I use a LAMII for rifle bullets and have had no problems but the bullets are longer than pistol bullets. I have had a similar problem as the OP with short bullets and solved it by removing the lock nut from the bottom of the depth stop and installing it from the top. Other option is to mike the stem of the push rod and getting a bushing from your local ACE or True-Value and installing it on the rod above the stop screw. If too long shorten the bushing.
I use the feeder on one sizer at a time. When I size 45 cal I put the sizer on the Magma bullet sizer lubricator and use the 45 cal feeder slide plate. When I size 9mm, 38/357 I move the sizer to the Star bullet sizer and use the appropriate feeder plate for that caliber.
My sizing dies were made by lathesmith and have NO extra holes that need to be plugged. The Star/Magma sizing dies do have the extra holes that either need to be plugged or opened up in order to size. Mine were designed to accommodate the particular bullets that I cast and size. Therefore the placement of the lube holes within the sizing die is specific for the bullets I make. The Star/Magma bullet sizing dies are manufactured to accommodate a variety of different bullets therefore three or so different levels of lube holes.
For what it's worth, I bought the Lyman sizing dies thinking I would be getting a Lyman press. Instead, I got the RCBS press. The Lyman dies do fit, but they do have 2 rows of holes, compared to the RCBS dies which have just one set of holes. I have ordered the RCBS dies. I'll see if that makes any difference.
Would tumble lubing a powder coated bullet have an advantage like allowing faster velocity without leading. Just curious.
Last edited by Rcmaveric; 01-19-2020 at 10:30 AM.
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
~Theodore Roosevelt~
I think I tested a while back showing slight fps increase with normal lube and pc over dry pc. I sometimes smear tumble lube on wax paper then roll the PC'd boolits on it if I want them to seat easier which is sometimes usefull with soft lead but I haven't tested if they are faster.
I remember watching a you-tube video (fortunecookie) maybe? He did ballistics testing, comparing conventional lubed bullets against powder coated. Sometimes the conventional lubed bullets were faster, and sometimes the PC'd bullets were faster. When all the results were in, there was NO significant difference in feet-per-second.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |