Confussed again! Lube a matic Q.

[Lance Boyle]

Ok, I got a box of reloading tools at what I thought is a pretty good price. The main item in the box I wanted was a RCBS lube a matic as wanted to get into casting for the .357 and the Krag.

I am cleaning the old iron up (got a old rock chucker too that's super tight) There is an 80 on the bottom of the lube reservoir plug, 1980 vintage?)

Anyhow one of the first things I wanted to do is to see what top punch and die I got in the deal, one set was installed and no extras. Die is a .429 and a .421 top punch. I'm guess a .44 mag set up for the orig owner.

Since I haven't used it yet and have never used this style (watched a Star in operation) I am confused on how the freshly sized and lubed bullet gets out of the die. The tail on my die seems fixed and I don't see how it would pop the bullet out.

Is it supposed to fixed or is it a wedged piston? From the inside it looks fixed, from the outside it looks like a shaft/piston due to a seam where the piston would go through the main die body.

Seems like some ads for RCBS lube a matic dies look like they have that tail and some look more uniformly cylindrical. Is there a die style difference between lube a matic and lube a matic 2?

Halp halp!

[Lance Boyle]

Oh, hell I figured out the tail/piston question. It's a piston (of course you guys knew that).

I put the locked die on a metal coffee can lid (remember those) and put it inside a cast iron pan (hey, I eat food from it hence disposable can lid) and turned on the stove to low. It was merely stuck, probably with that the ancient waxy brown lube that's in the rest of the lube a matic. A little mellow heat loosened it up.

[SlippShodd]

I recently boiled the cast body of my LAM to get rid of decades of built up, mixed up, gacky lubes. I highly recommend it. Some folks recommend using a heat gun and what not to let the old lube drip out, but boiling it was a non-messy way for me. I also boiled the sizing die, after removing the rubber o-ring. All this I learned from this forum. ;)

mike

[Lance Boyle]

I recently boiled the cast body of my LAM to get rid of decades of built up, mixed up, gacky lubes. I highly recommend it. Some folks recommend using a heat gun and what not to let the old lube drip out, but boiling it was a non-messy way for me. I also boiled the sizing die, after removing the rubber o-ring. All this I learned from this forum. ;)

mike

that's not a bad idea at all, would be a thorough clean, much like boiling the small parts on my cosmo'd CMP garand.

My other idea was too remove the handle with the rubber grip and put it in the oven on 190 F on aluminum foil coverd cookie sheet.

I hope this works when I get her all set to go. I got the lube a matic, a 7mm Rem mag die set, a RCBS 10-10 scale and and an old school Rock chucker for $150 shipped.

[rintinglen]

Good deal there, Lance, I figure you saved about 25% off a reasonable price for that stuff used, and the Lube-a-matic alone with the punch and sizer would have cost more than that new. You done good, only thing about saving money with this hobby is that it costs a lot.

[chboats]

I find the baking method works best for me. Put all the parts that need cleaning on a foil lined baking sheet. Set the oven to the lowest setting it will regulate. My oven that's 170. Leave it for an hour or two. Remove the sizer and through away the foil.

Carl

[Wayne Smith]

Aahhh, you got a deal, but now you need a 44 Mag! Or maybe two.

[Lance Boyle]

Good deal there, Lance, I figure you saved about 25% off a reasonable price for that stuff used, and the Lube-a-matic alone with the punch and sizer would have cost more than that new. You done good, only thing about saving money with this hobby is that it costs a lot.

Ain't that the truth. I figure over 20 years I got a couple thousand dollars into reloading equipment before the casting infection. That's not counting components just presses, dies, tools, et cetera et certera et cetera [/yul brenner].

:holysheep

I think I'll do the slow bake tonight. Today I'm going crappie fishing if the weather holds.