Leaving Lanolin On Finished Rounds

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peeplwtchr

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Hi All-
I started using the sizing die on my turret today. I used up all the pre-primed 9mm cases I prepared when I inly used a single stage. I like to lube 9mm cases before sizing, as I load 1k+ per month, and have a messed up back, lubed cases take far less resistance. So I am wondering if you think I can get away shooting the rounds with lanolin on them, or should I wet tumble them (No Pins) to remove the lanolin lube? There's not much lube on them.

Thanks
 
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Six of one and half dozen of the other. I have left lube on cases and never had a bad side effect. The lube dries as the carrier evaporates and really does not cause a problem. If cleaning them makes you feel better it certainly won't hurt.

Depending on how you clean them. I agree with AJC1 above.

Ron
 
It really does not matter if they are cleaned or not. I found with mine if I did not clean the lube off it attracted dirt and such to the extent that rounds sometimes did not chamber. A quick wipe with a rag on a finished round to remove thick lube is usually enough if it bothers. These days I use a vibratory tumbler and corn cob to finish my loadex ammo for 15-20 min to clean them up.
 
Using a vibrator cleaner is different than a tumbler. It is arguably ok to vibratory clean loaded ammunition. I absolutely would not tumble loaded ammunition.
Hmmm. Maybe I'll buy one. I've always felt the same way about tumbling ammo, but when I research it, I see lots of guys that have been doing it for years. I wonder what type of cleaner factories use?
 
Made a mistake of resizing a bunch of 223 cases using Alcohol / Lanolin lube. After sizing, I put them in a container and forgot about them. A month or so later, I found them and the lanolin had hardened. I tried tumbling them in a vibratory tumbler with walnut, but it didn't take the crust off.

Lesson learned. when using Lanolin lube, cases are immediately tumbled. No problem since.
 
Conventional wisdom says to clean off the lube. Vibratory tumbler and dry media does the job nicely.
The dry cartridge offers friction when the case expands during firing and reduces the impact on the bolt face.
This probably isn't a factor in pistols but can be in rifles.
If lube didn't matter we would see factory ammo come to us greasy!
Clean rifle and high pressure pistol ammo. :)
 
If you have a Lee Lock Stud & Shell Holder you can chuck it in a drill to spin the round, then use 0000 steel wool to remove the lube & polish the cases.
 
Remove the lanolin. If it gets into your powder it will cause contamination which will clump the powder in your case.

If you want something easy, switch to OneShot for your pistol brass. You can leave that on with no issues.
 
The thing with lanolin is that most folks use 10 times more than is needed.
I use Lee case lube which is actually made by Castrol. It thins with water, won't contaminate powder and easier to remove. One tablespoon will lube 1K cases 9mm.
 
Specifically with 9, 357, & 223 I’m using the lanolin/heet mixture and not removing it with no ill effects. So far on +-500 223’s, 1k of 357’s, and 4500 9’s it hasn’t been an issue. I’m not using a lot of lube, just enough to make sizing easier. I have joint problems in my fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and blown disks in my back and neck, and both rotator cuffs are in bad shape.
 
So I am wondering if you think I can get away shooting the rounds with lanolin on them
Normal (not "goopy") clean residual sizing lube on cases is not only no problem, but actually beneficial to function.

(and no, it's not going to somehow creep inside the case to the powder under any
conceivable circumstance.... unless you believe quantum entanglement is at work )
:thumbdown:



.
 
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Remove the lanolin. If it gets into your powder it will cause contamination which will clump the powder in your case.

If you want something easy, switch to OneShot for your pistol brass. You can leave that on with no issues.
I noticed the clumping last night. How is it bad?
 
If I am “stocking”/storing them for some unknown period, I tumble for 15 min in corn cob to knock the lube off. If I am shooting them, I have left it on there.

Residual lube on a case will attract and hold things on the case a polished one will not. Doesn’t matter much to me if I loaded them at 8:00 and they were all fired by the time the match was over at 1:00.
 
I noticed the clumping last night. How is it bad?

Your powder may or may not burn correctly. Its just not worth the potential issue like a hang fire or assorted other dumb things that happens when powder clumps in the case.

Thats why for once in its history, OneShot is actually a good case lube, because its doesnt make your cases sticky because its a dry lube after it flashes off.
 
I leave wax lubes on sometimes but always remove the lanolin lubes. Lanolin lubes are always sticky to me, attract dirt. If you every drop one into the dirt you have to clean it real good before you shoot it.
 
Your powder may or may not burn correctly. Its just not worth the potential issue like a hang fire or assorted other dumb things that happens when powder clumps in the case.

Thats why for once in its history, OneShot is actually a good case lube, because its doesnt make your cases sticky because its a dry lube after it flashes off.
Oneshot ordered, thanks.
 
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