 9mm, .40 S&W, .44 Mag and .45 ACP. Makes a tedious process that much more easier.

Good luck!

[Big Wes]

All my dies are carbide and I lube everything I load. Makes the press run smoother in my opinion. Like mentioned it's not necessary but worth it to me. I use Dillon spray lube.

[NoSecondBest]

I've probably loaded in excess of a 100,000 rounds of .357 over the last fifty years. Since the day I got my first carbide die (many, many years ago) I've never lubed a single case. I load on two different Dillon's, one RCBS single, and a Redding turret. They all work perfectly with unlubed brass. All my ammo works perfectly in all my guns, including two Coonan semi-automatics. Don't waste your time lubing if you have a carbide die. It only adds unnecessary steps to the process and no gain.

[BJung]

For anyone who is not sure if they should lube or not after so many have told you that you don't; then just lube. Find a lube pad and spread lube out across the pad and roll your cases on it. Get that goo on your finger tips. After resizing, you'll want to wipe each cartridge so it doesn't pick up dirt. The extra time spent for the process will make you appreciate your carbide dies. Any old timer who used the lube pad will agree.

[Jack D]

I load 38/357, 9mm, 45auto on my Dillon 650 and always put just a little sizing wax on my fingers as I count out the brass
I'm going to dump in the case feeder.
Makes everything run smoother and easier.
I haven't
been cleaning it off afterwards but maybe I should?
Haven't seen any issues.

[NoSecondBest]

I load 38/357, 9mm, 45auto on my Dillon 650 and always put just a little sizing wax on my fingers as I count out the brass
I'm going to dump in the case feeder.
Makes everything run smoother and easier.
I haven't
been cleaning it off afterwards but maybe I should?
Haven't seen any issues.

The case should be DRY when the cartridge is loaded and fired. The case expands and grips the chamber wall during firing. If there's lube on the case wall, it isn't really doing the "gripping" that it's supposed to be doing and it's sliding backwards during this ignition process. Over time, or with too much lube, you could end up with a problem. I doubt your press runs any smoother than mine does and I don't lube carbide sized cases. You won't find any loading manual that suggests shooting lubed rounds out of any cartridge. If you feel you have to lube carbide sized rounds you should wipe all the lube off before firing those rounds. This isn't just my preference, it's the proper method to use when reloading. If any of your reloading manuals have a section on how to reload (most do), take the time to read it. You can also query this on line and see what answers you get. Just make sure it's a reputable source of information.

[Unclenick]

Brass gripping the chamber walls generally only happens with loads that peak at pressures above the 30 kpsi range. There is variation due to powder burn rates, but lack of any grip is easy to detect as the cases don't grow to need trimming because there is no stretching at the pressure ring going on. 45 Auto, for example, actually shrinks about half a thousandth during resizing. In the early '90s, I ran a test lot of 500 pieces of Winchester brass through fifty target-level reloadings, and those remaining at the end that had not yet split or been lost at the range (about 300) were all about 0.025" short and my taper crimp die had needed to be reset down a few times to continue to work with them. But the taper is part of why that happens in 45 Auto. It backs up in the chamber and expands to fill the wide end of the taper, and resizing, while moving most of it back into place, leaves a tiny bit of the brass permanently flowed to the rear. Straight revolver cartridges, even up to 357 and 44 Mag pressures, just seem to stay close to the same length for as long as they last.

[dahermit]

Originally Posted by pete2

I've never lubed a case for sizing in a carbide die, I load .38, .357, .44, 9 mm, 45 acp and 45 colt. I have loaded .40 S&W, none with lube. It ain't necessary, it's why we buy carbide dies.............................

Just in case everyone still does not know, .30 Carbine brass sized in Carbide dies does need to be lubed.

[Unclenick]

That's true for any carbide die that has the full profile of the case and isn't just a ring for straight-sided resizing. I've got carbide .308 and .223 dies, and you better believe they can stick a case if you don't lube them. No-lube is strictly for carbide rings.