Yes. Ballistol Gunex Gun Oil keeps a reloading press ram, linkage and toggle working smoothly and protects the bare steel from rust, while Ballistol Universal Oil gives dies and shell holders a thin protective film for storage in a damp garage or shed. The rule that matters most: oil goes on the press and the stored dies, never near primers, powder or the inside of a die you are about to use.
In this guide
The bench in the garage
Most UK reloaders work from a bench in a garage, a shed or a spare corner of an outbuilding. The press is bolted down, a set of dies for each calibre sits in its boxes on a shelf, and the shell holders, priming tool and case trimmer live in a drawer. Many sit untouched for weeks at a time over winter.
That is where the trouble starts. An unheated garage in November or January can drop to 2 to 5°C overnight. When the weather turns mild and damp, warm air meets cold steel and condensation forms on the ram, the die bodies and anything else that is bare metal.
Where it goes wrong
Die bodies, lock rings, shell holders and the press ram are mostly plain or lightly finished steel. A carbide sizing insert will not rust, but the steel body around it will. The first sign is usually an orange bloom on the lock rings.
Rust inside a sizing die is the expensive one, because it scratches every case that goes through it. A ram that has dried out or picked up grit feels notchy on the downstroke, which makes it harder to feel a case that is not sizing properly.
Matching the product to the part
Ram, linkage and toggle pivots: Gunex Gun Oil. Its product page lists screw joints, linkages and moving parts among its jobs, and its corrosion inhibitor protects metal from moisture. The 100ml bottle puts a single drop exactly where you need it, which is better than a spray on a bench where primers are handled.
Dies, shell holders and spares in storage: Ballistol Universal Oil. It leaves a light film that keeps damp off metal and does not resinify, so dies put away in October come out in March without a sticky coat.
Cleaning out dies and old lubricant: Ballistol Cold Degreaser. It removes oil, grease and dried, resinified oil from metal parts and evaporates off, so it clears storage oil and old case lube from inside a die.
Pivot pins and threaded connections: GunCer Ceramic Grease. The product page names screwed and pinned connections that need assembling with a grease, and it works from -50°C to +150°C. A thin smear on press pivot pins and on die threads helps stop them seizing over a cold winter.
For the rifle itself, see our gun oil range and Ballistol gun oil for firearms.
How it is done
At the end of a session, clear the bench of primers, powder and loaded rounds first. Wipe the ram with a clean cloth, put one drop of Gunex on the ram and one on each linkage pivot, cycle the handle five or six times, and wipe off what shows. Take the dies out, wipe the outsides with Universal Oil on a cloth and run a lightly oiled cotton bud round the inside before boxing them.
Before the next session, run Cold Degreaser on a bud through each die and let it dry for a few minutes. In a cold garage, check the press and dies every month or so through the winter. Our guide on how to stop rust on metal covers the wider job of keeping a damp workshop rust-free.
What to watch for
- Never oil or spray anything while primers or powder are out on the bench. Oil and solvent that reach primers or powder can cause misfires or weak, delayed shots.
- Do not spray into the priming arm, primer feed or tube. Wipe those parts with a barely damp cloth, or follow the press maker's manual.
- Universal Oil and Gunex are not case lubricants. Use a lubricant sold for sizing cases and follow the die maker's directions.
- Aerosols are flammable. Store sprays and degreaser away from powder and primers, ventilate the garage while you use them, and keep them away from heaters.
- This covers care of the equipment only. For load data, follow the published data from the powder or bullet maker.
A bench that is ready to use
The handle runs smoothly from top to bottom with no gritty or tight spots, and the ram looks faintly slick rather than wet. Dies come out of their boxes bright inside and out, the lock rings turn by hand, and sized cases come out clean with no scratches.
Shotgun cartridge reloaders face the same damp on the gun as on the bench; see how to clean a shotgun after shooting, and rust protection with Ballistol for the wider picture.
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Questions people ask
How do you stop reloading dies rusting? Clean them after use, wipe the steel with a thin film of Ballistol Universal Oil, and store them in their boxes in a dry room rather than an unheated garage where you can. Degrease the inside of each die before the next session so no oil reaches the cases.
Should you oil a reloading press? Yes, sparingly. Put a drop of Gunex Gun Oil on the ram and the linkage pivots, work the handle, then wipe off the excess so the bare steel stays protected but nothing drips into the shell plate or the primer system. Follow the press maker's manual where it gives its own instructions.
Can oil on cases or primers cause misfires? It can. Oil or solvent that reaches primers or powder can stop a primer firing reliably or cause a weak, delayed shot, which is why every oil and spray on the bench is put away before primers and powder come out.
How do you clean reloading dies? Take out the decapping stem and expander, spray Ballistol Cold Degreaser on a cloth or cotton bud, wipe out the old case lube and brass dust, let it evaporate, then reassemble. Do this before storage and whenever sized cases come out scratched.
Written by Ballistol UK. How we write and check our guides.
This article is general advice. If you're unsure whether a product suits your item, contact Ballistol UK or a qualified professional first, and don't use it until your concerns have been answered.
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