Case Lubing Question

[RVenick]

I have a question on lubing cases specifically 223 cases. I have a mixture I made of one part Lanolin and 6 parts 99% alcohol. It works well. When loading 223 I do em progressively in 2 steps on my Lee Pro 1000. I resize/deprime and reprime in the first step (i will do a 1000 cases this way) and charge and seat in the second step. The reason I do this is with the Pro 1000 I have to concentrate on setting the bullet due to the limited clearance and tend to have issues with resizing or priming if I try and do it all in one step. My current method is to take a big handfull of cases and put them in a one gallon Ziplock bag I then spray my lube mixture into the bag and shake and roll the bag. This work quite well except sometimes I don't get enough lube into the inside of the neck using this method resulting in hard returns on the upstroke. Sometimes I even get a case stuck on the decapping pin. Anyone have an suggestion for a quick way to get the insides of the case necks lubed?

 

[T Bran]

Put a dab of lanolin on a qtip and spring clamp it to the bench. When you pick up every other case just apply a little to the inside case mouth. Dont go overboard a little dab will do it.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

you could use a nylon case neck lube brush to put a little lube inside the neck. i find that i only have to do this with about every 5th case. it'll leave enough lube on the expander ball to lube the next 4.

i've also used a case lube pad. i'd reserve a corner of the pad for lubing inside case necks and i'd put a little more lube on that part of the pad than normal. i'd push the case mouth down onto that corner, wipe off the outside of the neck to avoid hydraulic dents on the shoulder, and then resize. with this method i only had to lube the inside of every 10th case.

 

[rfwobbly]

I roll 5 cases at a time on a "lube pad". That allows me to pick up every second or third case and stab it into the pad. This imparts a very small amount of lube just inside the case mouth.

 

[myg30]

+1 on the Q-tip. There is nothing fast about reloading. If your in a hurry, dont reload !!

Be safe,

Mike

 

[RVenick]

I use or have used all of these methods with other cals but with the 223 I am trying to do volume. I might resize and prime 2000 at a time and then store em in a bucket that way when I need to load some up I can go at it hard. T Bran how long have you lived in Homestead? I grew up down there.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

there's really no way around lubing the inside of the neck on rifle cases. would sticking every 10th case into a lube pad really slow you down that much?

only other option i can think of is one of those case lube blocks where you stand your cases up in it and spray them down. might make it easier to spray down in the cases, but standing all the cases up will take more time than just jamming every 10th into a lube pad or sliding a few on a neck lube brush that's clamped to the edge of the bench.

 

[T Bran]

RVenic
Been here off and on for the last 35 years but full time for the last 15.
I have hunting land in N Fla. are you near Madison by chance.
If I'm not mistaken Dillon makes a lube die but I've never used one just a thought.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

i think you're thinking about the RCBS lube die

 

[Walkalong]

Nylon brush for me.

 

[gamestalker]

I wouldn't personally lube in that fashion, primarily because of the risk of lube dents, and as you've already indicated, stuck cases become an issue. I would also be very concerned about contaminating the powder with your baggie method, because of lube inadvertantly getting inside of the case. Lube may not have much or any effect if the round is used within a short period of time. But on the other hand, if that round sits around for a few weeks or months, or is exposed to warm conditions, I would think the lube would produce vapors that could effect the powder and primer to some degree.

And as has already been said, if you are trying to beat the clock, reloading may not be for you. Saving some time when possible is fine, but it's attention to detail that prevents serious mistakes, and ultimately produces good quality reloads.

One final thought. You didn't mention trimming as one of your steps? Do you trim or check for needed trimming. When brass gets longer than SAAMI max. the mouth can get pinched when the bullet is exiting. This can result in pressures going up unpredictably high, and can also cause throat errosion or worse. Case preparation goes beyond just resizing the brass and can be rather time consuming, but it is a necessary part of the reloading process.

 

[Blue68f100]

Why don't you just use the Dry Mica used for neck sizing. aka Imperial Neck Sizing Lube. It does the inside and outside.

 

[matrem]

I even get a case stuck on the decapping pin.

No doubt the expander ball can drag a bit on "bone dry" necks, but with spray lubes that shouldn't be an issue.(maybe you need to shake & roll a bit more?)

Dry Mica used for neck sizing

I've used this for years when neck sizing with excellent results.