jmbaccolyte Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Will my brass last longer if I use case lube? It seems like it might be easier on the brass. I'm using once fired Rem & Fed .40 brass with 24 year old Dillon dies. The brass was shot through Beretta 96Ds and HK USP Compacts. I'm shooting the reloads in a Tanfo/EAA Witness Elite Match. I'm okay with the effort involved in resizing, I'm just asking about case life. I apologize if this was asked before, I couldn't find it on a search of the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whistlepig Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I don't use case lube when reloading straight wall pistol cases. I do tumble clean, but then it goes into the reloader. I'm no expert, but I can't see this "helping" the brass, only making a diff in the effort required to size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmbaccolyte Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Thanks. I do it the same way you do, I forgot to mention that in the post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalaur Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Brass lasts a long time, as long as you don't lose it :-) Case lube probably won't increase the life of the brass, but it does make it easier to reload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hunter Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Lubing cases may not increase the life of the case. It does reduce the work/strain on the loading tool and the operator. I have found NO downside to lube! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babaganoosh Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I throw my brass in a plastic tub, shoot a one second shot of hornady lube, shake the tub, spray a half second shot, let it dry and then load them. It really makes a difference in loading and the lube doesnt have to be cleaned off. Its worth it in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Lubing cases may not increase the life of the case. It does reduce the work/strain on the loading tool and the operator. I have found NO downside to lube! This is a game/activity where absolutes should not be used. I use pure lanolin to lube my .223 brass so if I don't clean my brass after sizing I have a flipping mess later. The 40,45 & 9mm don't get lubed because they get deprimed in a single stage press with compound leverage. Don't get me wrong, when I first started loading 9mm I lubed but I found I was getting a sticky residue on the brass after a few weeks so I stopped using it because I didn't want to clean the brass again. I try to only offer advice and leave the you can do this or you can't do this to the Federal Government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Hunter Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Use the lube you and your machine will be happier! After 10s of thousands of rounds through 2 Dillon 1050s - never a problem. Spray them, load them, shoot them. Use a product designed for this application like Dillon's lube (my favorite) or One-Shot. Use something else at your own risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmbaccolyte Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathandewalt Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Tried lubing cases after reading this earlier and it made a huge difference. The press takes so much less energy to run now. I have always been told there as no point with carbide dies and that is definitely not the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmbaccolyte Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 Thanks, I appreciate it guys, if lubing the cases prior to resizing gave better case life, someone would have noticed. I figured that less fiction during resizing would equal less force being applied to the brass and so less damage/wear to the brass. Logic can't hold a candle to experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 With the high pressure cartridges such as 9mm and 40 S&W I tend to scrap thebrass after 4 reloads. With low pressure cartridges such as 45 ACP and brass used in revolvers I use it until it strats fraying at the case mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetback Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I have found that case lubing also contributes to a more consistant O.A.L. when using one head stamp, and deprimed brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSCaster2 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I won't load pistol ammo again without case lube.. I take the time every 100-200 rounds to dump my loaded ammo out on a towel and wipe the lube off of it(also a good step for finding high primers or anything else). I use a lanolin based lube that I massage onto the brass before loading, and it's a pretty "thick" substance. I feel like I exert the same amount of energy loading 1,000 rounds with lube as I do 100 rounds of unlubed cases. No doubt in my mind that case lube can extend the life of a loader and your hands, wrist, elbow, shoulder, back, etc. As for the brass, I don't see it making much of a difference in life span, but I could be wrong on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob DuBois Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Lubing cases makes the whole process easier on the machine, dies and the operator. I like to shoot heavier bullets in my Trojan 9mm and the use of case lube helps keeps the OAL very consistant. I check 9mm cases by lining them up on a desk, checking for chigger bites, splits and trash in the brass along with primer pockets. Flip them over into a rubber made 18qt dish pan checking for military cases or any others that I trash before loading. Spending a little time inspecting the cases before lubing them in the dish pan. Makes the loading process a lot easier. I don't know if lube will make the brass last longer but it sure dosen't hurt the process. Might check out a set of Lee's carbide dies. I like Lee's first stage sizer and the seating die. Excellent primer punch. You can send a bullet to Lee and they will make an insert that fits that bullet. Helps on keeping OAL consistant. I usually put the loaded rounds back in the tumbler for thirty minutes to remove lube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetback Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Lubing cases makes the whole process easier on the machine, dies and the operator. I like to shoot heavier bullets in my Trojan 9mm and the use of case lube helps keeps the OAL very consistant. I check 9mm cases by lining them up on a desk, checking for chigger bites, splits and trash in the brass along with primer pockets. Flip them over into a rubber made 18qt dish pan checking for military cases or any others that I trash before loading. Spending a little time inspecting the cases before lubing them in the dish pan. Makes the loading process a lot easier. I don't know if lube will make the brass last longer but it sure dosen't hurt the process. Might check out a set of Lee's carbide dies. I like Lee's first stage sizer and the seating die. Excellent primer punch. You can send a bullet to Lee and they will make an insert that fits that bullet. Helps on keeping OAL consistant. I usually put the loaded rounds back in the tumbler for thirty minutes to remove lube. I use a dry powder lube from ROGERS BETTER BULLETS in King of Prussia Pennsylvania. It's called MAGIC DUST. Does not get sticky after rds. are loaded, and actually to a small extent makes bullet feeding from mags smoother. It can also be applied to bullet heads also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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