Here's why you use sizing lube even with carbide dies.

In the past I've always used spray lube but occasionally try without as I really don't love how you end up with tacky ammo after you're done. I stainless pin tumble so the brass is extra clean. Today while loading some 38sp I pulled out the carbide ring on my Dillon die. I noticed the press ran smoother for a couple rounds lol, caught it when I was going to seat the bullet. 

Even after getting the ring off the brass and pressed back in it came out with the next piece of brass. Maybe I should try loctite? I really need to give hornady one shot a try. 

Even though I have carbide sizing dies for my 38 special and 45 acp reloading I use Hornady one shot case lube, just makes things easier.

I just dry tumble for about 12 hours with Hornady One Shot metal polish. Brass is super shiny, with enough slickness to load well. I still fail to see the appeal of wet tumbling. Maybe there's something I'm not understanding?

Dave

Well it's a no dust method of getting your brass extremely clean in 2hrs. Also no media to buy or sift through. A bottle of Dawn and you're good to go for years. Also very handy to use a magnet transfer to get out the left over pins.

Tumble cleaned with Lyman green for about 25 years then started wet cleaning. Would never go back to dry again.  Deprime, armor all wash and wax, lemi shine, pins and water.   Clean just like new brass into a gallon baggy couple spays of hornady one shot; shake lit dry about ten minutes and away you go.  I get good results.  ( disclaimer two hands with red dot)

I just picked up a large can of one shot to give it a try. Now I gotta see if Dillon will replace this die.

zanemoseley wrote:I just picked up a large can of one shot to give it a try. Now I gotta see if Dillon will replace this die.

I'm pretty sure dillion will replace the die, but if you find and afford a Redding duel ring die. It saves your brass and photo escape's powder transfer unit makes a world of difference loading full wad cutters.

dannyd93140 wrote:... but if you find and afford a Redding duel ring die...

Cool!  Fight to the death between sizing dies, all at 10 paces!  

In my reloading room I have gear from almost every reloading manufacturer because If it works I'm there plus I like new stuff.  

I've got Hornady, RCBS, Dillon, Lee, Redding and used to have MEC. I like how most of the big companies really stand by their stuff, several good experiences with Hornady and RCBS.

No long odds here. I'll bet Dillon will make good on that die. As I don't have water and a sink where I load, I don't clean my brass with pins. That being said, I still lube my cases. The older I get, anything that makes things easier is for me. Being cheap, I started making my own spray lube. So far, it does the job for much, much less.

Since I started shooting bullseye about 2 yrs ago, I have loaded at least 5,000 45 ACP rounds, and I still have half of a large can of one-shot left.  A little goes a long way.

dannyd93140 wrote:

zanemoseley wrote:I just picked up a large can of one shot to give it a try. Now I gotta see if Dillon will replace this die.

I'm pretty sure dillion will replace the die, but if you find and afford a Redding duel ring die. It saves your brass and photo escape's powder transfer unit makes a world of difference loading full wad cutters.

I wish folks recommending Photo Escape transfer tube would mention how to set it up. Very easy to screw up the cases.

Zane, you will have to ship your die to Dillon, and you'll get it back fixed in a week.

There is a trade off for getting brass sparkling like new after wet tumbling with pins.  After such method of cleaning you must use lube, - brass will gull with funnels (I speculate, it is because brass notoriously gulls with stainless steel.  So, I think, cleaning with stainless steel pins has something to do with brass subsequently having higher friction with non-stainless steel.  Just IMO, there is no scientific support to that), regardless of funnel manufacturer.  I previously posted in one thread, that I'm not concerned with my brass not being shiny but rather dull and with patina.  I use ultrasonic cleaner without any pins.  I use Costco's ultrashine and add liquid soap.  Brass gets "coated" with lubricating layer.  I do not use additional lubrication after that. 

Captdave221, - setting up PTU is somewhat individual process, and depends on brass and bullets you reload.  Objective is to setup PTU on such way that you able to push bullet by your thumb to about seating depth minus 1/16" - 1/32".  Seating die should finish then.  I suggest using this way of setting up for any HBWC, DEWC and HTC bullets in all calibers while using my PTUs.  Hope it answers your inquiry.  Feel free to contact me if you need help.

AP

AP of course means "galls", not those annoying seabirds "gulls".

Blame it on that pesky auto spell checker!

Brass certainly is prone to ""galling" when in contact with other metals.

Hornady One Shot is wonderful.

Gotta love SS tumbling though, just takes adding back a bit of lube before sizing. Decap and 2hrs with car wash and pins and it looks close to new. Here's cleaned once fired star line brass next to brand new star. There's a difference but such good results with just water and a nickel of soap with no dust. My allergies and asthma make it the best choice. 

I knew a fellow once who never tumbled his brass. His cases almost looked black. His ammo shot very nice groups at 50 yards, however.

BE Mike wrote:I knew a fellow once who never tumbled his brass. His cases almost looked black. His ammo shot very nice groups at 50 yards, however.

Bet his hands looked like a coal miner after a match handling that dirty of a case for 180 shots. Seems like it would be rough on your chamber too but who knows.

BE Mike wrote:I knew a fellow once who never tumbled his brass. His cases almost looked black. His ammo shot very nice groups at 50 yards, however.

My dad was like that.  I have some (about 1000) WCC-41 45acp brass, twice fired, that looked chocolate brown.  My guess is that came because he lubed his brass with 30w motor oil on his fingertips when sizing with old RCBS sizers.  I also have some (600+) WRA (undated) once-fired from his stash.  I stainless tumbled it all.  That old brass was too easy to lose on the range, especially with fall leaves and such, and yes, it shot quite well.  Guess what ... it still shoots well.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that wet tumbling the brass gets the brass as consistent in condition as I am able to do.  My time is precious and I cannot dedicate time to being overly anal about my brass prep.  Wet tumbling cleans the brass inside and out, including primer pockets.  When I reload rifle brass I decap, wet tumble, anneal (Giraud), size (Imperial lube), trim (Giraud) then dry tumble to remove the remnant Imperial.  Gets it about as consistent as I am willing to spend time making it.

I have never lubed pistol brass since buying carbide dies.  To date, I think I have only pulled 1 carbide ring from a sizer die, and that was close to 20 years ago.  Before I wet-tumbled my brass, I used to eat a sizer die about every 2 or 3 years with dirt-etching.  Since I started wet tumbling, I haven't replaced a sizer die (8 years).  I use Lee sizing dies for pistol, even in my 550C.  I mean, in 40 years of reloading, I have bought maybe 4 sizing dies for 45acp and only tossed 1 piece of brass for pulling the sizing ring out.  I have reloaded tens of thousands of rounds of 45acp.  When I was shooting Open Class USPSA, I shot 38 SuperComp and only bought 2 sizing dies.  I learned pretty quick to tumble that stuff before sizing after eating the first die.  I shot probably 6-8,000 rds a year for 5 years.

Am I the exception to the rule?

I just have better things to do that be all that concerned about my pistol brass. Come home from a match and dump them i to one or my tumblers with a cap full of Nu Finish. Turn it on and go do other things. Eventually take them out and reload them at some point.. brass is shiny enough and they are slick from the polish. Never had a problem with a carbide die.. I am a bit more serious about my long line ammo. Cases are new or 1-2 fired.

I agree with jglenn21.  There are two things I'm not going to do.  I'm not using case lube and I'm not tumbling ammo.  So what if the carbide sizing die fails, I'll just get a new one although that hasn't happened in thousands and thousands in over 30 years.
Phil

Couple misconceptions about case lube; I just don't us it for sizing brass but it helps for case expansion too probably more there than any other step.   Everyone is going to do it different when I started washing brass didn't think much of it then started getting in the rhythm and takes no time at all.  Now I like clean brass. 

Clean brass shoots no better than dirty brass. Might extract better...maybe. I use a tablespoon of mineral spirits in my corn cob media about every other load of brass. It's cheaper than one-shot and works well. I've never had an issue.

Another easy, cheap technique that will save your arm on the press, buy liquid lanolin and 99% isopropyl, about 1 oz lanolin per 16oz alcohol but its not real critical, spread brass on a towel and give it a few sprays, roll it around a bit and it will be dry in a few minutes. The lanolin is not tacky or sticky like the other stuff. Dries into a very thin, waxy film - you won't even notice its there until you feel the difference. Much smoother press operation. A few seconds of extra effort that is really, really noticeable to the feel of the press operation. My hypothesis (no proof) is that a smoother press operation equates to more consistent, and therefore more accurate ammo. If that isn't true, I would still do it just to avoid the tennis elbow.

zanemoseley wrote:Gotta love SS tumbling though, just takes adding back a bit of lube before sizing. Decap and 2hrs with car wash and pins and it looks close to new. Here's cleaned once fired star line brass next to brand new star. There's a difference but such good results with just water and a nickel of soap with no dust. My allergies and asthma make it the best choice. 

Star reloader base picture of why I switched to wet tumbling. Brass de-primed on the reloader leaves spent primer residue underneath the shellplate which becomes lapping compound.
Need to weld this up one day and re-machine to new condition. Wear troughs are .005"-.007" deep in some areas.