Reloading Basics: Lubricants

If you have ever got a case stuck in a resizing die you will know how near-impossible it is to get it out again. You will probably need to buy a specialised tool to remove it or, unfortunately, just end up writing the die off. However, it is possible to drill out the primer pocket, thread it, then remove the brass from the sizing die that way. The best way to avoid this happening in the first place is to ensure you lubricate your brass correctly.

Pistol brass

Most modern pistol-calibre resizing dies have carbide inserts, which are extremely smooth, so do not need the cases to be lubricated in any way. The only possible exception to this is the very large pistol calibres, like .500 S&W Magnum, which feature relatively large surface areas and so may require a small amount of lubricant.

Rifle dies

Rifle calibre full-length sizing dies tend not to be carbide lined. It is possible to buy rifle die sets with carbide inserts but they still require the use of a lubricant. This is due to the larger area of surface contact between the brass and the die, so there is no real advantage in using them. Carbide rifle dies are much more expensive than standard steel and are only really an advantage where hundreds of thousands of rounds are being produced and wear of the dies may be an issue.

If you are using a neck-only resizing die there is no need to use any lubrication, as they work completely differently, with little or no friction.

Going inside

It is important to remember that pistol dies work differently to rifle dies. Pistol die sets only touch the outside of the brass, while rifle resizing dies touch the outside of the case and the inside of the case neck. The depriming pin in a rifle sizing die has a widened section on it that is designed to re-size this part of the case. For this reason, it is important to lightly lubricate the inside surface of the necks of rifle cases, otherwise, the resizing section of the depriming pin can get stuck in the case. Also, the neck area of the case can be stretched upwards as the thickening on the pin is withdrawn.

Where to lubricate

The most important issue with rifle brass is where to, and where not to, apply the lube. Obviously, the largest and most important area of the case to lubricate is the straight-walled section, because this is where most of the friction will occur during resizing.

The shoulders of cases should definitely not be lubricated. The shoulder on rifle brass acts as a gas seal, so that the high pressure and extremely hot gases generated when a round is fired do not leak past this point and back into the chamber. This would eventually cause erosion of the chamber surface. Any case lube on the shoulder or outside neck area of the rifle brass can be hydraulically compressed in the sizing die, causing dents in the surface of the brass, rendering the case useless. If you were to reload and shoot cases damaged in this way, the gas would leak past those dents. Applying too much lube to the main body area of the cases can cause the excess to get squeezed into the shoulder area, where it would cause the sort of damage detailed above. It can also cause a vacuum when trying to remove a sized case from the die.

The inside of the case neck should be lubricated to allow the smooth passage of the thickened section of the depriming pin as mentioned above. Only the very smallest amount of lubrication should be applied to this surface and it should be removed after the case has been resized so that it does not affect the grip that the case has on the bullet once it is seated.

Lubrication methods

Using a very small amount of case lube on a cotton bud, it is possible to apply a thin coating of lube to the inside of the case neck, where you want to be using as little as possible.

To lubricate the outside of the cases there are several different methods you can use. A lube-pad is a soft sponge that you soak in lubricant and then roll the cases across it so that all of the case walls are coated. With this method, you have to ensure that you do not use too much lubricant and that it does not get onto the shoulders of the cases.

Spray lubricants can be applied to cases while they are either stood up or laid down but again you have to be sure not to coat the shoulders. Standing the cases upside down in a loading tray, so that the shoulders are not exposed to the spray, is a good way of avoiding them getting coated. This type of lube should be left for a few minutes to allow the solvent to evaporate off, leaving behind a coat of lubricant.

For relatively small numbers of cases, by far the best way to lubricate them is with your fingers. If you place a few drops of lube on the back of one hand, then you can dip your finger into it and apply a tiny amount to each case, exactly where you want it. The big advantage of this method is that you can control very precisely both the amount and the location of the lube you are applying. The cases should feel slippery but there should be no drops of lube visible at all.

Lube removal

Views differ on whether you should remove case lubricant after resizing, but if you lubricate, resize and then clean your brass, you will have nice clean cases ready to reload. This means that no dust or contaminants will stick to your cases, your dies will not get clogged with lubricant and the case tension your brass has on your bullets will not be compromised by lubricant left in the case mouths.

Contacts

Lee Precision Reloading Equipment and Berry’s Lubricant
Henry Kranks - www.henrykrank.com