Update: Casting for the Makarov, lube issue solved

My first go round with the lube on my cast bullets did not go well. I was using raw beeswax, some candle wax (10%), motor oil, and coconut oil. Well, it did not work at all. My loads exhibited smoke and left severe leading in the barrel. The smoke I expect, but the leading is not good. After brushing my barrel about 1000 times to get the lead out I went in search of a new lube. I found several people using Barry Dars recipe.


Barry Darr's Lube Formula

1 lb. Paraffin

1 lb. Vaseline

2 Tbsp. STP gas treatment



I reduced the recipe by half, since I didn't know if it would work for me.


I am glad to report that it did work. My barrel had no leading and my bullets shoot true. I was starting to think that my alloy was too soft, so I am relieved that it was just a lube issue. There is quite a bit of smoke with these loads, but I think that can be cured with the addition of a little more paraffin. Honestly, I could care less about smoke.



Mixing up the lube is simple. I weighed out the ingredients on my kitchen scale. The wax is no biggie, but the vaseline is nasty to work with. I really don't like the feel of a whole handful of petroleum jelly. The stp is pretty powerful, so don't overdo it. I used Wal-Mart brand Petro Jelly and Gas treatment. The wax is the gulf wax brand found in the canning aisle.

Pan lubing with this formula is simple. The first time you do it, melt your lube in the pan and let it harden. Then place your bullets on top of the hardened lube. Gently melt the lube again and your bullets will settle to the bottom of the pan and get surrounded by the liquid lube. Once hardened, I pop the pan in the freezer for about 5 minutes. This seems to make removing the bullets easier and less greasy. I just flip the pan upside down onto a piece of cardboard and the whole lube cake comes out like a pineapple upside down cake. At that point, you can just push the bullets out by the nose. They fall out of the bottom of the cake with lube perfectly placed inside the grease groove, not all over the bullet.  Once you have lubed one batch, just place your new bullets in the old holes and melt again.


The lube is not real stiff, but it seems to stay in the groove and definitely is working. As I say, I may add some wax to the mix, though it is probably not necessary.

Freshly cast, unlubed bullets

This is all it takes