Lyman 45 Users.

[462]

Will Lyman's newer style sizing dies -- with the O-ring -- work in a Lyman 45, or does the O-ring get crushed by the set screw that secures the die? If so, do you just remove the O-ring?

[jcwit]

Leave the "O" rings on, yes they will work just fine. The set screw goes in where the 2nd grove is at. Be careful tightning the set screw, turn it to tight and you'll pop the casting. Snug is good enough. I usually set my dies flush with the top.

Best
jcwit

[462]

Thanks for the education.

I've been thinking about another luber and wanted to make sure the 45 would work with the newer dies.

[jcwit]

I've got two of the old 45's that I picked up for $10 and $15 a couple of years ago before everything went crazy a year and a half ago. I could have bought newer ones but for a total of $25 bucks they work super.

I even make my own lube from parafine, bees wax, carnuba car wax, with a little alox tossed in for good measure, works great for me with NO leading whats so ever.

Best
jcwit

[Bret4207]

I don't use anymore pressure on the thumb screw than to make it snug. While the 45's are a little frail in some respects, I think they're a better sizer than the later models. I HATE the Lyman sizer die nut. RCBS is better in that respect. Probably just me, but I have the devils time getting it started.

[geargnasher]

+1 Bret, I just got a used 45 and am trying to figure out what was so great about the 450 I have been using. The proof was in how the 45 has sufficient guides that it won't bend boolits like the wobbly junk ram of the 450, how I can SEE the tip of the top punch and thus the number without removing it, I really like all the thumbscrews, the only tool I need is for changing dies, and that's a snap because no stupid fine-thread-crossthreading@$!@#$nut to deal with, the thing doesn't leak around the sizing die, and is generally what it should be.

I have both old step-type and newer tapered Lyman brand H&I dies and they both work in the 45.

Two things of which to be aware with the 45: The later o-ring style piston can be used in the 45 and it stops the leakage from the bronze piston skirt, and as far as I have tried it the RCBS version of the H&I dies are about .004" fatter at the base and won't work in the 45, plus they only have one groove at the top so you'd have to put the setscrew against the o-ring even if the die would seat fully.

The only real advantage to the 450/4500 is the leverage of the compound ram linkage, it allows the user to apply much more force to the boolit, and that is a bonus with larger calibers/harder boolits, but for that I'll use a Lee push-through and then run them through the 45.

Gear

[stephen perry]

I only have good things to say about both my lube/sizers. The 45 works well with smaller diameter bullets, I use mine for 22, 6 and .25 cal bullets. For .27 and larger I use my 450. When I didn't have a 450 I used my 45 for all my Cast, 30's were a pain as they dragged through the dies on my 45 with it's lighter linkage. With the 450 all my Cast sizing is enjoyable. One of the keys to both sizers is to bolt them to a strong table, I drilled out the screw holes on my 45 to accept some bolts.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR