Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Homemade Dry Case Lube

Got down a rabbit hole a week or so ago as I got tired of spilling the dry lube media out of the little container its comes in. Took a bit of searching and for some reason I ended up sticking a magnet to the media cup and it stuck. A bit more searching led me to steel shot blasting media. Ended up ordering 5 lbs of 390 grit steel blasting media and a quart jar of graphite from Amazon along with a snap lid container about 6"x6" and 3" deep. Almost an exact match and instead of $15-20 for the small cup and extra graphite I'm in about $42 total which will last the rest of my life. Plenty deep and won't slide around or tip over if bumped as all 5 lbs fit easily in the container.. Only change I'd make if doing it again would be to order the slightly finer 330 grit blasting media but thats more a personal choice than functional.

Sounds like you’re pretty well set.
On the steel shot, 330 grit is larger/coarser than 350, not finer. Grit is basically determined by how many granules per inch; the higher the number the finer the grit. Just like sandpaper, 220 grit is finer than 180.

Always lookin for an easier set up ! It’s nice not to struggle and things go well !

I guess there are a number of differences in blasting shot. I got the S390 and the S330 in the charts was finer. There is also. G grit that goes the other way. Whatever chart/sizing they go by the shot size needs to be 1 mm or slightly smaller.

Been applying auto store graphite with a Q-tip, which works just fine but is annoyingly slow and a little messy. Figured I'd give this method a shot now that I'm back to working up some loads. My 5 lbs of steel shot drops tomorrow, and this showed up today. Big Brown on time as per usual, PO a day late also as per usual.

That is a LOT of graphite.

For years I’ve used MotorMica generally found in auto parts stores. It not expensive and will accomplish neck lube requirements just as well as more expensive firearm badged products like the old standard Imperial dry lube. I do however use nothing but Imperial sizing lube as nothing really works as well and a single can lasts forever.

I would advise not using ‘ graphite ‘ with copper/brass cases. Not to get too technical here but I’ve been a marine inspector and my Wife a retired metallographer so I’m not just spitballing here. Graphite is just plain old carbon and as such is very corrosive around metals of copper alloy, aluminum etc.. This is galvanic corrosion where metals have different potentials such as the old lead zinc batteries where the two metals are opposite on the galvanic or nobility scale and in acid or any conductor create current. Brass and graphite have the same potential though graphite is not a metal it’s highest on the scale. So graphite will definitely create corrosion of the brass cartridge necks since they are in contact with each other. It’s doubtful the graphite will destroy a cartridge neck quickly but it will create a type of molecular weld between the bullet and brass creating very high release force of the bullet like an extreme crimp. It’s a safe bet you’ll end up with much higher pressure so on hot loads it could be a problem.

Rick

Graphite is already in the equation. And to clarify I only use powdered graphite to expand necks in a seperate step. Imperial die wax for sizing.

Forensic Science Communications April 2002 — Volume 4 — Number 2
Research and Technology
The Manufacture of Smokeless Powders and their
Forensic Analysis: A Brief Review
Robert M. Heramb
Graduate Student
Bruce R. McCord
Associate Professor of Analytical and Forensic Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio


"Other ingredients may be.....

A graphite glaze used to coat the powder to improve flow and packing density as well as to reduce static sensitivity......"

I’ve used 50/50 graphite and fine Molybdenum for inside of necks. I use Imperial wax and similar waxes for sizing outside.
Lately though, I’ve been using Hornady one shot for inside of necks and that works ok.

The molybdenum I used was originally bought for working on overhauling engines.

As far as welding of the bullets to the necks I didn’t understand what the causes were. I suspect straight moly would be better than my 50/50mix.

Tstorm, is the snap-lid container something like Tupperware or more flimsy? Do you see any reason steel shot wouldn't work as well as the blasting media?

I'm waiting for a rebuttal above but in the mean time I looked into "graphite being corrosive" with brass and the only thing I could come up with so far is graphite will facilitate corrosion on brass in a "salt water" environment. What I read was more technical speak than I care to know, but unless we are introducing saline at a sea water concentration in our reloading I don't think there's a problem.
In fact I read somewhere here not long ago that a barrier of some sort, such as lube or powder fouling will resist a bullet "welding" to the neck. Powder fouling is some form of "carbon" isn't it? Graphite is carbon isn't it? Hell, I dunno, I've never had/seen a problem with it.

I did send a response early today but I’m not sure what happened to it. Not avoiding you, though I’m guessing most folks around here could care less about quibbling over dry neck lube issues. In fact I’m checking my fields notes trying to determine the percentage deer and elk kills using graphite and non-graphite neck lubes. I am sure you, and all reasonable hunters and shooters, will agree that a clean kill is always our goal. However it appears the early results are showing a distinct clean kill advantage going to the Imperial dry neck lube crowd.

‘ Figures don’t lie but liars figure’

I will write up another ‘ serious ‘ response and post when I get a chance

Rick

Okay I’ll respond to the above Feral America

Sorry for the delay in getting back but I’m just not equipped to watch this or any forum continuously. The reason that dissimilar metals or graphite is so corrosive in saltwater is that saltwater is a great electrical conductor better than just plain old water. Having a conductor like saltwater between dissimilar metals creates more active corrosion than a metal to graphite dry connection. So though having an electrolyte makes it much worse dry contact still creates galvanic corrosion through the presence of oxygen and oxidation. It wouldn’t take but light surface corrosion to create a molecular bond between necks and bullets.

So you have to then wonder why this doesn’t become a problem with lead bullets and brass since lead and brass are dissimilar metals. My thought on this is that the bullet lube is smeared along the neck or case mouth surface during seating to create a barrier or insulation between the two. This is total supposition on my part but I believe it would explain things

Carbon is indeed a big element in black powder since charcoal is the major ingredient. But smokeless powders are primarily nitroglycerin or nitrocellulose and these compounds do not
contain much if any carbon. However stick powders are coated with what appears to be graphite which is obvious when you look at your hands. Ball types also have a light graphite coating and in both cases it’s to make dispensing slicker and to help prevent static electricity. Due to the shape of stick and ball powders it’s obvious that only a very small percent of the kernels or balls could be in direct contact with case walls. Think a ball or flashlight battery on a table and how little of each is actually contacting the surface. So I believe the graphite powder coating has minimal contact with the brass case walls.

So what does this have to do with deer hunting—nothing
Rick