hey lyman, help us out!

[jaystuw]

Is the lyman line of molds as good as it gets or can they be talked into bringing back some of the discontinued designs? Judging from the prices some go for on e-bay you would think it would be worth while to bring back a few of the oldies but goodies!

[Buckshot]

.............I'm sure Lyman has been talked to about that. They must move like a glacier, so far as improvements come in their mould line.

45Nut would be a good one to respond here. He has talked to Lyman several times about such stuff and had gotten feedback.

.............Buckshot

[Hardcast]

Is the lyman line of molds as good as it gets or can they be talked into bringing back some of the discontinued designs? Judging from the prices some go for on e-bay you would think it would be worth while to bring back a few of the oldies but goodies!

Before proceeding on the Lee group buy of a Lyman 452423 copy, I contacted Lyman and pointed out how the discontinued Lyman molds were going for very high prices on e-bay, showing there was a demand for them. They politely told me they would pass the information on to the marketing department, but they had no plans to re-introduce the 452423 to their product line. I do not recall how it was worded, but the tone of the e-mail told me they were not interested.

[Bret4207]

If you look at Lyman product line you'll see ther bullet casting section is a tiny, tiny part of the bigger picture. I imnagine they make more off the Pachmayer line of recoil pads and grips then they do ALL the reloading/casting gear. Probably make more off sunglasses than moulds. They aren't going to bring the moulds back. It just won't happen.

[45nut]

Yes,,I met the Lyman rep at the 2004 SHOT Show and had a long talk about discontinued designs such as the 358009,ect,ect. This was while we were still based on Aimoo and I thought I represented the board well enough to get them to listen to our group. Well,we did get added as the info link for CB on their casting pages but the discontinued designs seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Hard to understand why they would neglect a ready market for sales,but that is exactly where it appears to be headed.

[jaystuw]

It does not seem like it would be that tough for lyman to reintroduce a small percentage of its discontinued designs on a special order basis for us. Cast bullet reloaders are after all they're oldest, best and most loyal customers are we not? There must be someone at lyman that remembers that.
jaystuw

[castalott]

I don't know if it would pay in just the mold department, but the goodwill would be tremendous. It would help Lyman regain the enormous stature they had years ago. Return to 'King of the Hill'..so to speak.

The molds would have to be top quality, dimensioned correctly, and available in 4 cavity. When I hear the word "Lyman', I think bullet mold.... And when I hear bullet mold..I used to think Lyman....they need to regain that stature...

I might drive them broke....but I'd put out a new 'Cast Bullet Book' with all available information geared to novices and 'experts' alike. I'd like to see one or 2 of the older, classy lubers brought back with improvements. They have rested on well deserved laurels....but it is time to roll up the sleeves and show casters what they can do....

[The Nyack Kid]

i really dont think Lyman is going to be "King of the Hill" anytime soon . Way to many Number Crunchers in contral of things .I would like it if lyman would came out with limited runs of discotiued molds , but would they sell ? if they were "afordable" probably. What would happen to all the smaller outfits where would they be ? would they go under ? Seems to me things were tight when lyman WAS molds . ....... Me thinks you guys are having an attack of morality from swindleing little old ladys out of their 462560s , 454424s 457406s 311440s, 457102s ,366408s , 287308s and 280473s not me ... anybody know a little old lady with a 457102 that she will part with for $5.00 ??

[castalott]

Some of them 'little old ladies' have took me for some REALLY good money...lol!

Ya, we are probably dreaming....

But i can tell you that the idea must be dreamed up before it can be accomplished!

Dale

[James Wisner]

I just gave a wholesaler a 300$ order to add to their Lyman order last week.
I talked to her and she felt that Lyman just does not give a @#$% anymore.

My thought was to write, YES, ON PAPER letters to the follwing people in Lyman to find out about if they can or would they do it.

J. Mace Thompson Pres.
Rick Ranzinger VP Sales
Tom Anderson VP
Karen Griffin Mgr Customer Service
Bob LePere Dist Sales Mgr
Jim Mesick Manufacturing Eng.

If you knock on enough doors maybe we could find someone in a position who could do something. Also by making enough of a demand maybe something would get done in this decade??

My thought was two fold.

One.
Could a dealer place an order for say 100, pieces, DC or 4cav moulds in a cherry that was not currently in the cataloge.

Or, two.
Lyman copy what Remington has done with the Limted 700 Classic model.
Do a limted run of a certain cherry each year.

Any way just my 3 cents.

Jim Wsiner
Custom Metasmith

[9.3X62AL]

Jim--

That "Limited Production Series" is one fine idea, sir. I wonder if the company has ever been approached from that direction? A 4-banger would be nice, but 2-holers wouldn't hurt my feelings any. #452423, #462560, #257312....even some of the retired Loverins.

[Frank46]

The Nyack Kid, well if lyman ever came out with a new 462560 which if I remember correctly is a 45 rifle GC bullet I'd probably break my fingers writing out a check for that mold. And for you 577/450 martini Henry nuts out there this is supposed to be THE bullet for that calliber. One can only dream. Frank

[The Nyack Kid]

The Nyack Kid, well if lyman ever came out with a new 462560 which if I remember correctly is a 45 rifle GC bullet I'd probably break my fingers writing out a check for that mold. And for you 577/450 martini Henry nuts out there this is supposed to be THE bullet for that calliber. One can only dream. Frank
Frank46 no need to break our fingers writing checks, for out of prodution lyman molds . i would buy the lymans if i didn't have to cut some throats (my own and/or someone elses) to get the dang thing , but that aint always the case .
both NEI and Ballisti cast have designs that are simlar to lymans 462560 . plus Mountain Molds could make a near copy of this boolit too .
then you can spend all the time you want breaking fingers (and shoulders) lobbing 550+grs of lead at whatever .

[w30wcf]

From what I understand, Lyman sold off a number of obsolete mold cherrys several years ago.

'Tis a shame....

w30wcf

[JeffinNZ]

FRANK46: I had a Lyman 462560 and sold it about a year ago. The guy I sold it to shot it in a .45-70 on a Ruger No. 1 and this is the result at 100m/110yards for 6 shots. Top left hand target.
http://www.beavergrease.co.nz/page9.htm

[Frank46]

The Nyack Kid and Jeff in new Zealand, you guys kinda make it hard on a feller. Jeff thats darn good shooting with the 462560 and a ruger #1. Kid, there you go making it just too easy to spend my money. Have a few irons in the fire and can just about cover them. But it sure would be nice to get a 462560 that casts at least .462 then I'd have no excuse for getting one. My ruger #1 throat measures at .4595 sort of a carpmouth. The throat had no leade. The rifling just starts where the chamber ends. One of these days I'll get a throating reamer and do what ruger should have done. Sure wish they'd bring back the rifle that they made for the lyman cenntennial. Now thats a 45-70!!!!!!!!!. Frank

[Frank46]

JeffinNZ, I caught the mention of the 38/303british cartridge on the beavergrease site (interesting name) can you tell me more about it?. Sure looks different. Is it a .375 caliber?, necked up from the origional 303 british cartridge?. Looks like it would make a great woods cartridge in chambered in a #5 jungle carbine. Frank

[The Nyack Kid]

Frank46 your welcome
if there everwere a place full of guys egar to help you spend your money this is the place to be ..... just wait till i get started on custom guns ..... oooh mommy, a custom takedown 1886 winny with a five or six barrel set ..... in a really nice wooden case ..... i better stop im drooling on my keyboard

[9.3X62AL]

I still have Onceabull's #462560 here at the house, and should run off some more castings before returning it. It showed some real promise in my #1--but was not much fun from the bench once the velocities went past 1300 FPS. It rang the daylights out of the 200M gong at my home range, for sure. Yes, offhand was a lot more civilized than bench-rest.

Like Frank said--my #1 has the almost-absent chamber throat, and the leade has the contour of a concrete city street curb. FORGET paper patch--the leade shreds them. I have balked at re-throating, since it does such good work with boolits of all descriptions once the castings are fat enough--.459" or a leetle bit more. Skinny boolits have been the bugbear so far. Beagled Lee 405's do especially well.

[JeffinNZ]

FRANK46:
Yeap, it is a .303 British blown out to .375. Shoots like a house on fire using black powder if I do my bit. I shoot a 272gr WW projectile in it from a CBE mould out of Australia.
Would be a great woods round in the No5 but they don't feed so well out of the mag useless you spend some time altering it.
Real easy to fire form. Anneal the case neck, 15gr of Green Dot, fill the case with corn meal and let her go!
Cheers
J

[Frank46]

Kid, better stop drooling otherwise someone is going to have to follow you around with a mop and bucket. Besides I think that you are too old to be in the drooling stage. Did do it once at a gun show near new orleans. Dealer had a farquarsen (spelling?) in some unknown caliber ( at least to me) He was kind enough to let me handle it. Beautiful rifle.
AL, yep my ruger slugs out at .4595 or thereabouts. My only lyman cast boolit mold just barely gets to .459.
Jeff in NZ, Black powder huh?. Ever try that cartridge with that new fangled smokeless powder?. Sort of a 375 win on steroids. I ahd problems with my #4MKII feeding when I first got it. Spent some time tweaking those pesky tabs on the front of the mag and polished the living daylights out of the feed ramp. Funny thing, it seems one lee enfield has a flat feed ramp and others have the curved one with a slight cut in it. Always wondered about that. Like #4 mags. Some have the wedge shaped piece attached to the back of the mag and others do not. When looking for spare mags I always got the ones with the wedge. THey fit better and were tight in the mag well. The wedgeless ones were sloppy and did not fit as well. Regards all. Frank

[JeffinNZ]

FRANK46: No, I have yet to run any smokeless down the .38's tube. No real need for it presently though curiosity will get the better of me one day and I will play with some W748.

[Frank46]

Jeff, I have to admit that the 375/303 combination is very interesting. I have a bubbized p14 in 303. Someone cut the ears off, rounded off the rear receiver ring and put on the wierdest rear sight I ever saw. But on the other hand they straightened out the trigger guard and cut the magazine housing down to fit. Then they redid the stock complete with pistol grip. Kinda chunky looking but definitely was done some time ago. Are there reamers available for this cartridge or did the gunsmith use a 303 reamer then open up the neck to 375 size?. Frank

[vrmn1]

I spoke to Lyman about this at the NRA show in Pittsburgh, seemed unconcerned.

[Frank46]

Guys, one of you mentioned that lyman sold off their discontinued cherrie's. Well how about we approach them and maybe we could do the same. or have lyman cut us some new cherries and have a mold maker make us some mold's?. Sounds silly but stranger things have happened. Who know's maybe they'd be amenable (spelling?) to the deal. Frank

[JeffinNZ]

Frank46: No sure about the .375 reamer, I bought the MLE 2nd hand.

[holycross]

Frank,

One thing you might try is to find a retired Lyman/RCBS etc machinist to make the cherries.

Mark




Guys, one of you mentioned that lyman sold off their discontinued cherrie's. Well how about we approach them and maybe we could do the same. or have lyman cut us some new cherries and have a mold maker make us some mold's?. Sounds silly but stranger things have happened. Who know's maybe they'd be amenable (spelling?) to the deal. Frank

[waksupi]

Ahem....I may know the location of some of the old Lyman cherries...

Do you guys remember Mike's Reloading? He surfaced, I believe, on the original Shooters Forum. He had bought up a butt load of old Lyman molds, some odd ball stuff, and who knows what else. All bought from the factory. And he may have ended up with the cherries.

It has been some years since we had any contact, but his number was 802-254-5296. Someone might give him a call tomorrow during business hours, and see what he has.

[Frank46]

Thanks Jeff, it was only wishful thinking. Frank

[floodgate]

Re: Lyman / Ideal cherries, there was an outfit called Yankee Specialty Co., later taken over by one W. Rohrbacher of Erie, PA, who made a variety of loading tools, moulds and a lube-sizer, also a set of gas-check forming dies. Dating is uncertain, but probably in the late '40's and 50's. The "Yankee" moulds are in bronze and relatively crude-looking (see below), but the interesting thing is, they claimed to have from 500 (Yankee) to 800 (Rohrbacher) mould cherries in stock, which is about the range of numbers for Ideal moulds held by Lyman at that time. Did they somehow acquire a lot of old Ideal cherries? Or did they have a "back door" into Lyman that let them tap Lyman's stock? Some of the ARTCA mould collectors are looking into this, but does anyone here have any ideas?

floodgate