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Which sizing lube and how do you remove?

Dai Bando

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 14, 2017
584
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What lube are you guys using for sizing brass?

How are you removing it?
 
I'm using the Frankford Arsenal non-aerosol spray lube, which I believe is lanolin and rubbing alcohol.
I found I went through the aerosol stuff too quickly.
I wet tumble in stainless steel media to clean.
 
Most get spray lube but use imperial sizing wax for 5.7x28 cause the little bastards like to lose their necks on the expander. All my cars get tumbled clean in corn cob media until I get tired of listening to the tumbler
 
I use Hornady UNIQUE sizing wax, remove by wiping by hand on a paper towel. I have found that tumbling after waxing gets corn cob media EVERYWHERE and it's impossible to get off.

How do others deal with this problem? Tumbling to clean leaves no residue, but tumbling after sizing gets media inside the cases and primer pockets.
 
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One Shot
Tumble in corn cob media for 15-20 minutes

Lanolin alcohol mix
Tumble in corn cob for a couple hours.
 
Lanolin and alcohol 50/50 doesn’t get any slicker. Like they say like snot on a door knob. Put in tumbler a few minutes or rinse with soap and water and your done. I’ve used all kinds and you can definitely feel the difference in the press when sizing
 
Hornady one shot. 20min in wet tumbler (no pins, just soap and water).
 
I use hornady one shot as well and then it goes in corn cob for an hour or so.
 
Walnut media takes sizing wax off just fine. Mineral spirits and car wax in the mix.
20191015_180504.jpg


This was range brass, cobb kept getting stuck in flash holes lizzard bedding does not.
 
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Just a little bit of One Shot works great and doesnt have to be removed. Maybe a quick wipe with a paper towel.
 
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I use Hornady UNIQUE sizing wax, remove by wiping by hand on a paper towel. I have found that tumbling after waxing gets corn cob media EVERYWHERE and it's impossible to get off.

I use Unique Case Lube also - applied by hand with each case. I do a quick wipe with a t-shirt and also a really quick cleaning of the neck with a Q-Tip. Sometimes a little lube gets in the neck and can trap powder.

Note that I don't use an expander ball so don't need to lube the inside of the necks.
 
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Depends on what I’m reloading, bolt gun ammo I use Imperial Sizing Wax on the body, and a dry lube inside the neck, for blasting ammo 9 40 556 on my Dillon I use spray lube, then tumble the loaded rounds to remove lube.
 
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One shot, then go to the hardware store and buy the stuff to remove a stuck case. JJ but I've heard of this too much from quite a few reloaders. Liquid Lanoline and 99% Alcohol 1/10 has given me the most consistent shoulder bumps. YMMV as they say...
 
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I use Hornady unique lube. Get a touch on my finger, run it up and down the case as I turn it, size it, wipe it off with a paper towel. Up side to unique (and some other types of sizing lube) is that it has a cleaner in it as well so when you wipe it off, it cleans the brass. Most times this is all I do but if I'm looking for a perfect finish (I.e. Hunting loads that I load ahead that will be sitting awhile), sometimes I throw em in a tumbler for 30 mins or so to shine em up, but this isn't required.

Plus side to the unique is ive been using it since I started reloading in 2012 and I still have half a jug left....itll last forever.
 
I use Hornady unique lube. Get a touch on my finger, run it up and down the case as I turn it, size it, wipe it off with a paper towel. Up side to unique (and some other types of sizing lube) is that it has a cleaner in it as well so when you wipe it off, it cleans the brass. Most times this is all I do but if I'm looking for a perfect finish (I.e. Hunting loads that I load ahead that will be sitting awhile), sometimes I throw em in a tumbler for 30 mins or so to shine em up, but this isn't required.

Plus side to the unique is ive been using it since I started reloading in 2012 and I still have half a jug left....itll last forever.
That seems like it would take a very long time to load 100 pieces.
 
Generic Pam (cooking spray) from walmart, a little will go a loooooong damn way. I wet tumble for about 30 minutes to get it off.
 
Imperial Sizing Wax. "Sparingly" like it says right on the can. Wipe off with a rag. Done. No tumbling required.
 
That seems like it would take a very long time to load 100 pieces.
I used this method to shoot PRS comps in 2016 through 2018 when I was still shooting. Loaded 150 rounds in a few hours with it and that's before I got a chargemaster. Aside from spraying 100 peices with some aerosol all at the same time, it takes no more time than any other method, less than some. Since the lube is a cleaner, for comps and just plinking I don't tumble at all so that in itself is 30 minutes off the time. It's really simple once you get the hang of it to dip ur finger in lube, apply to brass, size and wipe off. Would take about 8-10 seconds per brass when ur doing a bunch to go from fired to sized and deprimed. Might knock off 2 seconds by lubing them all with aerosol before hand. It's worked well for me for about 8k rifle loads in the past 4 years so I'll stick to it, that's not to say my way is THE way, just A way.
 
That seems like it would take a very long time to load 100 pieces.

It really doesn't take much time. I lightly run my fingers through the case lube (as in barely touch it) so it's on my index and middle fingers, along with my thumb. I grab a case, run my fingers along it for a second or two, then put it in the press. And one run through the lube usually lasts for a few cases. You don't need much. I used to spray lube, but after a couple stuck cases (not to mention the overspray mess that can occur) I switched.
 
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It really doesn't take much time. I lightly run my fingers through the case lube (as in barely touch it) so it's on my index and middle fingers, along with my thumb. I grab a case, run my fingers along it for a second or two, then put it in the press. And one run through the lube usually lasts for a few cases. You don't need much. I used to spray lube, but after a couple stuck cases (not to mention the overspray mess that can occur) I switched.
Yup I never liked the idea of overspray with aerosol lube so I've only ever used Unique. Works well for me
 
Dillon case lube which is lanolin and alcohol. When current stock is depleted, I will make my own. Clean using medium grain rice in a vibratory tumbler. I tease my grandkids calling it Papa's recipe for dirty rice.
 
I use One Shot for everything. No need to remove it if you don't want but I toss them in my corn media tumbler for 20 minutes.
 
Also the people mentioning over spray need to use the plastic bag method. No over spray. All the spray goes in the bag and on brass and it's easier than putting them into racks.