Lyman Top Punch Profile?

[garandsrus]

Hi,

I am trying to figure out which Lyman top punches I need, but not having much luck! Is there a site somewhere that shows the punch profile and size? How about a cross reference between Lee, Lyman, and other molds and the required top punch?

I did a search here but didn't find the correct set of magic words to answer the question!

Thanks,
John

[Buckshot]

......................Not going to be much help to ya John, except to say there IS such a list. It crosses Lyman, RCBS, and Saeco nosepunches with those and Lee boolit designs. I'm not a nose punch nazi and will pick through a few to find a likely looking candidate to use on what I'm wanting to size. Unless it just really will distort the nose I'll use it. Generally any SWC or WC will get a correct OD blank or flat punch.

Having a lathe, cranking out nosepunches with cavities to be used with epoxy for a custom fit is not much of an effort. Even so I sure haven't covered the moulds I have on hand :-). I keep the nose punches 'by caliber' in the drawers the caliber specific dies are in. I just keep reaching and pulling them out until I find a likely suspect. Pretty haphazard I agree.

I should get a nice piece of wood, plastic or aluminum and drill it to accept nosepunch shanks. Then number the holes and then make a list of the moulds with the correct matching nosepunch number. THAT'S the ticket! All I have to do now is find the time!

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

[44man]

Buckshot has the answer. If you don't have a lathe, just buy LARGE punches and use epoxy or bedding compound to fit each boolit. Install the punch, wax the boolit nose, put epoxy in the punch and gently lower it onto the boolit nose. Let it get hard and clean off excess epoxy. You now have a perfect fit.

[bubblehead]

I haven't tried it myself, but I'm told that you can stuff a bit of wet paper (newspaper?) in the punch cavity to fit your boolit. Might save on having a bunch of punches. FYIW

[357maximum]

Vote number 3 for what buckshot said, I use on of them weekly pill organizers for storage though. If you use the epoxy method to get around buying a lot of toppunches, just be careful with hollow points, lube the bullet nose well/closed before lowering the handle (trust me) A propane torch will fix the issue just in case you have glued a bullet to the punch. Heat the top punch not the bullet, or else it will get real interesting.

[John Boy]

I haven't tried it myself, but I'm told that you can stuff a bit of wet paper (newspaper?) in the punch cavity to fit your boolit. Might save on having a bunch of punches. FYIW
... aluminum foil works good too. Packs into the punch nice and tight

[garandsrus]

Thanks for the ideas folks.... I read in another thread that you can use hot glue to form the bullet nose also.

I found what I was looking for in a 2004 Midsouth catalog I have. It lists the Lyman molds and the top punch needed. With a picture of the bullet and the caliber, I should be able to get a top punch close to what I need for these or Lee molds.

It's hard to believe that someone hasn't put this information online somewhere. I would think that it should be a "sticky" note in one of the forums on this site. I will scan the pages from the catalog and see if I can post them.

Thanks again,
John

[Blacktail 8541]

The best answer is to form your own as Buckshot suggested, a cutom nose punch with little work or expence.

[floodgate]

garandsrus:

"I found what I was looking for in a 2004 Midsouth catalog I have. It lists the Lyman molds and the top punch needed. With a picture of the bullet and the caliber, I should be able to get a top punch close to what I need for these or Lee molds."

If you go to CASTPICS <www.castpics.net>, Research and Development, Lyman Moulds, you will find an even more extensive list, showing many of the then-current (Lyman "Cast Bullet Handbook", Second Edition, 1973) bullets, and a lot of the older bullets as well, clearly photographed, with top punch recommendations. However, similar-shaped punches, of the same caliber or a bit smaller (sometimes larger, if they don't have to go all the way into the sizing die) will usually work OK. Even though they may leave a ring mark on the bullet nose, it will be centered and symmetrical; and won't affect performance much if at all. If you want "Custom", send Buckshot some samples and he can fix you up with TP's and dies at a VERY reasonable cost.

floodgate

[garandsrus]

floodgate,

THANK YOU!!! That's exactly what I was looking for.

Making a custom mold using the techniques above makes a lot of sense (and saves cents) but I need a starting point... Neither Midway or Lyman give you any indication as to what the bullet profile is for a given punch.

John

[StanDahl]

I've gone to a gun show with a bunch of my Lee (Saeco, etc.) cast bullets in my pocket and a list of known punches I need. When I run into the guys that sell dies and punches, I just stand there and sort through the goods until I find a punch for each bullet. To store the punches, I have a small wood block at home with a few rows of 1/4" holes drilled in it. To go with it I've printed out a list of the punches and what bullet fits each one. Stan