why not to lube the neck

Boltcarrier

Boltcarrier

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why some says that when lubing the case one should avoid lubing the neck

what's wrong with lubing the body and neck of the case
 
I think you will find a trace of lube on inside the neck might help the expander button? I was trying to open up 8x57 cases to 9.3 a few days ago - pretty much needed a snipe on the Rockchucker handle to force that case neck over the Hornady button - a Q-tip with a touch of high pressure grease about every third case made a world of difference - sized slick as a whistle - of course now I will have to get that grease out of there... Was just a touch - a rim about 1/32" around inside of case mouth. Probably should have used Imperial Sizing Wax, but do not have any here...

Those "dimples" on the outside of the shoulder do not "wreck" the case - simply clean off, load up and fire them - all good for next time. I have stuck a case in a FL die - once. So, balance between "enough" and "too much" on outside of case - dimples are also sign that your vent hole in the die might be plugged. Have to clean out the inside of dies periodically, or at least I do - I use RCBS Case-Lube-2 on a pad - hopelessly old fashioned, I know, but it has worked well for me since 1970's, so have not found reason to change...
 
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Don't you guys clean your brass after sizing to get all that crap off before you start loading?

I do recall a guy that used to shoot with us out of Texas who told me that he and Tubbs put a bit of lanolin on their bullets when seating them.
 
To not lube the neck is a recipe for disaster. I have put imperial sizing die wax on tens of thousands of case necks. Don’t lube the shoulder.
 
I roll the body on a lube pad, run the brush through the necks after rolling it(the brush) on the lube pad (every 5 cases) and sometimes roll the necks between my thumb and finger after handling lubed cases.
 
chuck nelson said:
To not lube the neck is a recipe for disaster. I have put imperial sizing die wax on tens of thousands of case necks. Don’t lube the shoulder.
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so i am confused because people's been telling me different things.

so lube the body and neck of the case but not the shoulder.

but why not the shoulder, what's the rationale behind that.

what's the purpose of lubing the neck
 
I think we need to distinguish here between the inside and outside of the neck.

I apply a very small amount of lube to the inside of the neck. Not too much, because I don't want powder sticking to or picking up residual lube.

I do not lube the outside of the necks, because it doesn't seem necessary but it can cause lube dents if overdone.
 
Boltcarrier said:
so i am confused because people's been telling me different things.

so lube the body and neck of the case but not the shoulder.

but why not the shoulder, what's the rationale behind that.

what's the purpose of lubing the neck
Click to expand...

The shoulder does not ride the die. The rest of the case, including the neck does.
 
B said:
I have only ever had issues when there was too much lube.
Click to expand...

I put my brass upright in a loading tray and spray the whole thing with my lanolin/alcohol lube. Lube goes everywhere and I don’t wipe anything before sizing. No lube dent or sticking cases. Just don’t go crazy on the lube.
 
I do not lube the exterior of the neck or the shoulder. However, if I am at the range, I clean the outside of the neck of each fired
case with fine steel wool to remove any carbon on the neck. It is very easy to remove if freshly fired.

When I am ready to FL size the case, I dip and roll the neck in powdered graphite [An old pill container ¾ full of #8 shot plus about
a tablespoon of powdered graphite] I then gently wipe off the lube on the outside of the neck, leaving the inside lubed.
The body I usually lube with Imperial sizing wax. A pass through the die, clean off the lube, ready to go.

The nice thing about the powdered graphite is: No lube dents on the shoulder of the case, even if you leave a bit on the outside.
I have never damaged a neck in any way using this method. I avoid the ugly lube dents on the shoulders, and the expander button
pulls through the sized neck without undue force being needed. Dave.
 
I use a wax based lube because oil based lubes are what causes the “dents” when applied too liberally (hydraulic pressure).
When using dies with the expander button in, I clean the inside of the neck with a couple of turns with a nylon brush, then apply the lube to the inside of the neck with a Q-tip. I believe a “naked” expander button could potentially pull the neck to one side if it binds on one side more than the other as it exits. Before seating, I remove most of that lube by inserting a “twisted” Kleenex.
For most cartridges I reload, I use a properly sized bushing to resize the neck so no lube is required inside the NK. When prepping those cases I clean some of the carbon from the inside of the neck with a couple of turns with the nylon brush.
NOTE: When prepping cases, my first step is to clean some of the carbon on the outside of the neck with a Kleenex lightly moistened with RCBS Case Lube - 2. Typically, I only lube the outside of every 3rd or 4th case being FL sized (but you need to develop a “feel” before adopting that practice). Each case is then wiped down with a dry Kleenex.
 
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I've used a number of sizing lubes but I gradually gravitated towards Lee Resizing Lubrication and a lubrication pad. After seeing this video I switched to the method described by GunBlue490 starting at 30:28 minutes, and never looked back. Using the small amount of lube he suggests seemed like it would be insufficient however amazingly enough this method with this little dab of lube works really great. If you push it and use to much lube you will get dented shoulders otherwise the small amount of this wax based Lee lube that does end up on the shoulder doesn't cause any noticeable denting. Along with the method GunBlue490 describes in the video, I use a Q-tip with the Lee lube to lube the inside of the case mouth the same way previous posters have described.

Case resizing lubes~How to select, properly use them, and hassles to avoid by; GunBlue490
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGEwqwtKdEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGEwqwtKdE
Check out the entire video it's very informative and well worth your time. Plus GunBlue490 has posted many other really good videos.
 
Boltcarrier said:
so i am confused because people's been telling me different things.

so lube the body and neck of the case but not the shoulder.

but why not the shoulder, what's the rationale behind that.

what's the purpose of lubing the neck
Click to expand...

The majority of reloading manuals tell you to wipe the neck and shoulder off before sizing. This helps prevent dented shoulders, but remember most cases are tapered and the excess lube will flow upward onto the shoulder.

Below the US Army Marksmanship Unit uses Hornady OneShot case lube.

Efficient Big-Batch Case Lubrication — Best Methods
https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2020/06/efficient-big-batch-case-lubrication-best-methods/

biglube01.jpg


biglube1605.jpg
 
The neck is sized down so should be lubed. I dip my necks in media with dry lube, lubes inside and out, all you need for neck sizing, for full length then add some imperial sizing wax from my fingers to the case body, I end up with black fingers but works great
 
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