Resizing Lube for 223
- Thread starter Bob in MO
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flyphishr
Member
I use Hornady One shot or Frankford Arsenal Spray lube. I tumble them to remove it.
Average Joe
Member
Lanolin and Walmart Red.
carbine85
Member
Homemade Lanolin and alcohol mix. It's better than anything else I have used. I've had stuck cases with One Shot and dimpled cases with the RCBS sticky stuff.
I use a spray bottle from Off Bug Spray and get a really fine mist. I haven't used anything else in 5-6 years
I use a spray bottle from Off Bug Spray and get a really fine mist. I haven't used anything else in 5-6 years
A "smidgeon" of RCBS Case Lube on thumb/forefinger
As you pick case up lightly rub/grease the case body.
Size...
4 cases later, another "smidgeon"
(alternately, Imperial Sizing Wax ... same technique)
As you pick case up lightly rub/grease the case body.
Size...
4 cases later, another "smidgeon"
(alternately, Imperial Sizing Wax ... same technique)
Yep, haven't found a better way, and just tried two new lubes recently.
griff383
Member
Ditto, keep going back to this too. A little goes a long way. When I'm using a mandrel to size necks (2 step sizing process) I use a mop to get the inside of the neck every 10th piece or so. About every 100 I pull the mandrel out and wipe to keep it clean
Do you remove the lube after sizing, if so how?
I'm new to loading rifle and will be using a Lee turret press. I don't understand the 2 step sizing process.
griff383
Member
Basically you pull the expander/deprimer pin from your main sizing die so it only sizes the body or outside of case. Then in a second stage or step you use a mandrel to size inside of neck.
I've only used this brand: http://www.xxicsi.com/home-keep.html
I have them for all my bottle neck cartridges and they are amazing. You just need to keep an eye on it though and be sure it's lubed up, otherwise you can set the shoulder back further.
AR. Hillbilly
Member
I just did 1200 by hand. This was range brass that I bought so it was my first chance to inspect.
I tumbled it in corncob 200 at a time for 2 hrs each batch. I then hand lubed between first finger and thumb with mink oil. I did 600 a night. I kept them in a clean trash bag in a bucket. The next week I spent 2 nights de-priming/ sizing.
The following week I spent 2 nights with a rag cleaning off lube. this was slow but gave me two chances to inspect this unknown brass.
I now prep as I need. Maybe 100 at a time. I then tumble again with a little nufinish. They look new.
I tumbled it in corncob 200 at a time for 2 hrs each batch. I then hand lubed between first finger and thumb with mink oil. I did 600 a night. I kept them in a clean trash bag in a bucket. The next week I spent 2 nights de-priming/ sizing.
The following week I spent 2 nights with a rag cleaning off lube. this was slow but gave me two chances to inspect this unknown brass.
I now prep as I need. Maybe 100 at a time. I then tumble again with a little nufinish. They look new.
Whiterook808
Member
I use an old school lube pad for 223 and 300BO, five cases at a time. For all other cartridges I use Imperial sizing wax.
AR. Hillbilly
Member
What do you use on the pad if I may ask?
Do you mean the car wax nufinish?
Also, I have a vibration tumbler. What kind of media should I use in that?
1 part liquid lanolin to 11 part 99% isopropyl alcohol. Mixed in a atomizing spray bottle (shake well to mix and dissolve).
Spray the lube into a 1 gallon Ziploc bag (the slider locks works the best). Mix and toss the brass inside the bad to coat evenly. Dump the content out into a container of choice and give a minute for the alcohol to flash off before starting to resize.
To remove the lube, I wash the brass in hot water with dawn soap or wet tumble with stainless media. Dry tumble with walnut or corn cob media works also.
I can easily do batches to 200 at a time this way.
Spray the lube into a 1 gallon Ziploc bag (the slider locks works the best). Mix and toss the brass inside the bad to coat evenly. Dump the content out into a container of choice and give a minute for the alcohol to flash off before starting to resize.
To remove the lube, I wash the brass in hot water with dawn soap or wet tumble with stainless media. Dry tumble with walnut or corn cob media works also.
I can easily do batches to 200 at a time this way.
AR. Hillbilly
Member
Yes car polish Nufinish. I drizzled 2 teaspoons in the tumbler with corn cob media but no brass. Let it run 20 minutes to mix in well and get the clumps out before adding brass.
AR. Hillbilly
Member
yes nufinish. I replied below. Sorry for the confusion.
243winxb
Member
Cemetery21
Member
Either Imperial wax or mink oil paste, applied with fingers when moving brass to the press. Just touch a finger to the lube every third case or so. I have 2 tumblers. One vibrator with walnut and Nufinish for initial cleaning and an old tumbler with corn cob and Nufinish for cleaning off lube. I do 200 round batches on prairie dog fodder.
If I'm just doing 20-30 rounds for load workup, same lube, but just wipe cases down with old t-shirts.
Edit: I use a q-tip to lube the inside of the neck with the same lube every 5th round or so - depending on how much the ball drags. I have not moved on to expander mandrels, but I do use a combo of a body die and a collet neck die for some special loads.
If I'm just doing 20-30 rounds for load workup, same lube, but just wipe cases down with old t-shirts.
Edit: I use a q-tip to lube the inside of the neck with the same lube every 5th round or so - depending on how much the ball drags. I have not moved on to expander mandrels, but I do use a combo of a body die and a collet neck die for some special loads.
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I use Imperial Sizing Die Wax, and have been using the same can of it for well over 30 years. Works perfectly and (obviously) goes a very long way.
You asked earlier how to remove the wax after sizing. The wax on mine is removed during my next step of tumbling where the detergent gets removes it. As you can see in my steps below, if I have to length trim, it's no problem working with the casing even if the wax has not been cleaned off yet. The wax film is so thin, it's not sticky or gummy, and can even be wiped off if you didn't want to wash the case.
My steps are:
De-cap
Optional primer pocket swage
Lube
Full-length size
Possible length trim, inside/outside mouth chamfer
Tumble clean
Dry
Prime
Powder charge, bullet seat, crimp
Case gauge verify
You asked earlier how to remove the wax after sizing. The wax on mine is removed during my next step of tumbling where the detergent gets removes it. As you can see in my steps below, if I have to length trim, it's no problem working with the casing even if the wax has not been cleaned off yet. The wax film is so thin, it's not sticky or gummy, and can even be wiped off if you didn't want to wash the case.
My steps are:
De-cap
Optional primer pocket swage
Lube
Full-length size
Possible length trim, inside/outside mouth chamfer
Tumble clean
Dry
Prime
Powder charge, bullet seat, crimp
Case gauge verify
Telum Pisces
Member
Yep, I use the old fashioned RCBS lube and pad. A tiny bit of lube spread on the pad goes a long way. I can usually lube about 100 rounds or more on the pad before needing to put a few more drops on it!
I've tried one shot spray lube and other fancy tricks and nothing really speeds up the process or makes it any better for me.
kmw1954
Member
Hornady Unique Case Lube.
Tumble it off with plain corn cob, I keep it separate from the corn cob with polish.
JJFitch
Member
One thing I do that hasn't been mentioned to reduce the amount of lube on the pad is to take a "straight edge" like a razor blade from a carpenters razer knife. I use it to scrape off the lube after re-lubing. This ensures that the right amount is left on the pad. The straight edge stays near by and can be used later to reapply more lube.
I found that not doing this puts way to much lube on case for several hundred cases!
Smiles,
I found that not doing this puts way to much lube on case for several hundred cases!
Smiles,
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