Imperial Dry Neck Lube: Neck tension, and other thoughts

[Beetys]

Any thoughts on the effects of excess dry neck lube on neck tension or other characteristics that may negatively impact consistency?

For example, if there is extra graphite that found it's way into the cases. Would this have any negative effect whatsoever?

Thank you!!

 

[One Eye Pete]

No effect on actual neck tension, however if you are seating bullets with a force gauge you will get a lower reading due to decreased friction.
As far as excess graphite having a negative effect on impact consistency, not unless you are using so much that it takes up a noticeable amount of case volume. The amount of graphite needed to put a light coat on the neck would not do this.
Better than graphite is a little moly powder mixed into 91 percent alcohol swabbed onto the inside of the neck and allowed to dry. Provides a nice uniform coating with absolutely no ill effects. Moly is a better dry lubricant than graphite and it makes bullet seating a breeze. Also prevents cold welding of the bullet to the case.

 

[RegionRat]

+1 Agree on One Eye Pete's comments.

Powdered graphite dry lube is basically a specific form of carbon. It is fairly benign in terms of reactions or getting involved with the combustion. MoS2 is also a very common powdered dry lube. You don't want to be sloppy with anything inside of your case, but tiny amounts of contamination of either one is negligible.

If I had to generalize, you want to keep graphite in regular breathing air for the water content to allow it to act as a lube. Get it very dry and it becomes an abrasive, but we are talking very dry.

MoS2 is nearly the opposite. While it does okay in regular air, it does much better in very dry gas or vacuum and you don't want it very wet since it becomes an oxide and Lewis Acid in very humid places.

 

[Beetys]

Thank you both!