Lanolin Mixture vs Imperial Sizing Wax

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slowr1der

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I'm currently using Imperial sizing wax which works wonderfully. The only complaint I have is that it does take a while to rub down each case individually. Once I resize them, I generally just throw them in my wet tumbler which seems to remove the lube easily.

As I'm looking for ways to spend up my reloading for plinking ammo, I read about lanolin and 99% alcohol. It would be significantly faster to squirt a bit of it on a bunch of cases in a bag or tub and roll them around. This seemed like a no brainer until I started reading about people trying to remove the lube. It seems like many people are saying dawn and stainless steel pins don't seem to get it off. So so guys recommend spraying the cases down with alcohol and rubbing them around in a towel, etc. Others recommend dry tumbling for a few hours (I really hate to go back to this). Either way all of the recommendations seem to add an extra step. Is it really any faster to use this lube if you have add an extra step to remove the lube?

Now I'm debating if I should just stick with the Imperial wax since I know how well it works. Or is it still worth it to make the switch?
 
I also use the Lee case lube mixed with 99% isopropyl alcohol, in a spray bottle.
I dump the brass out on a flat baking sheet (an old jellyroll pan Mrs Thunkit gave me), give it a few squirts and let the alcohol flash off for a few minutes. Shake the pan, repeat.

The lube is dry, doesn't make a mess, and needn't be cleaned off.

Cheap, cleaner than most lubes, easy, effective. What's not to like ?
 
I wouldn't limit myself to just one choice in this area. Sometimes Imperial is the best choice when the resizing job is difficult...MG fired 7.62x51 cases as an example. On the other hand, 5.56 or straight wall pistol cases are much easier to do. I just throw a couple of handfuls of these in the case feeder and spritz them with the FA pump spray and go. With either method a little goes a long way.

It just depends on the job.

.40
 
I read about lanolin and 99% alcohol.

Now I'm debating if I should just stick with the Imperial wax since I know how well it works. Or is it still worth it to make the switch?

Very little lanolin is needed to do the job, much less than many reloaders are using actually. Recommended ratios are anywhere from 4:1 to 16:1. When I started using it, I started with 16:1 and soon realized that was too much. I settled on a 20:1 ratio which I found works real well and doesn't need to be removed after reloading. I just set all the cases on my bench, mouth side up, and lightly roll each one between my lubed thumb and index finger. One spritz on my fingers will do about 20 cases so it only takes me about a minute to lube a few hundred.
 
Look for PEG-75 lanolin. It works as well as regular lanolin oil, but is water soluble. Its a little thinner by nature, so I mix at 12-1 instead of the 18-1 I used for regular lanolin oil.

Id post a link, but the place I bought mine from is doing website work.
 
I've read where some had a problem with the lanolin not coming off well in their tumbler, or it stuck to their pins or tumbler drum, made sort of a gray mess. Haven't had that problem, but if I did, I'd soak brass for a half hour or so in sudsy hot water to get off most of the lube, then wet tumble a half-hour to get the rest.

Lanolin not coming off sounds like too much sprayed on, or not a good enough cleaning agent to remove it. I use 1/4 cup Armor All Wash & Wax and 1/2 tsp. Lemishine, in hot water. No troubles.
 
One Shot works well without cleaning. The trick is to make sure the stuff is allowed to dry before resizing them. I've had several .223 cases get stuck and the rims tear off using One Shot and I though it was junk until I made sure the cases were allowed to dry. No stuck cases since then.
 
Is it really any faster to use this lube if you have add an extra step to remove the lube?

As long as pressures are within SAAMI specs, you don't have to remove the lube. You can shoot the cartridges as they are and they will not only function fine, they will cycle more reliably in semi auto mechanisms.

The history of lubricated cases is pretty much forgotten, even though there are lubricated cases on the market. Match 22lr ammunition is noticeably greasy, the wax used on cheap 22lr is on the case so the wax will melt during powder combustion and form a lubricant on the outside of the case, so the case will eject from blowback actions.

American's are very ignorant about the history of lubricated cases and instead, are faithful to an Army coverup over a century old. The Army was making defective M1903's, and blamed the blowups of those rifles, (with Army ammunition) on grease. At the time bullet jackets fouled something awful and everyone was dipping their bullets in grease.

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The logic is easy to follow: Army rifles are perfect, Army ammunition is perfect, therefore, when an Army rifle blows up with Army ammunition, it has to be the grease!

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I have been dipping bullets in grease to absolutely, positively, stop jacket fouling in one chrome lined barrel of mine, and I believe that it may reduce fouling as even non chrome lined barrels clean up very quickly. And it absolutely, positively, stopped cupro nickel jacket fouling from Iraqi 303 British ball. That stuff left lumpy fouling that took weeks to dissolve, until I greased the bullets.

Army Ordnance knew that the Swiss were firing greased bullets

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But claimed that the Swiss were using this ammunition to shoot holes in cheese. Obviously, the Swiss are reckless, ignorant idiots.

Here I am greasing new 300 H&H cases so they will fireform perfectly to the chamber on first firing.

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It will hold the ten ring at 300 yards:

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This much is a bit excessive, but it works. These are 30-06
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greased 30-06 had a repeatable zero

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And shot well for the rest of the string..

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The ignorance, tenacity, and dogmatism of the American public to a century year old coverup is most astonishing, and the theories people come up to explain away the contradictions in their beliefs are equally astonishing. About a week ago I was at a Regional and a USA Ret was selling British Radway Green 7.62 ammunition. I picked up a case and found it greasy, in fact every case had a greasy feel. I asked USA Ret about this, and he said it was machine gun ammunition and he had taken it off the links. He had not applied the greasey layer, it was on the linked ammunition as he bought it. I asked him why did he think the British greased their ammunition, he replied that lubricated cases dangerously increased bolt thrust on rifles, but were needed for machine guns, because "they blow back". When I stated that as long as pressures are within SAAMI specs, the ammunition will be safe to fire, in machine guns and rifles, USA Ret loudly replied "Well I know better, I know better". I never did ask him if the stuff was OK to fire in a FAL, which is a rifle, but which also "blows back".

Removing case lubrication is a preference. Don't remove the lubrication on 22 rim fires or the FN 5.7 x 28 case .Removing the lubricant coating will cause case ruptures and reloaders of the 5.7 X 28 have been injured when their reloading process did not restore the lubricant layer.

This is from Wiki

FN's 5.7×28mm cartridge cases are covered with a special polymer coating for easier extraction with the PS90 carbine due to the high chamber pressures and lack of case tapering. In addition, this coating ensures proper feeding and function in the magazines.

The advantage of stating that the cases are covered with a special polymer coating, is that USA Ret does not know this is a lubricant, or that grease, oil, wax, teflon, etc, are all polymers. Changing the words allows the manufacturer and cartridge makers to avoid profitless arguments or debates.
 
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Slamfire always provides good information.

In any case, I resize and clean cases shortly after shooting them. Small batches, a couple hundred or fewer, process quickly. I then store them away for a future loading session.

I use lanolin/alcohol or a commercial version on handgun cases. It makes resizing slicker than...well you get the picture. I've dabbled with the spay on lubricant on 204 Ruger cases with success but have not trie d it on other cartridges.

On rifle, I use RCBS case pad lubricant or Imperial Sizing wax. Both are slow but except for my prairie dog ammunition, batches are very small.

Again, I resize and clean the cases shortly after shooting and processing goes quickly.

My way works for me. There are all sorts of permutations of the process that folks can adapt for their needs.
 
American's are very ignorant about the history of lubricated cases and instead, are faithful to an Army coverup over a century old. The Army was making defective M1903's, and blamed the blowups of those rifles, (with Army ammunition) on grease. At the time bullet jackets fouled something awful and everyone was dipping their bullets in grease.

Fascinating post. You learn something new everyday.

.40
 
RCBS Case Lube-2. Water soluble and wipes off easily with no sticky residue. Use a pad to apply.

Use a RCBS Nylon brush to lube and clean inside the case necks.

Works for me, even when loading for the M16A1 carbine that i since sold.
 
I have largely stopped wiping off Imperial lube; just isn't worth the bother and I have yet to see a negative effect. I also don't use very much per case, just enough for a slightly greasy feel. It's probably mostly gone by the time I'm done handling them during charging and seating operations anyway...
 
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