Tumble Lube Problem

[medicstimpy]

I wish I could take a pic of the inside of my barrels to show what is happening. After months of trying different loads and thinking it was a bullet or lead ingot problem, it turns out to be lube. While there is some lead in it, it's lube fouling as it washes out with one swipe of a Varsol soaked patch.

It is on both 9mm and 45ACP Lee TL designs. I've tried less. I've tried more. I've tried thinning. I've tried pre-heating. I've tried oven drying. I've tried lighter loads. I've tried reloading manual loads. Still leaving junk in the barrel.

I know a lot of people have used this and swear by it. I've used bullets done with the old formula without this problem that a buddy made up. All my bottles are labeled "New Formula".

They work fine with a .357 Magnum WC but that load is only 3.5gr of Titegroup. They work fine as a pre-lube for my regular 180gr SHIL 357 bullets with Lee NRA stick lube. It's just the TL design 9mm and 45's.

Would a slower burning powder help? I know titegroup doesn't leave as much fouling as 231 did. The loads are so light now that if I go lower, the guns won't cycle the action.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh, the Johnson's Paste Wax works good if you use enough of it. First couple of batches, I got lead fouling. I put a lot more the last batch and it worked good but that stuff is hard to find these days.

Would melted Carnuba Red work? What about Mother's Pure Carnuba Wax? You know the stuff that uses 3 steps (Cleaner, Polish and then Wax)? That shouldn't have abrasives in it like regular car wax does, no?

 

[ben hunchak]

Pure Carnuba wax is an ingredient in a few different lube recipes, I use it in the lube that i make. Don't you find that the tumble lube gums up your dies and everything else it comes in contact with? I prefer using a lubesizer, to lube, size and install gas checks and the lube goes where it belongs, in the lube grooves only.IMHO

 

[medicstimpy]

Pure Carnuba wax is an ingredient in a few different lube recipes, I use it in the lube that i make. Don't you find that the tumble lube gums up your dies and everything else it comes in contact with? I prefer using a lubesizer, to lube, size and install gas checks and the lube goes where it belongs, in the lube grooves only.IMHO

Yeah, it can get messy but Varsol eats Liquid Alox so the dies aren't an issue.

I think I'm going to stick to regular band lubed bullets. I just haven't had any luck with Liquid Alox like other people have. Got a nice SWC and RN for 9mm and a good .357 bullet but am going to have to pick up some regular lube molds for 45 SWC, 45 RN and .357 WC's. Good thing I can keep the handles and got the EE to sell the TL molds if I decide to do that.

I keep looking at my tin ot Mothers and it isn't pasty or gritty like regular car wax so I think it is pure wax like it says. All the other car waxes say "cleaner wax" so I know there is polishing abrasive in it. I'll try melting some and see if it works like JPW.