Bullet Lubricating

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Bucksnort1

New member
I have 150 cast lead bullets without lubricant. These will likely be the only bullets I will ever lubricate so I am not interested in making a big deal of this. My question is this.

I've watched several YouTube videos about pan lubricating. I purchased one toilet wax ring sealer, which should be enough for the bullets. Will it work if I place use the wax without the other additives? I've done this in the past by hand so if just the wax doesn't work, I will hand lubricate them.
 
Are you making the 150's or buying them, are they sized?
Typically they would have a groove in them that is filled with colored wax applied at the time they were sized.
Lee liquid alox works well for tumble lubrication I put about 100 Lead SWC in a peanut butter jar and add a tablespoon of Lee liquid alox. I then shake well until all are lightly coated. Next Dump the bullets out into a cardboard box in a single layer and let them dry for 24 hours.
 
The bullets are 250 grain and measure .455(+-), which I will use in my Colt 45. I have not sized them but now that someone mentioned it, I will size them. I bought them at an estate sale for $3.
 
Getting complicated now. :D If you know the cylinder throat diameter of your gun, size them to that diameter (.452"? .453"?). If you get the Lee sizing system (very good, very simple) the kit comes with alox for tumble lubing (I prefer to dip instead of tumble).
 
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If you dont push em to hard you could probably get away with just the wax. If you have any reloading buddies that could bum ya a squirt of alox thats better. At worst you might have to scrub some lead out.
 
Melt the wax in a shallow pan , dip the bullet , base first, into the melted wax up past the lube groove, wipe base clean and stand on newspaper to dry. when dry load.
Gary
 
I would just tumble lube them with Lee Liquid Alox, it's cheap and very effective
Click to expand...
Plus one on this comment...and I'll add that if you swirl lube them twice, letting them dry overnight between applications, you'll get virtually no leading. That assumes that the bullets fit the bore or cylinder throats of your handguns. Diluting the Lee Liquid Alox by 30% with paint thinner, then heating it (in it's container obviously) under the hot water faucet will make the swirl lubing process less than a 5 minute operation. In my shop, I re-lube any commercial bullets that I buy with LLA. It's that good. Rod
 
For what you paid for that Porcelain Throne wax ring you could have contacted: White Label Lube and bought a single stick of bullet lube. They'ed even send you free samples of their bullet lube products prior. Of
Different bullet lubes offerings hoping for your patronage. Or
You could fire those non-lubed bullets. "Just don't shoot em one after the other." is all I got to say about this predicament.
 
I have to assume you're talking something like a Colt single action or a clone, possible one of the double action large frame Colt or S&W's chambered for the Colt .45 round, sometimes call the .45 long Colt.

Try slipping a few of those bullets into the chamber and see if they slip though with only slight resistance. I have several Colt S.A.'s and a .454" bullet slides through quite easily. The bores have been slugged at .452" and the .454" bullets shoot quite nicely. The only oddball is a 5.5" gun made in 1908, cylinder throats run .456" and bores .454". Gun is not in the best of shape so only gets shot with mild loads on rare occasions. Too much black powder corrosion to try and use a proper load.
Paul B.
 
Paul's advice is good. If they fit through the chamber throats, you don't need any sizing. If you are firing low-velocity Trail Boss loads and your gun doesn't have a rough barrel or a barrel constriction where it screws into the frame, you may not need any lubrication at all. That depends on the bullet composition.

If you want to lube these for the extra smoke, melt the wax with enough STP to make it softer when it cools. You could just dip the bottom ends of the bullets into the molten mix and let them cool. Filling the lube groove isn't important with light loads. If your loads are heavier, get the consistency of the wax such that you can roll it into strands that you wrap around the bullet lube grooves and press into place with your fingers.
 
Two points (and not about lubing)

Prior to WWII, .45 Colt bores were usually .454" and bullets were lead, usually slightly soft, and oversize, meant to squeeze down. After WWII, .45 Colt bores generally reduced to the .451-.452" that is the usual standard today, to work better with .45acp bullets, and the lead ".45 colt" slugs still squeeze down ok.

You bought them at an estate sale, unlubed, which means that they are "as cast" and you have no way of knowing if they are from an older, larger mold, or not, so measuring and sizing is probably needed.

The other point is the hardness of the bullets. Again, unknown without testing. Fortunately, nature gives us a tester, the rule of thumb(nail). Try and gouge the bullet with your thumbnail. If you can make a deep gouge, its soft, and should not be pushed hard. A slight dent, its "medium", and if all you can do is make a bright mark on the lead, its hard cast.
 
Sure Shot,

A few years back, I applied toilet throne wax to some bullets by hand. It was a bit messy but worked well. I had an idea to break off a chunk of this toilet wax and toss it in the freezer to see if it would harden a bit.

And remember,

A toilet is an asset.
 
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