Our strange hobby

[nvbirdman]

I was at a gun show a year ago and saw a Lyman 450 for ten dollars.
At a gun show, everyone there is interested in guns. Only some of the people who are interested in guns reload their ammunition. A few of the people who reload cast their own bullets.
That show had been open at least an hour before I got there, so probably two hundred people walked by that 450, glanced at it and kept walking.
I already had a 450 at home, so would I spend ten dollars for a second one? Of course I would.

[Three44s]

My 450 cost 15 bucks at a gun shop! Couple of Lyman molds in 358 caliber for 30 bucks for both from the same transaction and I was a “caster”! That was about 1992.

A few years later, I bought 900 boolits cast, gas checked and lubed from a RCBS 150 gr mold. I asked if the mold they came from was there and I bought it for a reasonable sum and the boolits for .04$ each. That came from an estate through the gun shop. The 450 and Lyman molds were just dropped off by a widow when her husband died. She took no money for those items but thought why send such stuff to the dump! Yes, why indeed?

Three44s

[Ozark mike]

I pan lube so i dont need a lubersizer i use the lee sizers on my tmag. That said if i see cheap loading/casting equipment that i can put to use I'd pick it up also.
That reminds me i need to get on ebay and find a lyman ideal 55

[Three44s]

BTW, I think people who do not take their personal safety as strange. Like invest in guns and a more economical way to “feed” them.

I think we are pretty darn logical and prudent!

Best regards

Three44s

[Bazoo]

I'd love to find a second sizer on the cheap. Closest I've come to a deal was a free lee load all shotshell loader from another shooting friend. It's missing the charge inserts though.

[Winger Ed.]

Probably less than 2% of the US population would recognize it for what it is.
And only a few of them would know how to use it.
The ones who would actually buy and use it is even less than them.

Casting is such a small niche in the reloading hobby is why none of the sizing dies & equipment is stocked anywhere.

[abunaitoo]

Younger gen is only "spray and pray".
Black gun.

[Scrounge]

No, guys, (and gals, if any), we're all freaking crazy. It's OK.

One of the "little towns" I grew up in for a while was also home one of the state sanitariums. Back in the day it was a large building on a lot of acreage with a tall chainlink fence and barbed wire around the top. In those days there weren't very many curbs, and the shoulder of the road was tall grass. A motorist had a flat tire there one night. As he was changing his tire, he noticed a guy standing at the fence, with his hands through the wire, watching him. For you young folks, a sanitarium is where they used to keep the crazy people. The motorist was a little creeped out, so he keeps an eye on the guy as he jacks up the car, pulls the lugnuts off, and puts them in the hubcap in the grass at the side of the road. Guy is just staring at him. Motorist gets the tire out of the trunk, and as he goes to put it on the car, he kicks the hubcap, and it flips over into the tall grass. Search as he might, he can only find one lugnut. He mutters to himself, "Oh, now what am I going to do?" The guy at the fence says "Take a lug nut off each of the other tires, and put them on the spare, and you'll four lugnuts on all the wheels. It'll hold until you can get it to a tire shop." The motorist says " That's genius. What are you doing in there if you're that smart? Guy says "I'm in here for being crazy, not stupid."

Bill

[richhodg66]

I don't see casting stuff at gun shows all that often, but I have two 450s I payed $20 for one and $25 for another.

My thing is how many high quality presses a guy sees going for less than one of the little tinny entry level Lee presses do brand new. Why would anybody buy a new, low qualiy thing like that when good ones are almost being given away?

Dies too. As long as all the parts are there and they aren't rusted.

[FISH4BUGS]

How strange are we? I'll tell you how strange.
I collect (and use) Hensley & Gibbs moulds.
I saw a 6 cavity #258 in pristine condition on GB.
A fellow caster here had been looking for #258 for a LONG time and I sent him a note that one was for sale because I don't do 41 mag.
He really wanted a 4 cavity and passed on it.
So of course what did I do?
I BOUGHT IT!
The problem is that I don't have a 41 mag anything....brass, dies, gun...nothing.....
But I now have a beautiful pristine 6 cavity #258 with handles.
That's how strange we are.
Now....I guess I am going to have to keep my eyes out for brass, dies, and eventually a gun.
I always thought we were supposed to buy the gun FIRST.

[JoeJames]

Arkansas is hunting and shooting country, but I am surprised how few actually even reload. My friends talk about scarcity of factory ammo, and I don't say much.

[Shawlerbrook]

Went to one of the largest antique shows in the NE a couple years ago. Was the last day of a week long show and stopped to look at an interesting booth that had some outdoor related stuff. The guy had a Lyman Spartan press with red plastic spent primer catcher in great shape. Before I could even look at the tag the vendor yelled out, “ how about 15 bucks ?” As you can imagine it now has a new home under my loading bench.

[Thin Man]

About a year ago a guy I met said he was selling off his brother's reloading materials since the brother had quit reloading ammo. I went to his house where he showed me several new and used molds, grips, etc. and a RCBS sizer for sale, plus several other things I didn't need. The sizer was complete and appeared functional but would require a full disassembly and cleaning to make it ready to use. His asking price for the sizer was $20 which I bought along with other materials I bought. I got the sizer completely cleaned and packed it with LAR's lube, then used it for a while to confirm it works well. Now our older son-in-law is started reloading and may start casting soon. Guess where that sizer will go! After all I still have 2 Lyman 450's on the bench so there is no loss, only the gain of another reloader/caster in the family.

[CastingFool]

Was at a gunshow once, where this guy had a table with used reloading stuff. I spotted 3 Forster trimmers. Two had labels 45 colt and 44 mag and oal listed. Both had collets and one pilot. The 3rd one had no collets or pilot. $25 each. I talked the guy down to $20 for the one labeled 45 colt. Should have bought all three.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I reload a large number of cartridges but I don't cast my own bullets.
I do buy and resell used lubesizers and molds. I buy them at auctions and gun shows along with used reloading dies, presses and other reloading equipment.
I don't make a whole lot of money doing that but it gives me something to do in retirement.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Looking forward to having gun shows again. I guess I should go online and check.

[Scrounge]

Looking forward to having gun shows again. I guess I should go online and check.

I'm afraid to go to a gun show. I just retired and have a bit more time on my hands. I'm afraid of what I may find to help fill up that time! ;)

[Thumbcocker]

Always keep in mind the gun show to divorce cost ratio.

[Mk42gunner]

Its been a few years, but I bought a 450 at a gunshow for $20.00, it needed a few prts but I am still into it for well under thirty dollars.

Then a little later I was at an estate auction and bought one of the newer 450's with heater no less, for $17.50. Evidently no one recognized what it was.

I still mostly use my RCBS Lubamatic filled with FWFL for most things, but having extra lubriszers gives you options. Like one for BP lube, and another for a different smokeless lube.

The one thing that may top my dislike for trimming cases is changing lube in a sizer. It is only done when absolutely necessary, at least at my house.

Robert

[Martin Luber]

I had a 450 and sold it since l already had an orange 45 on the bench and most of my work was done with Stars. I would love to have a 450 again.

Got any for sale?

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Its been a few years, but I bought a 450 at a gunshow for $20.00, it needed a few prts but I am still into it for well under thirty dollars.

Then a little later I was at an estate auction and bought one of the newer 450's with heater no less, for $17.50. Evidently no one recognized what it was.

I still mostly use my RCBS Lubamatic filled with FWFL for most things, but having extra lubriszers gives you options. Like one for BP lube, and another for a different smokeless lube.

The one thing that may top my dislike for trimming cases is changing lube in a sizer. It is only done when absolutely necessary, at least at my house.

Robert

That is why I have ten lubesizers. I dislike changing sizing dies too. I bought them all used and the most I paid for one was $49 for the RCBS and it is my favorite.

[Scrounge]

Always keep in mind the gun show to divorce cost ratio.

We each get an "allowance." I try to be fair. When I get an expensive goodie, so does she. Or at least as many $$ as I got. One of her "goodies" was this kitchen work I've been messing with for several weeks now. Back starts giving me fits, and I go hang out on this board with a bunch of other crazies for a few hours. Then go back and do something until the back starts hurting again. Rinse, repeat. She got a $300 sink, garbage disposal "custom" (by me and a jigsaw) cabinet, and there is a motion detector faucet to go on when I finish hooking up the disposal. As time passes will be upgrading all the cabinets eventually. Kitchen is HER workshop. It needs improvements and new tooling, just like mine does. ;)

[Winger Ed.]

We each get an "allowance." I try to be fair. When I get an expensive goodie, so does she.

That's too cool.

It works like that around here.
A few years ago, 'we' don't really keep track of it any more.
When I realized how far ahead of the game I was--- I quit counting.:bigsmyl2:

[Texas by God]

I'm still looking for a $20 Lyman 55....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Scrounge]

That's too cool.

It works like that around here.
A few years ago, 'we' don't really keep track of it any more.
When I realized how far ahead of the game I was--- I quit counting.:bigsmyl2:

She puts up with me, I'm not doing anything to make her any unhappier than I absolutely need to. Mid-August will be our 38th anniversary. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't know how to deal with anyone else, now. And I have noticed that I have some expensive tastes. I'm trying to find some way to wangle a 1903 Springfield and a 7.62x25 C96 Mauser out of the budget before I die. She wants an Endless pool or something similar. Since I haven't been able to find her a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Last time I found one, it was only $110K. In 1983. Just checked, 10x that now valuewise, not sure I could actually get one for that. Gotta win the lottery.

[higgins]

I got a Lyman 55 for $15 at a show last year. Had some light surface rust on some external parts and the drum was seized by light corrosion between the drum and frame. Slides were also stuck with crud and the lid was missing. Not near as bad as it sounds. About an hour of work with fine steel wool and Kroil got everything disassembled, cleaned, and moving again. It now works just fine.