H&G 73 + Lyman 450 Sizer??? (Top Punch)

[Grump]

The whole Internet according to Google has only ONE page with both "H&G 73" and "top punch".

Guess where it is? Here, in the for sale, but the seller has two lubri-sizers and the Star is the one fitted for the .38-ish H&G 73 pointy SWC.

Is there such a thing as a Lyman or RCBS top punch that fits the 73?

I do NOT want to try making one with a big-hole blank and fitting the nose to the cavity with epoxy and release agent. Don't trust my ability to keep it square.

Thanks!google result of ONE.pdfgoogle result of ONE.pdf

[Grump]

Oh, got one result again when I separated H and G from the ampersand... "H & G".

Twenty with some results omitted using "Hensley & Gibbs", but most of those were irrelevant, like at least two which said "73 sold". Meh.

[LenH]

Grump, I have that mold and it is a fine piece of work and the bullets is accurate too, but I run mine through a star.

But a flat top punch might do the trick. I'll have to look at that mold later today and see what might work.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I believe the Lyman 356402 truncated cone has a similar taper...maybe a Lyman 402 Top Punch would work, if it was shortened to meet the 73's shoulder?

[Grump]

thanks, will look into that 402.

[LenH]

I am wondering if Al aat NOE would be able to make a top punch if he had a couple of bullets?

[Grump]

Well I'm tempted to contact Al. Remembered that some years ago someone was offering custom punches but a quick look at the stickies made me think it was old news and no longer offered. The 402 punch cone section is not quite acute enough and I'm reluctant to drill it wide enough for the boolit to set on the shoulder. A machinist friend 2-1/2 hours away might still have a boring bar of the right dimensions--he spun up a seater punch for that boolit and one of my reloading dies a few years ago. But he used aluminum stock.

[Rich/WIS]

Aluminum will work fine, that's what NOE top punches are made from.

[beagle]

Either the #402 Lyman or the Saeco #929 works./beagle

[Grump]

Nope, the Lyman 402 is too short, the cone is too wide, and the cone is not sharp enough. I would literally need to drill out the cone section to the full width of the inner diameter of the boolit's shoulder and let the bullet tip get no guidance at all.

Perhaps not entirely a bad thing, but not what I want. I want the punch to straighten out the boolit before the shoulder gets engaged.

[gwpercle]

If push comes to shove you can modify one with a small ball of epoxy putty , that's what I did for a Lee design . Clean inside the nose punch and grease the bullet nose , set them in place and let harden...custom fit without a lath .
You can also use regular epoxy, the putty just keeps it from running into unwanted spaces.
Gary