nitro-express
11-30-2014, 11:25 AM
I happened upon a Lyman Tru-Line Jr at a gun show recently. I'd never seen one before, and it intrigued me. I didn't immediately buy it, I felt that I had to do some research first, and I knew the vendor would be at another local gun show a week later. It was at his table the next week, the dies were all gunked up, looked rough, the turret would not turret, and the priming punch was broken. I bought it, in spite of its flaws. It’s all cleaned up now, painted, mounted on my bench and set up to reload 35 Remington.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-LjrSetUp_zpsd6159e76.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-LjrSetUp_zpsd6159e76.jpg.html)
A significant number of Tru-Line Jr presses and numerous 310 dies in various calibers are available on the used market. Many ads mention “Estate Sale” and these tools, stored for many years have hit the market. This availability will last for a few years, yielding a brief interest in these presses. This is just the natural life cycle of tools.
Lyman began designing a new turret press just after WW II, and the Tru-Line Jr. was first listed in Ideal handbook # 35 (1948). Lyman updated this design after 1957. I'll refer to these as the Gen I and the Gen II design.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJRpartsdia_zps877344a7.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJRpartsdia_zps877344a7.jpg.html)
The Gen I Lyman Tru-Line press can be easily identified by its single link, from the lever casting to the shell holder casting.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/2ndGenT-LJr_zps5d7da1ac.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/2ndGenT-LJr_zps5d7da1ac.jpg.html)
The Gen II Lyman Tru-Line press had various updates, the most significant was the improved linkage. The 1960 manual describes it thus "The toggle joint design enables the operator to exert great pressure with little effort." From studying the pictures, the update added a toggle linkage for increased mechanical advantage at the top of the stroke, a new shell holder casting that moved the pivot forward, thus centering the force between the shell holder and post.
In the picture below, of the Gen I press, you can see that the stop screw has been modified to support the turret on the top of the stroke.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/1stGenT-LJr_zpsa2c045e9.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/1stGenT-LJr_zpsa2c045e9.jpg.html)
I did a bit of WEB research, and IMO the target market for the Tru-Line Jr press was mainly for users of the 310 reloading tool. The Gen II presses would FL resize pistol cartridges and 222 family rifle cartridges, according to Lyman literature, and the list of dies they made for the Tru-Line Jr. They made a CMR die for the T-L Jr. It was specific to the Tru-Line press, was not made for the 310 tool. The CMR (Combination Muzzle Resize) die would size the neck (Lyman referred to this as the “muzzle” of the shell), deprime and resize with one die, whereas the 310 tool would use 2 dies, one for sizing the neck and a separate die for resizing. The 310 tool had a separate die for each operation, and some sets came with 5 dies, the usual was 4. Most dies for the 310 tool have 5/8-30 thread and the Tru-Line Jr uses dies with the same 5/8-30 thread. A deluxe die set for the Tru-Line Jr came with a CMR die, a DA die, a shell holder and priming punch.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJrdiesetcomplete_zps5abf944b.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJrdiesetcomplete_zps5abf944b.jpg.html)
I already have several more modern presses, and before I put any significant funds into this project I wanted to be sure that I had a use for a working Tru-Line Jr.
Pistol dies with a carbide sizer are not available in 5/8-30 TPI, and I’ve got no desire to go back to lubing my pistol cases. There is a replacement turret, made for 7/8-14 TPI dies, but at $90, it hardly makes sense. A new LEE turret press costs not much more than that, and spare turrets are $ 15 or less. The only rifle that I could possibly get by with neck sizing would be for shooting cast bullets in my 35 Remington. I managed to find a set of Lyman Tru-Line dies in 35 Remington and although they were a bit spendy, I ordered them. I was also able to buy several priming punches for the “J” shell holder. An alternate and probably more flexible option would be to buy the “J” to “X” adapter that Lyman makes. The “J” to “X” adapter seems to have some complaints about alignment, which may be an issue considering the 2 piece design. Alignment is adjustable on the T-L Jr. I took mine apart and the detent collar is held into position on the shaft with 2 set screws.
While I’m on the subject of disassembly, take care when fastening the turret with the ¾ nut. The washer under the nut has a witness slot and the shaft has a 1/8 witness pin. If these are not aligned when you tighten the nut, the pin gets squashed, the washer squeezes into the threads and disassembly is difficult. That is exactly what mine was like, and a quick search of T-L Jr presses for sale on Ebay indicated that this is a common problem. You can determine this fault at a glance, no threads showing above the nut and a gap between the detent collar and the turret, equals bad.
Priming cases with the Tru-Line Jr is fairly simple procedure, place a primer into the priming punch and prime on the down stroke. Depth can be controlled with the stop screw. However, because priming happens on the bottom of the down stroke, the operation requires some force because of poor mechanical advantage and “feel” is poor. From studying the design of the linkage on the Gen 1 press, it seems that it has an advantage on the down stroke, the mechanical advantage is greater at the bottom of the down stroke than that of the Gen 2 press. I have not tried priming on a Gen 1 press, it may work OK. I had a #2 priming chamber from a 310 die set and I set it up on the Tru-Line Jr, and it worked rather well, very little effort and sensitive “feel”. This setup works he same as the various “Ram Prime” tools for 7/8-14 presses.
The Tru-Line Jr. is a petite press, weighing only 12 pounds, completely set up with dies for 1 caliber. It makes a nice range press, it’s easy to mount and can easily be made into a very portable unit. It has less mechanical advantage than modern presses. It’s a bit difficult to measure the exact mechanical advantage of a reloading presses toggle/compound lever system, but approximate ratios are fairly easy to determine. I simply measured the length of the handle from the center of the pivot point to the tip of the handle and divided that by the distance from the pivot point to the connecting bars. The following ratios are approximate. The T-L Jr. has a lever ratio (effort arm/load arm) of 5.5/1. A more modern press like my 1st generation RCBS Rock Chucker and my Redding T-25 have a 7/1 ratio and the ratio on a Redding Ultra Mag is even greater. These ratios only tell part of the story, the mechanical advantage increases as the press nears the end of the stroke. I measured the effort arm movement for the last ¼ inch of ram stroke. The Tru-Line Jr came in at a ratio of 13/1 for the last ¼ inch of stroke, the Redding Ultra Mag was 22/1 and the Redding T-25 was 17/1. I suspect that most modern presses are around 18/1, as the Ultra Mag has more leverage than most other presses. The mechanical advantage or leverage on the Tru-Line Jr. is about 2/3 that of a modern press. The handle on the Tru-Line Jr. is 7/16” round bar of solid steel, the Redding T-25 is 5/8”, my Rock Chucker has a 3/4” handle as does Ultra Mag. The center post on the Tru-Line Jr. is 7/8” round shaft, the shell holder is offset from the post, the turret is 5/8” thick at the die and the usable stoke is about 2 ½”. I’ll rate this press as light duty, suitable for most pistol calibers and capable of neck sizing and reloading rifle cartridges no longer than a 30-06. I think it would shine for calibers like 22 Hornet, 25 ACP, 30 M1 Carbine, any of the 32’s, 380 and 38 Spl. The short throw of the handle and the shorter stroke of the press would be an advantage for these short cases. I would avoid the Gen I model.
A 7/8 turret would be nice, but the only real advantage would be the ability to use a carbide sizer, or be able to reload a caliber for which 5/8-30 dies are not available.
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Update: I happened upon a spare turret at a gunshow, I think I paid 3 $ for it. I had my BIL machine one of the holes for 7/8-14. I used a dremel to get some clearance for the lock ring. I have dies for some pistol calibers, some with FL dies, but lubing cases and the force required to resize has discouraged me from utilizing the T-L Jr for loading pistol. I was a bit skeptical, just how much improvement would a carbide die make. Opening up the turret for a 7/8 die doesn't leave much of the boss. This will depend on the casting, but on mine it had disappeared completely for about 1/3 of the circumference. I tried it out and it works well, easily sizing 44 Mag and 357 Mag cases. On a normal 7/8 press you don't really appreciate the advantage of a carbide die, but in the T-L Jr, it's pretty amazing. I set my T-L Jr up for 357 and it works pretty slick.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/IMG_20160103_220444_zpsetzxlgsf.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/IMG_20160103_220444_zpsetzxlgsf.jpg.html)
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It’s a cute little press, slick to operate and my goal is to have it set up and functioning complete with a #55 measure.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-Lrangepress_zps3552f345.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-Lrangepress_zps3552f345.jpg.html)
This is a picture of a simple range set-up.
History as per Woody1
"I had been dimly aware that there was something "funny' about T-L Jr. dies, and a few months ago saw mention that the tool linkage came in two forms. Last night I did some more checking on the tool, and found that it and its dies are, indeed, more complicated than I had realized. The Tru-Line Jr. tool, with its four-station rotating turret tapped 5/8" x 30 TPI, was introduced in or around 1949 (per the "Lyman Centennial Journal"; my set of Lyman Annual Product Catalogs is as-yet incomplete for this period), and at that time had a simple, direct linkage, with two long blued bars (one on either side) connecting the handle toggle to the moving case-holder assembly. The dies were the same as for the contemporary 310 tool: decapping chamber ("D.C."), muzzle resizer ("M.R."), expander die ("E.C.") with expander plug ("E.P.") for the appropriate bullet, and the classic "double-adjustable" chamber ("D.A.") for seating (and crimping, if required), with a seating stem (“S.S.”) matched to the chosen bullet nose profile. The only difference was that, instead of the external priming chamber ("P.C."); the hallmark of the 310's with their screw-in case-head bushing, as opposed to the earlier, steel-handled tools cut for a specific case head diameter), the T-L Jr. used a more conventional shell-holder ("S.H.") which descended over a priming punch ("P.P.") in the tool base on the down stroke. These designation are from Ideal Handbook No. 38, (January 1951), pp. 30-31. Full-length sizing, if required, was still done with the separate die and knockout rod system. My tool and die set are of this early design, and I got the matching F. L. die set with the recently-acquired late No. 10 tool in the same caliber.
Two years later (HB #39, May, 1953), the tool body and linkage were the same; but for bottle-necked cases only, a "Combination Die", (“C.M.R.”), replaced "D.C.", "M.R.", "E.C." and "E.P.", with the muzzle-resizing function built into the earlier decapping die body, and an expanding button screwed onto the decapping stem, to expand the case mouth as it was withdrawn from the die, in conventional (Pacific, RCBS, etc.) fashion. This allowed the T-L Jr. to be set up with two sets of two dies each, for rifles at least. (HB #39 glosses over loading of straight-walled cases; they evidently used the older four-die set, as before.)
By HB #41 (July 1957; HB #40 doesn't show much of anything on the T-L Jr.), however, there had been a major revision to both tool and
dies. The single link on either side of the tool had been replaced by a shorter one, pinned to the "elbow" of a second L-shaped link, attached to the toggle and frame, giving the same "compound" effect as that of the RCBS A-2 tool (which evidently inspired the change). This linkage changes the leverages of the system so that the rising element carrying the shell holder has rapid movement and low mechanical advantage at the start of the upstroke (and for priming, at the end of the down-stroke), but slows down and greatly increases the leverage as the shell carrier approaches the top of its stroke. This made it possible to provide full-length sizing for straight-walled pistol cases (and for certain other short cases) in lieu of just resizing the case mouths. The die sets were correspondingly revamped and re-designated. For bottle-necked rifle cases, decapping, muzzle resizing and case mouth expanding were performed in the combination die (now labelled "die S") as in the previous setup; for pistol cases, the decapping rod was used in a new body (die "R") which also provided full-length sizing. Oddly, muzzle-resizing was still retained for pistol cases, using the same die as before (now, die "B"), and case mouth expansion was also as before (die "F"). Seating and crimping utilized the D.A. chamber (now die "E") and seating screw for both types of cases. The shell holder and priming post were relabelled ("J" and "T", respectively) but otherwise unchanged. So, "rifle" die sets consisted of two dies: "S" and "E"; while pistol sets took dies "R", "B", "F" and "E", four in all, but now allowed full-length sizing. Around the same time, the earlier number coding for 310 and T-L Jr. dies by specific cartridge ("123" for .30-'06) was changed to a more complex form which I still have not completely sorted out.
This must have posed a real nightmare for the Lyman stock-keepers, especially as they were also going through a lengthy evolution in their other tools, towards the "standard" C- and H-press and 7/8" x 14 TPI die systems used by other makers."
Posted by Doug Elliott on Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 10:00 am:
“I have been casually referring to the threading on the "standard" 310 and earlier Ideal tong tool dies as being 5/8" x 30 threads per inch; and the oversize ones for the largest cases (.348, .50-70) as 11/16" x 30 tpi. Recently, a correspondent (Mark Steele) had an inquiry about some "small" dies in .25-20 SS, used in a No. 3 tool inherited from his father, and these turned out to be threaded 0.400" x 30 tpi. Apparently, Ideal's founder, John Barlow, had adopted the 30 threads per inch standard from his days working for Winchester, where that thread pitch was employed for similar applications - I have also encountered a 1/4" x 30 tpi on an early Ideal sight adjusting tool. This was all before the standardization of thread diameters, pitches and tolerances in the early 1900s by the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the 30-tpi pitch is now an "orphan", with taps and dies very much a specialty item.
I said that I have been referring to the "standard" tong tool die thread as 5/8" (0.625") diameter. I have just gone out and miked several dies, and find that the diameter is actually 0.605", plus or minus a couple of thousandths - twenty thousandths under the nominal 5/8", and well beyond the normal range of tolerance. Similarly, a .348 die set for the 310 tool mikes 0.656" over the threads, well under the nominal 0.6875" for 11/16". So, one might casually refer to the 0.400" x 30 tpi "small" dies as being threaded an oversize 3/8" (0.375"), or even a grossly undersized 7/16" (0.4375"). (Incidentally, this is the same thread used on the large decapping stems for the 310 tools.) I guess the real answer is that Winchester, Barlow, et al., were not working to specific inch dimensions in the first place, but chose diameters and threadings that were appropriate and necessary for the job at hand.
This really all came out as Mark, Ken Neeld, Al Krause and I were comparing and sorting the similar dies made by Earl Naramore and C. C. Johnson for their little "Red Head" three-station turret press from the late 1930s and '40's, which adopted the Lyman /Ideal standard die threads. (The Lyman Tru-Line Junior, a similar concept, did not appear on the market until 1947.) In this context, it is amusing - and a little alarming - that Naramore, in his ca. 1940 introductory brochure for the Red Head, states:
"Ideal tools and chambers [dies] for cartridges larger that 1/2 inch are of a special large size and these chambers will not fit the RED-HEAD press. However, these chambers can, in many instances, be turned down and rethreaded to fit the press ...for $1.00 per set of three."
Since the root diameter of an 0.605" x 30 tpi thread is approximately 0.550", this would not have been a practical proposition for dies for the .348 (case head diameter 0.553") or .50-70 (0.565"), though it might have worked for the oversize dies furnished in earlier years for cartridges in the .45-70 (0.500") class.
Finally - though it is out of the ARTCA's 50-years+ range for "antique" loading tools - I should mention the Australian "Super Simplex" bench three-station (currently expanded to six) turret press, which partakes of features of both the Red Head and Tru-Line Jr. presses, with some features of its own. It, too uses dies of nominal 5/8" diameter (actual measurement 0.616"), but threaded to the British Standard 5/8" x 26 tpi employed for brass fittings.
I will probably continue to refer to the Ideal standard and oversize dies as 5/8" x 30 tpi and 11/16" x 30 tpi for convenience; but in the awareness that these are not exact specifications.”
From a post on a forum:
“These presses take Lyman 310 Tong tool dies and a proprietary shell holder. Nothing that works in a standard modern reloading press from about 1960 to date will work in a Tru Line Jr. It will not full length resize rifle cartridges. It has little mechanical advantage and you can easily bend the handle. Stick to a basic single stage press that takes standard dies and shell holders and you will be more satisfied. I sold my Tru-Line Jr. about 15 years ago and was happy to part with it (which would be more significant if you saw the inventory of stuff I have around....).”
Addendum: 2020-07-21, I have sold the Tru-Line Jr in the top picture, it went to a good home where it will load 9mm Luger.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-LjrSetUp_zpsd6159e76.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-LjrSetUp_zpsd6159e76.jpg.html)
A significant number of Tru-Line Jr presses and numerous 310 dies in various calibers are available on the used market. Many ads mention “Estate Sale” and these tools, stored for many years have hit the market. This availability will last for a few years, yielding a brief interest in these presses. This is just the natural life cycle of tools.
Lyman began designing a new turret press just after WW II, and the Tru-Line Jr. was first listed in Ideal handbook # 35 (1948). Lyman updated this design after 1957. I'll refer to these as the Gen I and the Gen II design.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJRpartsdia_zps877344a7.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJRpartsdia_zps877344a7.jpg.html)
The Gen I Lyman Tru-Line press can be easily identified by its single link, from the lever casting to the shell holder casting.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/2ndGenT-LJr_zps5d7da1ac.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/2ndGenT-LJr_zps5d7da1ac.jpg.html)
The Gen II Lyman Tru-Line press had various updates, the most significant was the improved linkage. The 1960 manual describes it thus "The toggle joint design enables the operator to exert great pressure with little effort." From studying the pictures, the update added a toggle linkage for increased mechanical advantage at the top of the stroke, a new shell holder casting that moved the pivot forward, thus centering the force between the shell holder and post.
In the picture below, of the Gen I press, you can see that the stop screw has been modified to support the turret on the top of the stroke.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/1stGenT-LJr_zpsa2c045e9.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/1stGenT-LJr_zpsa2c045e9.jpg.html)
I did a bit of WEB research, and IMO the target market for the Tru-Line Jr press was mainly for users of the 310 reloading tool. The Gen II presses would FL resize pistol cartridges and 222 family rifle cartridges, according to Lyman literature, and the list of dies they made for the Tru-Line Jr. They made a CMR die for the T-L Jr. It was specific to the Tru-Line press, was not made for the 310 tool. The CMR (Combination Muzzle Resize) die would size the neck (Lyman referred to this as the “muzzle” of the shell), deprime and resize with one die, whereas the 310 tool would use 2 dies, one for sizing the neck and a separate die for resizing. The 310 tool had a separate die for each operation, and some sets came with 5 dies, the usual was 4. Most dies for the 310 tool have 5/8-30 thread and the Tru-Line Jr uses dies with the same 5/8-30 thread. A deluxe die set for the Tru-Line Jr came with a CMR die, a DA die, a shell holder and priming punch.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJrdiesetcomplete_zps5abf944b.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/Tru-LineJrdiesetcomplete_zps5abf944b.jpg.html)
I already have several more modern presses, and before I put any significant funds into this project I wanted to be sure that I had a use for a working Tru-Line Jr.
Pistol dies with a carbide sizer are not available in 5/8-30 TPI, and I’ve got no desire to go back to lubing my pistol cases. There is a replacement turret, made for 7/8-14 TPI dies, but at $90, it hardly makes sense. A new LEE turret press costs not much more than that, and spare turrets are $ 15 or less. The only rifle that I could possibly get by with neck sizing would be for shooting cast bullets in my 35 Remington. I managed to find a set of Lyman Tru-Line dies in 35 Remington and although they were a bit spendy, I ordered them. I was also able to buy several priming punches for the “J” shell holder. An alternate and probably more flexible option would be to buy the “J” to “X” adapter that Lyman makes. The “J” to “X” adapter seems to have some complaints about alignment, which may be an issue considering the 2 piece design. Alignment is adjustable on the T-L Jr. I took mine apart and the detent collar is held into position on the shaft with 2 set screws.
While I’m on the subject of disassembly, take care when fastening the turret with the ¾ nut. The washer under the nut has a witness slot and the shaft has a 1/8 witness pin. If these are not aligned when you tighten the nut, the pin gets squashed, the washer squeezes into the threads and disassembly is difficult. That is exactly what mine was like, and a quick search of T-L Jr presses for sale on Ebay indicated that this is a common problem. You can determine this fault at a glance, no threads showing above the nut and a gap between the detent collar and the turret, equals bad.
Priming cases with the Tru-Line Jr is fairly simple procedure, place a primer into the priming punch and prime on the down stroke. Depth can be controlled with the stop screw. However, because priming happens on the bottom of the down stroke, the operation requires some force because of poor mechanical advantage and “feel” is poor. From studying the design of the linkage on the Gen 1 press, it seems that it has an advantage on the down stroke, the mechanical advantage is greater at the bottom of the down stroke than that of the Gen 2 press. I have not tried priming on a Gen 1 press, it may work OK. I had a #2 priming chamber from a 310 die set and I set it up on the Tru-Line Jr, and it worked rather well, very little effort and sensitive “feel”. This setup works he same as the various “Ram Prime” tools for 7/8-14 presses.
The Tru-Line Jr. is a petite press, weighing only 12 pounds, completely set up with dies for 1 caliber. It makes a nice range press, it’s easy to mount and can easily be made into a very portable unit. It has less mechanical advantage than modern presses. It’s a bit difficult to measure the exact mechanical advantage of a reloading presses toggle/compound lever system, but approximate ratios are fairly easy to determine. I simply measured the length of the handle from the center of the pivot point to the tip of the handle and divided that by the distance from the pivot point to the connecting bars. The following ratios are approximate. The T-L Jr. has a lever ratio (effort arm/load arm) of 5.5/1. A more modern press like my 1st generation RCBS Rock Chucker and my Redding T-25 have a 7/1 ratio and the ratio on a Redding Ultra Mag is even greater. These ratios only tell part of the story, the mechanical advantage increases as the press nears the end of the stroke. I measured the effort arm movement for the last ¼ inch of ram stroke. The Tru-Line Jr came in at a ratio of 13/1 for the last ¼ inch of stroke, the Redding Ultra Mag was 22/1 and the Redding T-25 was 17/1. I suspect that most modern presses are around 18/1, as the Ultra Mag has more leverage than most other presses. The mechanical advantage or leverage on the Tru-Line Jr. is about 2/3 that of a modern press. The handle on the Tru-Line Jr. is 7/16” round bar of solid steel, the Redding T-25 is 5/8”, my Rock Chucker has a 3/4” handle as does Ultra Mag. The center post on the Tru-Line Jr. is 7/8” round shaft, the shell holder is offset from the post, the turret is 5/8” thick at the die and the usable stoke is about 2 ½”. I’ll rate this press as light duty, suitable for most pistol calibers and capable of neck sizing and reloading rifle cartridges no longer than a 30-06. I think it would shine for calibers like 22 Hornet, 25 ACP, 30 M1 Carbine, any of the 32’s, 380 and 38 Spl. The short throw of the handle and the shorter stroke of the press would be an advantage for these short cases. I would avoid the Gen I model.
A 7/8 turret would be nice, but the only real advantage would be the ability to use a carbide sizer, or be able to reload a caliber for which 5/8-30 dies are not available.
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Update: I happened upon a spare turret at a gunshow, I think I paid 3 $ for it. I had my BIL machine one of the holes for 7/8-14. I used a dremel to get some clearance for the lock ring. I have dies for some pistol calibers, some with FL dies, but lubing cases and the force required to resize has discouraged me from utilizing the T-L Jr for loading pistol. I was a bit skeptical, just how much improvement would a carbide die make. Opening up the turret for a 7/8 die doesn't leave much of the boss. This will depend on the casting, but on mine it had disappeared completely for about 1/3 of the circumference. I tried it out and it works well, easily sizing 44 Mag and 357 Mag cases. On a normal 7/8 press you don't really appreciate the advantage of a carbide die, but in the T-L Jr, it's pretty amazing. I set my T-L Jr up for 357 and it works pretty slick.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/IMG_20160103_220444_zpsetzxlgsf.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/IMG_20160103_220444_zpsetzxlgsf.jpg.html)
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It’s a cute little press, slick to operate and my goal is to have it set up and functioning complete with a #55 measure.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg25/nitro-express/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-Lrangepress_zps3552f345.jpg (http://s244.photobucket.com/user/nitro-express/media/Lyman%20Tru-Line%20Jr/T-Lrangepress_zps3552f345.jpg.html)
This is a picture of a simple range set-up.
History as per Woody1
"I had been dimly aware that there was something "funny' about T-L Jr. dies, and a few months ago saw mention that the tool linkage came in two forms. Last night I did some more checking on the tool, and found that it and its dies are, indeed, more complicated than I had realized. The Tru-Line Jr. tool, with its four-station rotating turret tapped 5/8" x 30 TPI, was introduced in or around 1949 (per the "Lyman Centennial Journal"; my set of Lyman Annual Product Catalogs is as-yet incomplete for this period), and at that time had a simple, direct linkage, with two long blued bars (one on either side) connecting the handle toggle to the moving case-holder assembly. The dies were the same as for the contemporary 310 tool: decapping chamber ("D.C."), muzzle resizer ("M.R."), expander die ("E.C.") with expander plug ("E.P.") for the appropriate bullet, and the classic "double-adjustable" chamber ("D.A.") for seating (and crimping, if required), with a seating stem (“S.S.”) matched to the chosen bullet nose profile. The only difference was that, instead of the external priming chamber ("P.C."); the hallmark of the 310's with their screw-in case-head bushing, as opposed to the earlier, steel-handled tools cut for a specific case head diameter), the T-L Jr. used a more conventional shell-holder ("S.H.") which descended over a priming punch ("P.P.") in the tool base on the down stroke. These designation are from Ideal Handbook No. 38, (January 1951), pp. 30-31. Full-length sizing, if required, was still done with the separate die and knockout rod system. My tool and die set are of this early design, and I got the matching F. L. die set with the recently-acquired late No. 10 tool in the same caliber.
Two years later (HB #39, May, 1953), the tool body and linkage were the same; but for bottle-necked cases only, a "Combination Die", (“C.M.R.”), replaced "D.C.", "M.R.", "E.C." and "E.P.", with the muzzle-resizing function built into the earlier decapping die body, and an expanding button screwed onto the decapping stem, to expand the case mouth as it was withdrawn from the die, in conventional (Pacific, RCBS, etc.) fashion. This allowed the T-L Jr. to be set up with two sets of two dies each, for rifles at least. (HB #39 glosses over loading of straight-walled cases; they evidently used the older four-die set, as before.)
By HB #41 (July 1957; HB #40 doesn't show much of anything on the T-L Jr.), however, there had been a major revision to both tool and
dies. The single link on either side of the tool had been replaced by a shorter one, pinned to the "elbow" of a second L-shaped link, attached to the toggle and frame, giving the same "compound" effect as that of the RCBS A-2 tool (which evidently inspired the change). This linkage changes the leverages of the system so that the rising element carrying the shell holder has rapid movement and low mechanical advantage at the start of the upstroke (and for priming, at the end of the down-stroke), but slows down and greatly increases the leverage as the shell carrier approaches the top of its stroke. This made it possible to provide full-length sizing for straight-walled pistol cases (and for certain other short cases) in lieu of just resizing the case mouths. The die sets were correspondingly revamped and re-designated. For bottle-necked rifle cases, decapping, muzzle resizing and case mouth expanding were performed in the combination die (now labelled "die S") as in the previous setup; for pistol cases, the decapping rod was used in a new body (die "R") which also provided full-length sizing. Oddly, muzzle-resizing was still retained for pistol cases, using the same die as before (now, die "B"), and case mouth expansion was also as before (die "F"). Seating and crimping utilized the D.A. chamber (now die "E") and seating screw for both types of cases. The shell holder and priming post were relabelled ("J" and "T", respectively) but otherwise unchanged. So, "rifle" die sets consisted of two dies: "S" and "E"; while pistol sets took dies "R", "B", "F" and "E", four in all, but now allowed full-length sizing. Around the same time, the earlier number coding for 310 and T-L Jr. dies by specific cartridge ("123" for .30-'06) was changed to a more complex form which I still have not completely sorted out.
This must have posed a real nightmare for the Lyman stock-keepers, especially as they were also going through a lengthy evolution in their other tools, towards the "standard" C- and H-press and 7/8" x 14 TPI die systems used by other makers."
Posted by Doug Elliott on Saturday, April 21, 2007 - 10:00 am:
“I have been casually referring to the threading on the "standard" 310 and earlier Ideal tong tool dies as being 5/8" x 30 threads per inch; and the oversize ones for the largest cases (.348, .50-70) as 11/16" x 30 tpi. Recently, a correspondent (Mark Steele) had an inquiry about some "small" dies in .25-20 SS, used in a No. 3 tool inherited from his father, and these turned out to be threaded 0.400" x 30 tpi. Apparently, Ideal's founder, John Barlow, had adopted the 30 threads per inch standard from his days working for Winchester, where that thread pitch was employed for similar applications - I have also encountered a 1/4" x 30 tpi on an early Ideal sight adjusting tool. This was all before the standardization of thread diameters, pitches and tolerances in the early 1900s by the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the 30-tpi pitch is now an "orphan", with taps and dies very much a specialty item.
I said that I have been referring to the "standard" tong tool die thread as 5/8" (0.625") diameter. I have just gone out and miked several dies, and find that the diameter is actually 0.605", plus or minus a couple of thousandths - twenty thousandths under the nominal 5/8", and well beyond the normal range of tolerance. Similarly, a .348 die set for the 310 tool mikes 0.656" over the threads, well under the nominal 0.6875" for 11/16". So, one might casually refer to the 0.400" x 30 tpi "small" dies as being threaded an oversize 3/8" (0.375"), or even a grossly undersized 7/16" (0.4375"). (Incidentally, this is the same thread used on the large decapping stems for the 310 tools.) I guess the real answer is that Winchester, Barlow, et al., were not working to specific inch dimensions in the first place, but chose diameters and threadings that were appropriate and necessary for the job at hand.
This really all came out as Mark, Ken Neeld, Al Krause and I were comparing and sorting the similar dies made by Earl Naramore and C. C. Johnson for their little "Red Head" three-station turret press from the late 1930s and '40's, which adopted the Lyman /Ideal standard die threads. (The Lyman Tru-Line Junior, a similar concept, did not appear on the market until 1947.) In this context, it is amusing - and a little alarming - that Naramore, in his ca. 1940 introductory brochure for the Red Head, states:
"Ideal tools and chambers [dies] for cartridges larger that 1/2 inch are of a special large size and these chambers will not fit the RED-HEAD press. However, these chambers can, in many instances, be turned down and rethreaded to fit the press ...for $1.00 per set of three."
Since the root diameter of an 0.605" x 30 tpi thread is approximately 0.550", this would not have been a practical proposition for dies for the .348 (case head diameter 0.553") or .50-70 (0.565"), though it might have worked for the oversize dies furnished in earlier years for cartridges in the .45-70 (0.500") class.
Finally - though it is out of the ARTCA's 50-years+ range for "antique" loading tools - I should mention the Australian "Super Simplex" bench three-station (currently expanded to six) turret press, which partakes of features of both the Red Head and Tru-Line Jr. presses, with some features of its own. It, too uses dies of nominal 5/8" diameter (actual measurement 0.616"), but threaded to the British Standard 5/8" x 26 tpi employed for brass fittings.
I will probably continue to refer to the Ideal standard and oversize dies as 5/8" x 30 tpi and 11/16" x 30 tpi for convenience; but in the awareness that these are not exact specifications.”
From a post on a forum:
“These presses take Lyman 310 Tong tool dies and a proprietary shell holder. Nothing that works in a standard modern reloading press from about 1960 to date will work in a Tru Line Jr. It will not full length resize rifle cartridges. It has little mechanical advantage and you can easily bend the handle. Stick to a basic single stage press that takes standard dies and shell holders and you will be more satisfied. I sold my Tru-Line Jr. about 15 years ago and was happy to part with it (which would be more significant if you saw the inventory of stuff I have around....).”
Addendum: 2020-07-21, I have sold the Tru-Line Jr in the top picture, it went to a good home where it will load 9mm Luger.