My first Lyman 450. What the heck???

[Remmy4477]

My first Grey Lyman 450 lubrisizer.

Full of caked up lube and in the process of cleaning it out and getting it back into shape.

Have studied all the breakdown pictorials and info.
Ran the pressure piston out and this is what came out, not an aluminum piston with O-rings but a round steel cap wrapped in a peice of brass, I do believe it is factory made as it fits real snug in the bore. The brass is fitted snug to its piston.

Before I pulled the piston out I looked into the top of the bore and could see some lube leakeage, nothing real major.

Could this be an early unit?? Or am I completely missing something?? Or a very professional fix for a missing part??

kind of confused on this!181024

[Beagle333]

That is the old style grease seal that was used in the Ideal No. 1's and the 45s. I didn't know they carried them over into the 450's. (I only use No. 1s and 45's)
Somebody probably put an old one into service in that one. Order some of the newer ones. Those old ones do work, but they do leak a little bit. Especially when you get the heat added and the pressure pumped up a bit. The double -O rings are much better.

[Mitch]

I have an old 450 that had the brass piston in it.It came from the original owner.i have since ordered all the parts it needed includeing an Oring piston and the new style handel from lyman.it works great.wish I had a nickel for every boolit run thru it lol.I sure miss the old friend that sold it to me when he quit casting and shooting

[Green Frog]

I've had an old grey 450 of dubious history that I bought in a second hand store (not a sporting goods specialty even) and the threaded rod has come adrift from the bottom, so I'll have to order one of them as well as another dust cover. We've got another that Dad bought new in about 1973 and it's still going great guns.

Froggie

[dubber123]

My best working 450 has the brass sleeve arrangement. You can snug up the fit of the sleeve by removing it and giving it a few wraps of Teflon plumbers tape before putting the sleeve back on. Or don't be a cheapskate like me and replace it with the newer O-ring version.