Carbide die, lubrication.

dahermit · December 14, 2016, 10:15 AM

How many handloaders lube straight-wall handgun cases (except .30 Carbine) despite when using a carbide sizing die?

dallasb · December 14, 2016, 11:30 AM

I do not...

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**Unclenick** · December 14, 2016, 11:55 AM

I've never bothered doing it, but lots of folks report they feel of the press operation getting smoother and easier, so if I had shoulder motion problems operating the press, I might well do it. Also, some complain the super smooth clean surface from stainless steel pin case cleaning increases friction with the carbide. I've only done SS pin cleaning with rifle cases at this point, so I can't say from experience if that's so or not. If it turned out to be true on my press, I would lube the cases then.

tangolima · December 14, 2016, 12:03 PM

I don't. Not even for .30 carbine. It will go smoother with lube. But I don't care as long as casing doesn't get stuck. It is still smoother than lubed rifle brass.

I don't really enjoy cleaning the lube off the brass.

-TL

T. O'Heir · December 14, 2016, 12:06 PM

Lubing any cartridge when using a carbide sizer kind of defeats their purpose.

mdemetz · December 14, 2016, 12:07 PM

I usually give a light spray of diluted(alcohol) Lee's(lanolin) followed by tumbling.

wpsdlrg · December 14, 2016, 12:11 PM

Nope. No lube. Not necessary....and a waste of time.

Chainsaw. · December 14, 2016, 12:11 PM

I DO on some calibers. I find 44 mag can be a bit of a bear so Ill throw a little lube on to make it smoother. Ive also ripped the rims off hornady brass so I dont reload those anymore.

For 9mm I do not. No need.

Jim Watson · December 14, 2016, 12:23 PM

I give pistol brass a LIGHT spritz of spray lube. Reduces the effort on the handle and if you use little enough, most of it rubs off in the dies and you don't have to clean the finished ammo.

mikld · December 14, 2016, 01:07 PM

Maybe, sometimes. Depending on the case (38, 9mm nope, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., yep, sometimes if I got a lot to do). But there is a definite reduction in force needed to size any case when lightly lubed...

briandg · December 14, 2016, 04:38 PM

If you have to lube your dies, maybe you need better ones?

The wonderful thing about carbide is that it is so dense and hard that it can be polished to a water smooth, nearly frictionless surface. Look a tungsten jewelry and this will be clear. Wait, look at a ten year old piece of tungsten jewelry.

If jamming a .38 round into a carbide die feels like hammering through cinder blocks, there is a problem of some sorts and it is probably because you are trying to shove a piece of brass through a 3/8"insert that has the texture of 800 grit alumina paper.

rg1 · December 14, 2016, 05:19 PM

Maybe if you have a light weight "beginner" press it could help?

BigJimP · December 14, 2016, 05:27 PM

Yes, I lube the cases all the time ( and I load on a Dillon 650)...with very good Dillon Carbide dies..../ I know its not necessary...but I use the Dillon spray lube - easy to use..and then dump 500 or so cases in the case feeder.

I've run it both ways...with and without case lube...and the press runs significantly smoother when I use the case lube.

I shoot and reload about 10 boxes a week of 9mm....and usually 2 boxes a week of .357 mag ---- and a few boxes a month of .45 acp, .40 S&W and .44 Mag.

But do whatever works for you the best.

DaleA · December 14, 2016, 06:17 PM

Nope. Not for .45 ACP.

Kevin Rohrer · December 14, 2016, 09:36 PM

Lubing and cleaning cases is completely unnecessary with any straight-walled pistol cartridge except .30 Carbine when using a Carbide sizing die.

Work smart, not hard.

Nick_C_S · December 14, 2016, 09:48 PM

I do it (straight wall handgun cases) because I'm going to ss pin tumble afterward anyway; and that'll wash off the lube. Since I know the lube will wash off, seems I might as well apply some spray lube. Only takes an extra few seconds, and it makes the process go a lot smoother - and that's gotta be a good thing, right?

**44 AMP** · December 15, 2016, 12:38 AM

To me, lubing a straight wall pistol case defeats the whole purpose (and wastes the extra money carbide dies cost).

Sure, it runs a little smoother, perhaps but the whole reason I got carbide dies was to dispense with that particular step.

And, yes, I started in the days before the light spray lubes we use today. The heavy lubes we used on the lube pads take more to clean up, so back then carbide was a bigger time & effort saver than it is today.

dahermit · December 15, 2016, 12:54 AM

Lubing adds to the steps when using a progressive like my Dillon 550b. If I lube the cases, somewhere along the line I will have to clean it off. If one lubes, sizes and then cleans the cases before going to the flaring/powder dispensing step, it defeats the purpose of a progressive press. I handload to shoot...my hobby is primarily shooting (in the Summer I shoot every day, seven days a week), not handloading. I want to get the handloading done as quickly as possible. No lubing of straight-walled cases except for .30 Carbine, but I shoot mostly handgun anyway.

BigJimP · December 15, 2016, 01:07 AM

I've been reloading for 50 plus yrs too...and yes lubing used to be a mess and a pain - but with today's spray lube ( easy & quick to use / dries in about 10 min -- and I just dump the whole batch of lubed cases into case feeder ( 500 or so ).and run them thru the press in 30 min or less ....and if there is a little residual lube left on completed rounds, I just dump them on a terrycloth towel on my bench - roll them around a little and you are done.

I would never buy a die today that wasn't carbide......we used to use non carbide dies..../ but today's carbide dies are not expensive ( and they last virtually forever )...

I think a bottle of dillons spray lube is under $10....and I think the last bottle I had ran at least 5 yrs of cases, so 125,000 cases or so..../ ...so it's cheap too...

Pond, James Pond · December 15, 2016, 02:59 AM

I mostly use a hand press at the moment and I manage to resize .44Mags without lube. Provided the cases are clear of grit that might damage the dies or cases, then no need for lube, IMO.

In fact, lube makes attracting grit more likely.

springer99 · December 15, 2016, 08:29 AM

Yes, I use spray lube, usually lubing about 1 in 10 straight wall(38Spl) cases and 1 - 5 tapered(9mm) cases. Just makes resizing SO much easier.

BumbleBug · December 15, 2016, 08:49 AM

Yes, I lube lightly. I have single stage presses & usually don't load high volume. All my cases go for a tumble after sizing.

AzShooter · December 15, 2016, 09:28 AM

I use One Shot Case Lube on all my ammo. Helps it run smoothly through the sizing die and evaporates so you don't have to tumble loaded rounds.

Mauser69 · December 15, 2016, 10:51 AM

No. Absolutely NOT. NEVER.

I bought the carbide dies to NOT lube those cases, and they work fine. Even .44 Mag are simple to resize without significant effort in either my Rock Chucker or Lee Turret presses. Putting lube on cases when using carbide dies just seems plain stupid to me. But to each their own . . .

mikld · December 15, 2016, 01:33 PM

Some really strong "opinions" about lube and carbide dies. Basically, lube is not needed to size straight walled brass, but how many of us only do something if it's absolutely needed? I don't. Sometimes I do things just because I want to, and lightly lubing every third .44 Magnum case when sizing is one. And depending on how much time I have, or if I'm bored I have been known to do some totally unnecessary stuff (I even deburred some flash holes on the interior of the case once). I like reloading, I have no quota, I am in no hurry, and I do as much as I feel like doing, and if that included lubing 38 Special brass to resize, then I will....

I've not seen the "Reloading Police" in quite a while and they prolly ain't gonna kick down my door and confiscate my ammo 'cause I made it "wrong"...

View Poll Results: Do you use lube despite it being unnecessary when using a carbide die?
No, it may help but I do not bother.	59	64.13%
Yes, it is worth using despite being not absolutely required.	33	35.87%
Voters: 92. You may not vote on this poll

December 14, 2016, 10:15 AM	#1
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	Carbide die, lubrication. How many handloaders lube straight-wall handgun cases (except .30 Carbine) despite when using a carbide sizing die?

December 14, 2016, 11:55 AM	#3
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,742	I've never bothered doing it, but lots of folks report they feel of the press operation getting smoother and easier, so if I had shoulder motion problems operating the press, I might well do it. Also, some complain the super smooth clean surface from stainless steel pin case cleaning increases friction with the carbide. I've only done SS pin cleaning with rifle cases at this point, so I can't say from experience if that's so or not. If it turned out to be true on my press, I would lube the cases then. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

December 14, 2016, 12:11 PM	#8
Chainsaw. Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2015 Location: Issaquah WA. Its a dry rain. Posts: 1,774	I DO on some calibers. I find 44 mag can be a bit of a bear so Ill throw a little lube on to make it smoother. Ive also ripped the rims off hornady brass so I dont reload those anymore. For 9mm I do not. No need. __________________ Just shoot the damn thing.

December 14, 2016, 05:27 PM	#13
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Yes, I lube the cases all the time ( and I load on a Dillon 650)...with very good Dillon Carbide dies..../ I know its not necessary...but I use the Dillon spray lube - easy to use..and then dump 500 or so cases in the case feeder. I've run it both ways...with and without case lube...and the press runs significantly smoother when I use the case lube. I shoot and reload about 10 boxes a week of 9mm....and usually 2 boxes a week of .357 mag ---- and a few boxes a month of .45 acp, .40 S&W and .44 Mag. But do whatever works for you the best. Last edited by BigJimP; December 15, 2016 at 01:08 AM.

December 14, 2016, 11:30 AM	#2
dallasb Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2011 Posts: 110	I do not... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

December 14, 2016, 12:03 PM	#4
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 5,174	I don't. Not even for .30 carbine. It will go smoother with lube. But I don't care as long as casing doesn't get stuck. It is still smoother than lubed rifle brass. I don't really enjoy cleaning the lube off the brass. -TL

December 14, 2016, 12:06 PM	#5
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Lubing any cartridge when using a carbide sizer kind of defeats their purpose.

December 14, 2016, 12:07 PM	#6
mdemetz Member Join Date: September 23, 2009 Posts: 73	I usually give a light spray of diluted(alcohol) Lee's(lanolin) followed by tumbling.

December 14, 2016, 12:11 PM	#7
wpsdlrg Senior Member Join Date: August 18, 2009 Posts: 826	Nope. No lube. Not necessary....and a waste of time.

December 14, 2016, 12:23 PM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,174	I give pistol brass a LIGHT spritz of spray lube. Reduces the effort on the handle and if you use little enough, most of it rubs off in the dies and you don't have to clean the finished ammo.

December 14, 2016, 01:07 PM	#10
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	Maybe, sometimes. Depending on the case (38, 9mm nope, .44 Mag., .357 Mag., yep, sometimes if I got a lot to do). But there is a definite reduction in force needed to size any case when lightly lubed...

December 14, 2016, 04:38 PM	#11
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	If you have to lube your dies, maybe you need better ones? The wonderful thing about carbide is that it is so dense and hard that it can be polished to a water smooth, nearly frictionless surface. Look a tungsten jewelry and this will be clear. Wait, look at a ten year old piece of tungsten jewelry. If jamming a .38 round into a carbide die feels like hammering through cinder blocks, there is a problem of some sorts and it is probably because you are trying to shove a piece of brass through a 3/8"insert that has the texture of 800 grit alumina paper.

December 14, 2016, 05:19 PM	#12
rg1 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2001 Posts: 1,131	Maybe if you have a light weight "beginner" press it could help?

December 14, 2016, 06:17 PM	#14
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,384	Nope. Not for .45 ACP.

December 14, 2016, 09:36 PM	#15
Kevin Rohrer Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2010 Location: Medina, Ohio Posts: 1,050	Lubing and cleaning cases is completely unnecessary with any straight-walled pistol cartridge except .30 Carbine when using a Carbide sizing die. Work smart, not hard. __________________ Member: Orange Gunsite Family, NRA--Life, ARTCA, and American Legion. Caveat Emptor: Cavery Grips/AmericanGripz/Prestige Grips/Stealth Grips from Clayton, NC. He is a scammer

December 14, 2016, 09:48 PM	#16
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,618	I do it (straight wall handgun cases) because I'm going to ss pin tumble afterward anyway; and that'll wash off the lube. Since I know the lube will wash off, seems I might as well apply some spray lube. Only takes an extra few seconds, and it makes the process go a lot smoother - and that's gotta be a good thing, right? __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

December 15, 2016, 12:38 AM	#17
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,475	To me, lubing a straight wall pistol case defeats the whole purpose (and wastes the extra money carbide dies cost). Sure, it runs a little smoother, perhaps but the whole reason I got carbide dies was to dispense with that particular step. And, yes, I started in the days before the light spray lubes we use today. The heavy lubes we used on the lube pads take more to clean up, so back then carbide was a bigger time & effort saver than it is today. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

December 15, 2016, 12:54 AM	#18
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	Lubing adds to the steps when using a progressive like my Dillon 550b. If I lube the cases, somewhere along the line I will have to clean it off. If one lubes, sizes and then cleans the cases before going to the flaring/powder dispensing step, it defeats the purpose of a progressive press. I handload to shoot...my hobby is primarily shooting (in the Summer I shoot every day, seven days a week), not handloading. I want to get the handloading done as quickly as possible. No lubing of straight-walled cases except for .30 Carbine, but I shoot mostly handgun anyway.

December 15, 2016, 01:07 AM	#19
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I've been reloading for 50 plus yrs too...and yes lubing used to be a mess and a pain - but with today's spray lube ( easy & quick to use / dries in about 10 min -- and I just dump the whole batch of lubed cases into case feeder ( 500 or so ).and run them thru the press in 30 min or less ....and if there is a little residual lube left on completed rounds, I just dump them on a terrycloth towel on my bench - roll them around a little and you are done. I would never buy a die today that wasn't carbide......we used to use non carbide dies..../ but today's carbide dies are not expensive ( and they last virtually forever )... I think a bottle of dillons spray lube is under $10....and I think the last bottle I had ran at least 5 yrs of cases, so 125,000 cases or so..../ ...so it's cheap too...

December 15, 2016, 02:59 AM	#20
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	I mostly use a hand press at the moment and I manage to resize .44Mags without lube. Provided the cases are clear of grit that might damage the dies or cases, then no need for lube, IMO. In fact, lube makes attracting grit more likely.

December 15, 2016, 08:29 AM	#21
springer99 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2008 Posts: 355	Yes, I use spray lube, usually lubing about 1 in 10 straight wall(38Spl) cases and 1 - 5 tapered(9mm) cases. Just makes resizing SO much easier.

December 15, 2016, 08:49 AM	#22
BumbleBug Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2013 Location: Near Heart of Texas Posts: 870	Yes, I lube lightly. I have single stage presses & usually don't load high volume. All my cases go for a tumble after sizing.

December 15, 2016, 09:28 AM	#23
AzShooter Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Surprise, Az. Posts: 766	I use One Shot Case Lube on all my ammo. Helps it run smoothly through the sizing die and evaporates so you don't have to tumble loaded rounds.

December 15, 2016, 10:51 AM	#24
Mauser69 Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2014 Location: New Mexico Posts: 204	No. Absolutely NOT. NEVER. I bought the carbide dies to NOT lube those cases, and they work fine. Even .44 Mag are simple to resize without significant effort in either my Rock Chucker or Lee Turret presses. Putting lube on cases when using carbide dies just seems plain stupid to me. But to each their own . . .

December 15, 2016, 01:33 PM	#25
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	Some really strong "opinions" about lube and carbide dies. Basically, lube is not needed to size straight walled brass, but how many of us only do something if it's absolutely needed? I don't. Sometimes I do things just because I want to, and lightly lubing every third .44 Magnum case when sizing is one. And depending on how much time I have, or if I'm bored I have been known to do some totally unnecessary stuff (I even deburred some flash holes on the interior of the case once). I like reloading, I have no quota, I am in no hurry, and I do as much as I feel like doing, and if that included lubing 38 Special brass to resize, then I will.... I've not seen the "Reloading Police" in quite a while and they prolly ain't gonna kick down my door and confiscate my ammo 'cause I made it "wrong"...