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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Best Case Lube Evar


Dr.Hess

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I1OYNK/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Best case lube I have ever used. Put a little on your fingers, wipe the cases, run through the dies. I used this stuff to convert 30-06 to 7mmx57 Mauser by running the 30-06 cases through the 7mm Mauser die. I had to reinforce my loading bench and use a cheater bar on the handle of my RCBS Jr. press, but no problems at all.

 

 

 

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Lanolin in various forms was popular as a case lube back in the 50's. Reloaders often used men's hair tonics, the so-called greasy kids stuff that contained lanolin. Some of the hair tonics came in pump sprayers containing a lanolin alcohol solution. Had to shake it up before spraying it and give the ethyl alcohol time to evaporate off the brass. Not much different than using today's spray-on stuff from Hornady. Hornadfy's spray on stuff feels like it leaves a rubbery feeling substance or coating on the brass after giving it a few minutes. I've had the best results reforming brass by rolling it in an ink pad saturated with STP or Motor Honey but have never tried it with lanolin.

 

Instead of using a long cheater bar. Might be easier to do it in several strokes. Back the sizing or trim die off, run the ram home, screw the die in another turn or two, run it home and repeat the procedure using a few to several strokes. The last inch or so is where the most leverage is on the ram. Trimming the 06 brass prior to reforming will save you plenty of elbow grease. I was reforming 30/06 Canadian blanks into various calibers including 7X57 but mostly into 765 Argie and 7.7 Jap. I found by trimming or even hack sawing the brass a hair or two longer than needed prior to reforming made it much easier. .

 

EDIT: Keep your eyes on Craig's list and Backpage.com for a RCBS Rock Chucker. It will make reforming brass a much easier task. I had to drive over 40 miles but got a Rock Chucker for only $20.00 off of Craig's List.

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Yeah, I experimented with trimming the cases first. It did make it somewhat easier, but the added step of trimming before forming wasn't worth the effort versus just running them through the die. I did go in multiple stages, but without backing the die out of the press. The once fired milsurp stuff was pretty tough to run through. Other milsurp that I had reloaded prior ran through a lot easier, sometimes not needing the cheater bar. Note that this was on a RCBS Jr. press, not a Rock Chucker. The little Jr. did a great job, just needed plenty of muscle and some extra leverage. I think they were mostly sold for pistol reloading, and case forming 30-06 -> 7mm Mauser was probably taxing it beyond it's design specs.

 

After forming them, I chucked them up in the lathe and turned them to about the right length, then chucked up a case trimming tool in the lathe and held them up against it until they were in spec.

 

I did run across some once fired milsurp brass that I couldn't deprime. Man, those primers are in there. A 1 lb hammer would only dent them outward and any more and I was afraid I would break my manual decapping pin.

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If its not a hard crimp like the 1930's Frankford Arsenal brass. I'd suspect some kind of cement, sealant or bonding agent heat may possibly break. If your de-capping pin fits the neck tightly, fill the case with water, stick in the de-capping pin in and give it a good whack with a hammer. Messy but it works, it is the method to de-cap Berdan primers.

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With Berdan primers, I set up my drill press to drill just through the brass but not through the primer, then I punch them out with a regular decapper. The problem is getting a regular primer to stick in the case, at least with Russian and Chinese steel cases. Best thing to do is to find some lots that work OK and put a drop of red locktite on the base of each one and let it sit overnight, then wipe them clean.

 

I really don't know how they crimped these in. I should look at the head stamp, but it is something like "A K 7 2" from memory.

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Yeah, there's a sealant and a crimped groove over it and who knows what else. Those things are seriously in there. I don't have an over abundance of 30-06 brass, but I probably have enough for this little project. If you have no use for it, I'll gladly take it off your hands. I'm also using those 30 cal gas checks you sent me a couple years ago for a 300 blackout upper project. Thanks again.

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry Doc I missed this post. Be a few days but I'll look for the 30 cal gas checks. Believe I have some left. I'm rearranging my room and have a pile of junk in way of my reloading stuff. I should have some of the 06 blanks left also.

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Haven't forgotten you Doc. Heat arrived rather early, 106 yesterday. Guy I hired to help me called in sick. I advanced him the $$'s for his diabetes meds and he suddenly turned ill or most likely lazy after temps exceeded 100. I'm in the process of moving things back inside. Pretty sure I had some of the 30 cal checks left. I remember moving the 06 brass into outside storage so it should be showing up in the next day or two.

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No rush, Az. Appreciate the thought.

 

I feel like starting a thread: Everything I know about the 7mm Mauser. Feels like this -><- much. Still trying to get a cast boolit to go straight in one. They keep keyholeing on me.

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Today I'm entertaining a family from Madrid that have never as much as handled a firearm. From what I'm told they are pretty excited about it.

 

I lost a puppy due to the Parvo virus. The drug co that supplied the test (that showed negative twice) and vaccine are reimbursing me for numerous Vet expenses, clean up fees and up to a grand for a replacement pet. The Vet bill alone exceeded two G's. I've been busy cleaning nearly everything with bleach and pool chlorine. The Vet was smart enough to send a biopsy to a lab with no connections with the drug co.

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No rush, Az. Appreciate the thought.

 

I feel like starting a thread: Everything I know about the 7mm Mauser. Feels like this -><- much. Still trying to get a cast boolit to go straight in one. They keep keyholeing on me.

 

Doc this might help get the lead slugs in straight. http://leeprecision.com/universal-case-expanding-die.html You will likely have to go back into the seating and/or crimp die after you seat the bullet.

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I don't really have much problem with the bullets being shaved or seated bad, that I know of. I am using a Lee Factory Crimp on them. I experimented with no crimp. I think the problem is that I'm not pushing them out fast enough to stabilize. I cranked up the charge and used some powder from pulled WWII 8mm Turk stuff and they did somewhat better, but I have not decided if that is the solution. You really don't want to be pushing a cast bullet at 2500 FPS, even with a gas check, from what I've read. I'm also out of that powder now. Some 130 GR store-bought bullets came in today. Thirty cents each; actually 35 cents with shipping. Ouch. Anyway, I'll load them up to factory specs this weekend and see what they do.

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And sorry to hear about your puppy. That sucks. I'm surprised the pharm co would stand behind their product. Tell your guests this is a Spanish 7mm Mauser I'm working on, made sometime between 1916 and the mid 30's, and probably used in the Civil War, or at least modified for that time.

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Thx Doc, My Vet took on the drug company. She claimed herself and the Vet at the after hours animal clinic spent more than an hour in a conference call with the drug and vaccine co's scientists.The drug co is named Merck, don't know if they also make people meds. There is some kind of warranty that came with Merck's puppy plan I opted for that I was unaware of. According to my Vet the puppy plan provides for reimbursement of the vaccines and a token amount for a replacement pup. Guess my Vet hammered Merck on their two negative lab tests and the pup completing Merck's series of vaccines. The biopsy from his guts from a local lab showed positive but by the time the results came in, it was to late. Not sure if the drug co feared some liability but they picked up the tab for the surgery and as gross as it sounds, for disposal. I buried him and had to dig him back up because the virus could thrive in the soil for years. Not sure if they will pick up the tab yet. I also included receipts for pool chlorine, bleach cleaners, sprayer and a hand written receipt from the guy I hired to do the digging.

 

I brought along a 1947 8MM Spanish Mauser today the Spanish family got a kick out of. The student's father never having handled a firearm did know it was a Mauser. They pronounce it mow sewr. Emphasis on the second syllable and S instead of the Z. I think I might have hit a sore spot when I said it was from General Franco's Army. After his daughter translated he said "oh" quit smiling and appeared to lose interest in it. He was a bit leary to shoot it at first after reading the headstamp on the Turk ammo. I explained it to his daughter and father responded "oww mow sewr" along with a few words I didn't understand. They were able to make a connection with Dirty Harry with my S&W although it is chambered in 45 Colt. I did not tell them is wasn't a 44 Mag. My S/A 45 Colt Ruger they connected with the Colt 45 phrase. They really got excited with the cameras when we shot my 1970's AR-15 with the triangular handguards.Got give the guy credit. He has a very attractive wife considerably younger than he is.

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Doc I just found the 30 cal gas checks. Found them hidden in a small RX bottle mixed in my 9MM/38's. I should be able to get to the brass this evening as temps will dip below 80. Satin resides comfortably in my storage after outside temps exceed 100. I might still have the soda co address. Send me a private if it has changed. I have to go to the PO on Monday so I'll get them headed you're way.

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