As far as the fire-forming issue goes, I can understand not wanting to lube the cases, and I am not going to pressure you to do so. I don't think anyone was trying to push it on you, they just didn't like that you were trying to lecture them on it. We are all adults here, and even though some don't agree with the actions of others, nobody needs to be lectured. So let's just try to move on from that, leave the lecturing in the past, and let everyone do whatever they do without passing judgment.
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Back to fire-forming and how to accomplish it with minimal stretching in the web area WITHOUT lubricating the cases.
This is my method for fire-forming surplus LC 5.56 brass that has been re-formed into .222.
I take Lyman's Turbo Brite, and using a case holder that goes in either an electric screwdriver or drill (Lee has one that is used with their trimmer, Sinclair offers one as well) or even holding the case by hand, polish the case to a high sheen with a dab of the polish on a cotton rag (T-shirt material works great). You can even use a bit of 0000 steel wool prior to applying the polish, as this will help remove any imperfections or other crap stuck on the brass.
The polish is intended to be used on cartridge brass in a tumbler and does not need to be removed before firing. But the brass will be very smooth and will flow and form in the chamber very nicely and will do so without any type of oil or lubricant. I have been doing this for some time, and it forms much better than un-polished brass does. Shoulder and neck junctions are very crisp, and I don't normally measure any thinning in the web.
By using polish on the cases, it eliminates any worry of oil on the brass or chance of it migrating into the barrel. The polish is designed to be used for exactly the purpose you are using it for, to polish cartridge brass. Polishing the cases by hand while spinning on a case holder produces a much nicer finish than is achieved by tumbling, and I feel it is much better for the task at hand as well. It seems to allow the brass to slip just enough in the chamber to form well and without stretching the web, but not so much as to allow excessive bolt thrust.
When I re-form .222 brass from once-fired surplus LC 5.56, I always polish them at the range right before I load and form them. For forming, I just reduce my normal accuracy load by .5gr and load as I normally would, .001 neck tension with the bullet seated long so they are fully seated when I chamber the round. I only single feed, so this is not an issue for me.
When I am fire-forming, all I am really doing is ironing out the shoulder, as it's usually slightly rounded from the forming process, and blowing the shoulder forward just a slight amount, maybe .001 or .002 at absolute maximum. When I am done, it's super crisp like it was formed with a chisel. I have moved shoulders forward as much as .004" with this method, though I used more neck tension and still had very good results as well.
You may want to run more neck tension as you need to move the shoulder a bit more than I normally do. And you will need to run full power loads as well, (above start, but not max) as reduced loads won't have enough pressure to form the shoulder properly. Basically, do a little load work up to see how much powder is required to get a crisp form on the shoulder.
H4895 would probably work well for case forming in the .243, as it's a reasonably fast powder (for the .243) and is suitable for bullets ranging from 60grs to 95grs.
H4895 is one of the best powders for reduced loads as well, and gives me excellent accuracy with cast bullets in my .308 and .30-06. (cast bullet loads are essentially reduced loads)
I hope this helps and will give you a solution that doesn't involve lubricating your cases. It works great for me, so I see no reason for it not to do the same for you.
And just to ease your mind a bit, I polish my .243, 7.62X54R, .308, 30-06, and .35 Whelen brass in the same way with the same polish, and have never had any issues in any of them. My 30-06 is a Remington 740 and the .35 Whelen is Remington 750 Carbine, both of which are semi auto and would likely have some kind of issue if they were subject to extreme bolt thrust. Not to mention the 740 is 56yrs old, supposedly has a receiver prone to stretching, and yet it still headspaces perfectly. I think if I was subjecting it to excessive bolt thrust that it would be showing some signs of wear by now, but it's still going strong and kills deer every year.
Now go out and form your brass!
