Lubing rifle case's
- Thread starter RugerBob
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oldreloader
Member
I've used several types of lube but haven't tried One Shot YET. I had good luck with RCBS and a lube pad for years but wound up with Imperial. A little on my fingers with a swipe into a case mouth every once in a while is my method. I tried the mica but really didn't care for it.
*Kemosabe*
Member
Mica?
I've read about lubing the inside of case necks by dipping the entire neck into the mica. IIRC Midway had a mica tray for doing exactly that. I have two questions about doing it this way.
1 - The most important area for lubing the inside of the case neck is at the junction of the shoulder and the neck. Will dipping the case neck into the mica cover that critical area?
2 - If the mica gets on the outside of the case in some quantity can it scratch the inside of the die body?
I've read about lubing the inside of case necks by dipping the entire neck into the mica. IIRC Midway had a mica tray for doing exactly that. I have two questions about doing it this way.
1 - The most important area for lubing the inside of the case neck is at the junction of the shoulder and the neck. Will dipping the case neck into the mica cover that critical area?
2 - If the mica gets on the outside of the case in some quantity can it scratch the inside of the die body?
Steel Horse Rider
Member
Maybe the question should be "Do you ever clean your dies?" The crud, lube, or whatever from having the brass casings rubbing against the inner portions of the die result in accumulations of stuff that isn't supposed to be there. A disassembly and cleaning from time to time will prevent a lot of problems. I also give my dies a quick blast of silicone lube after I clean them.
TrickyDick
Member
I lube my expander once in awhile to help this, but not too much.
*Kemosabe*
Member
The answer is yes… from my expensive Forster and Redding dies all the way down to my least expensive Lee dies. I care for them and about them... that's why I asked the questions.
Since your input didn't address the issues about mica's effect on the dies or the efficacy of the mica dip, perhaps there might be someone who can shed some light on these questions about mica:
1 - The most important area for lubing the inside of the case neck is at the junction of the shoulder and the neck. Will dipping the case neck into the mica cover that critical area?
2 - If the mica gets on the outside of the case in some quantity can it scratch the inside of the die body?
Kemosabe
I have been using mica for about 5 years for lubing inside the neck lubing of milsurp rifle rounds. I use the Midway cheapo Mica brush and tray as mentioned above. It is messy but very cheap and quick to lube though. At least for me it doesn't appear to have affected the dies nor the brass at all when I take them apart periodically to clean. Mica is a really soft substance that doesn't appear to scour the metal in the dies nor does it attract dirt like some lubes can. However, I do not reload rifle rounds in vast amounts so I simply do not know if a die or the expander ball would be scratched from reloading 5000 rounds. One thing, however, I deprime using a universal depriming die and clean the brass before resizing--that I believe will have the biggest impact on prevention of your die being scratched.
One other thing, I have used the mica to break in powder dispensers and dispensing dies as well. Does a good job without affecting your loads much.
I have been using mica for about 5 years for lubing inside the neck lubing of milsurp rifle rounds. I use the Midway cheapo Mica brush and tray as mentioned above. It is messy but very cheap and quick to lube though. At least for me it doesn't appear to have affected the dies nor the brass at all when I take them apart periodically to clean. Mica is a really soft substance that doesn't appear to scour the metal in the dies nor does it attract dirt like some lubes can. However, I do not reload rifle rounds in vast amounts so I simply do not know if a die or the expander ball would be scratched from reloading 5000 rounds. One thing, however, I deprime using a universal depriming die and clean the brass before resizing--that I believe will have the biggest impact on prevention of your die being scratched.
One other thing, I have used the mica to break in powder dispensers and dispensing dies as well. Does a good job without affecting your loads much.
*Kemosabe*
Member
@ boom boom - I appreciate your very informative response and I’m going to try the mica. I have a 150 psi compressor that I can wheel into the reloading room and pressure blast the sized cases to get the mica out.
Like you, I’ve been depriming my fired cases first. Then I wash them in a small Harbor Freight concrete mixer twice. The first time with hot soapy water to get the crud off followed by a rinse of clear water. Next with a 3% solution of citric acid, again followed by a clear water rinse. The cases are really clean and they have a dull shine.
At this point vibratory tumbling them is corncob media is not necessary, but I like them glowing. I’m even thinking of using stainless steel pins in my Thumbler's tumbler for my special loads.
Like you, I’ve been depriming my fired cases first. Then I wash them in a small Harbor Freight concrete mixer twice. The first time with hot soapy water to get the crud off followed by a rinse of clear water. Next with a 3% solution of citric acid, again followed by a clear water rinse. The cases are really clean and they have a dull shine.
At this point vibratory tumbling them is corncob media is not necessary, but I like them glowing. I’m even thinking of using stainless steel pins in my Thumbler's tumbler for my special loads.
Steel Horse Rider
Member
I didn't address the mica question because I have never used it, but I have witnessed some reloading problems such as the OP described that were related to crud in the die and behind the neck sizer. Would not powdered graphite work well for a dry lube that wouldn't interfere with the powder? Just a thought.
IWAC
Member
Read this thread with interest. I, too, have had problems with One Shot case lube. I thought it was probably my Redding dies causing the problem. It turns out, it was probably a combination of the two. Being the frugal sort, I refused to throw away a perfectly good aerosol can of case lube, tho. 
Happy to report it is all gone, and I am going to start using the Frankford Arsenal spray lube, or make my own.
I have the ISO HEET, but liquid Lanolin seems hard to come by locally, so I guess I'll add a tube (2oz.) of Lee resize lube to a bottle (12 oz.) of the Heet. That is about 2X the recommended dose of lube, but it should work.
Whilst on the subject, I remembered I stuck one case in my .270 Hornady dies some time in the '80s, and didn't have another problem till I switched calibers and die makers in the mid-90's...257 Roberts and Redding. They cost more, so they should be better, right?
Well, I took the sizing die apart, and looked inside with a strong light.
Woah! it appeared very rough... circumferential scratches the first 1/2 inch, then diagonal ones from there. Not at all like I remember my other dies, and I don't recall ever doing anything that would produce those scratches!.
So, as recommended, I did the 400 grit in a split dowel trick, and followed it with 1200 grit, then polished some more with the 1200 and 3-In-1 il. Much improved.; scratches gone! NOW to see how that works! Maybe time to switch back to RCBS?
Thanks, guys!
Happy to report it is all gone, and I am going to start using the Frankford Arsenal spray lube, or make my own.
I have the ISO HEET, but liquid Lanolin seems hard to come by locally, so I guess I'll add a tube (2oz.) of Lee resize lube to a bottle (12 oz.) of the Heet. That is about 2X the recommended dose of lube, but it should work.
Whilst on the subject, I remembered I stuck one case in my .270 Hornady dies some time in the '80s, and didn't have another problem till I switched calibers and die makers in the mid-90's...257 Roberts and Redding. They cost more, so they should be better, right?
Well, I took the sizing die apart, and looked inside with a strong light.
Woah! it appeared very rough... circumferential scratches the first 1/2 inch, then diagonal ones from there. Not at all like I remember my other dies, and I don't recall ever doing anything that would produce those scratches!. So, as recommended, I did the 400 grit in a split dowel trick, and followed it with 1200 grit, then polished some more with the 1200 and 3-In-1 il. Much improved.; scratches gone!
NOW to see how that works! Maybe time to switch back to RCBS?Thanks, guys!
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