Best Way To Size Brass (or Should I Just Lubricate It)?

[Cuz]

I'm using a Dillon RL550B, and have just started loading 9mm. I'm using lots of Glock brass and am having a hard time at the first sizing station. I'm wondering if I should be sizing my brass before loading or maybe just spray it with some lubricant instead? If I do lube it do you have to do something afterward to clean the loaded rounds? I don't seem to have this problem with my .40 or .45 caliber loads.

Thanks,

Cuz.

[Adam B]

try spraying some one shot or Dillon lube on the cases before you run them through the press or get a carbide sizing die.

[Cuz]

try spraying some one shot or Dillon lube on the cases before you run them through the press or get a carbide sizing die.

I am using a carbide sizing die. If you use the lube, do you have to clean it off the loaded rounds?

[.40AET]

If you use the lube, do you have to clean it off the loaded rounds?

For a major matches yes. For everything else no.

[L9X25]

If you use the lube, do you have to clean it off the loaded rounds?

Depends on the brand of lube ... if you use the Hornady One Shot you do not have to remove it before or after reloading.

You also can use it very sparingly. Experiment with how much you need since using too much does not reduce the effort but can make the loaded rounds messy. As long as 1/3 to 1/2 of the rounds have some lube on them, the dies stay lubed and the effort is greatly reduced.

[smokshwn]

try spraying some one shot or Dillon lube on the cases before you run them through the press or get a carbide sizing die.

I am using a carbide sizing die. If you use the lube, do you have to clean it off the loaded rounds?

I use Hornady one shot and I don't ever clean my loaded rounds.

I usually just spray 150-200 pcs at a time.

[dfwmiket]

+1000 on One Shot. The stuff is awesome.........

-Mike

[glockrocker]

If I do lube it do you have to do something afterward to clean the loaded rounds?

Thanks,

Cuz.

I read a post somewhere here on enos.com about cleaning the lube off of loaded rounds. It works well for me. Put your loaded, lubed rounds in the center of a bath towel. Spray with brake cleaner. Then grab the ends of the towel so that the rounds are cradled inside the towel like a hammock and roll the rounds back and forth by alternalty raising the ends of the towel to clean the lube off. You can clean at least a couple hundred rounds at a time like this, but it can be dangerous if you use one of the ol lady's good towels. Proceed with caution

[D.Hayden]

I'm with the others on the One Shot.. and I leave it on.

My opinion, if you're using that much you have to wipe it off, you're using too much. It's just a helper to smooth things out.

On my 550 with 9MM, most of what I notice is from the belling, not the sizing.

[wide45]

if you're using that much you have to wipe it off, you're using too much.

Exactly

[George]

Little dab'll do ya' ;-)

I agree with Berkim about my 9x rounds exhibiting as much force at the expander and seater dies as at the sizer. I don't lube pistol cases for the most part and don't notice sizing being stiff at all unless a 9x21, 9x23, or .38 stupor case makes it into the die.

[ihatepickles]

I lay my brass on an old baking pan, get all the cases lying down on their side, and then hit them quickly (maybe 1 second) with some Hornady One-Shot. Shake the pan, lay the cases back down, hit it one more time quickly, shake and let dry for a minute.

The One-Shot is great lube, I never clean my case afterwards and it doesn't gum up the press or my gun. Even with carbide dies, a little lube used sparingly helps.

[LPatterson]

I guess everybody thinks you already know the 9MM is a tapered so they haven't bothered to mention that plays a big part in resizing. I use ihatepickles method but I run them through a RCBS Rockchucker Jr to size & deprime & reprime by hand. Doing 9's & 45's it is just easier for me not having to screw with changing the priming system.

[Greg in VA]

+1 on the One Shot, but I use a 1 gallon zip lock bag I spray in a couple of squirts then put in my cases, seal up the bag and shake it up.

Greg

[Cuz]

+1 on the One Shot, but I use a 1 gallon zip lock bag I spray in a couple of squirts then put in my cases, seal up the bag and shake it up.

Greg

Thanks, that may be a bit neater using the zip lock bag.

[Cuz]

Which type of Hornady One Shot is better, aerosol or pump?

Are they the same?

Thanks,

Cuz.

[George]

they are the same

[XD Niner]

+1 on the One Shot, but I use a 1 gallon zip lock bag I spray in a couple of squirts then put in my cases, seal up the bag and shake it up.

Greg

+1 (or is it +2?) on that. This technique works great. It is neater, faster and requires less One Shot. What's not to love?

Edited February 5, 2007 by XD Niner

[uscbigdawg]

While I'm generally "lazy" when it comes to things related to shooting, I'm a bit anal about my ammo. My father (a.k.a. The Best Reloader EVER! ) makes fun of how much I work over my ammo. Here's my process from range brass:

1 - Tumble it to get the range crud off

2 - Roll size in my CasePro

3 - Tumble it again (just 'cause)

4 - Place in a cardboard box and spray with Hornady One Shot. Close box and shake up.

5 - Throw them in the hopper and start reloading on the 1050.

6 - Throw loaded rounds into tumbler to clean off any excess.

Oh...then I case gauge every round too. Of course I'll do this with new brass too. Yeah, there's some overkill in there, but the reality is that I'm doing everything I can to eliminate ammo from the equation as a source of error.

Rich

[ryan45kim]

I use an EGW die in 40S&W, 9mm, and 45ACP on a 650 (I run this setup for all three).

Running range brass with the EGW die in station one can be hard (lots of crushed cases for me).

First I processed my brass in a separate step (I set up another tool head with my Dillon sizing die in stage one, EGW in stage 3, and a Lee final size die in stage 5). This worked great, but meant I had to run each piece of brass through the press twice (to much time and work).

I then took Flex’s advice and set up my press like this.

Stage 1 Dillon sizing die.

Stage 2 EGW sizing die.

Stage 3 powder measure (you just bend the return rod a little, this was much easier then I

thought it would be and I haven’t had any problems with it not returning or throwing charges out of spec).

Stage 4 Seating die.

Stage 5 Lee final size die.

My concern was that I could not run my powder checker with this setup, but I just watch the cases to make sure there is powder before I seat the bullet and pull anything that looks different (99% turn out to be right in spec, but better safe then sorry).

PS I would suggest running a case lube with this setup, but besides that this setup has worked great for me.

Sorry just saw you are running a 550 guess this won't work for you.

Edited February 5, 2007 by ryan45kim

[DougCarden]

Guys, FWIW. .....

I load alot on my 1050s and would never dream of it without case lube. I use Dillon lube and when it is out I have a couple of cans of OneShot for backup.

The case lube works well for long bearing surface cases, like super, 38 special, 10mm/40, etc. If the cases have been shot in a loose chambered weapon it also helps at the downstroke.

The unstated advantage is when you have to load a lot of ammo in a short period of time. This is a sure way to possibly injure yourself by a repetitive motion injury. Case lube will help eliminate that or push it off for a ways anyway....

When you are done you can wipe it off in a towel with some laquer thinner on it, or put some in the tumbler with corncob and a capful of laquer thinner (or walnut if you are using hollowpoints...ask me how I found that out... ).

It does add some time to the process, but when loading ammo I am trying to make better ammo than the factory, so I dont mind....

I also have gone to flattening out the cases on the cookie sheet as well, then spraying them down. I used to throw them in a bullet box, spray them down, and then load them. Every once in a while I would get a lower round that went lighter than the batch, and that is the only thing I can blame it on.

There are a ton of threads about this, but hopefully this helps...

DougC

[Cuz]

2 - Roll size in my CasePro

Rich

What's a CasePro?

-Cuz.

[uscbigdawg]

Hey Cuz,

Case Pro 100.

Works great. I have it mounted next to my 1050 that loads my Super ammo. Just turn the case feeder around and use it to drop cases in. I can roll size 100 pieces in well under 5 minutes.

I have dies for .38 Super, .40 and .223.

Rich

[XRe]

Look:

Lube 'em (One Shot) liberally. Load 'em. Tumble 'em for 10 minutes. Done.

Unless you're shooting a bottlenecked cartridge, don't worry about media in the hollow points...

You don't have to clean the lube off - I do, cause I get enough crap on my hands at a match, and cleaning the lube off reduces that by quite a bit....

[Right2Bear]

I don't use any case lube on my Dillon 650 and have never had a problem.

What advantage do you gain from lubing the cases other than maybe having the lever pull a little easier? Are there other advantages?