Lube with carbide dies?

[slamfire1]

I got tired of powder bumping out of the Dillion powder horn when reloading 9mm on my Dillion 550B. I use carbide dies, but 9mm must have some sort of a flare, or chamber expansion, that made sizing stiff. Once I lubed the 9mm cases, sizing was almost effortless. And that was true of the longer pistol cartridges, such as 44 Spl, 44 Magnum, and 45 LC.

I left the lube on and fired them lubed. Worked even better in my 9mm's as function and ejection were improved.

[protohyp]

A gentleman always uses lube.

THANKS YSR...my screen really needed coffee all over it!

[Donny1]

Everything in life is better with lubrication.

[bubbapug1]

I use several models of Lee presses, and all my dies are likewise Lee. All my handgun dies are the carbide sets. You do not have to use case lube with carbide dies, and indeed, that's kind of the point of buying carbide dies.

However, with .45 Colt and .44 Magnum, there's enough contact surface, and the cases are long enough, that I do notice that pulling the handle is rather easier with a little Hornady One-Shot. You don't need much, and for that reason, you don't have to cover the entire case with the lube. Again, it is definitely not required to do so. Were I reloading, say, .460 S&W Magnum or .500 S&W Magnum, I'd certainly use a bit of One-Shot to help out with the friction. But those are really big handgun cases.

With .38/357, 9mm, and .45 ACP, I don't bother.

[hermosabeach]

Straight wall pistol - no lube with carbide

Any rifle or anything with a reduced case neck / shoulder - lube

[C.G.]

A gentleman always uses lube.

Only a gentleman who is bad at it.

[bigbossman]

I've never had to lube straight walled pistol cases for sizing in carbide dies, and I've never had much resistance when sizing. From .380 to 44 mag, I just clean and load.

[BigBronco]

.41 mag .44 mag and .45LC I use lube

[Cowboy T]

Only a gentleman who is bad at it.

Or a gentleman with less-than-optimal aim. ;-)

I've never had to lube straight walled pistol cases for sizing in carbide dies, and I've never had much resistance when sizing. From .380 to 44 mag, I just clean and load.

Bigbossman is correct; you don't have to do so with carbide dies. The only value-add here is a bit of easier pulling of the handle with the larger handgun cases, and nothing more. Even then, I've done plenty of .45 Colt in the past without lube, and it works just fine. If it weren't as easy and quick as it is to spray the One-Shot on the cases (it takes maybe one second), I wouldn't bother at all.

[Calif Hunter]

The only cases that I lube with carbide dies are for the .30 carbine. They are really a workout to size. Yes they are a pistol caliber too.

After I just wipe the case with a cloth. No need to lube any other pistol cases with carbide unless you just want to do extra work.

irh

Me, too. The carbine case is actually tapered a bit and most die manufacturers say to lube the cases for that round. I believe the older Winchester rounds like .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40 are the same.

[bigbossman]

....I believe the older Winchester rounds like .32-20, .38-40 and .44-40 are the same.

These calibers are not tapered..... they are a true bottleneck, with the 44-40 being mildest of the four. All can be reloaded without lube, but the 32-20 and especially the 25-20 have very thin fragile case mouths and benefit greatly from lubrication.

[Dave Hill]

Lube makes The procedure easier.

[bigbossman]

Lube makes The procedure easier.

I'm sure it does...... I'm just not sure how much easier sizing pistol brass could be than it already is with carbide dies. Especially 9mm, .38, and .45. There is very little resistance as-is.

[the86d]

[ar15barrels]

That's a shouldered rifle die.
Straight wall cartridges don't need to be lubed in carbide dies.