Great thread!! I have managed in the space of three months to get three 45s. One was new in the box that was given to me for placing a new rear sight on a rifle. It was never used. The bullet caster that owned it said the 45 was his second one and did not need it. I found another at a yard sale for $10.00 included 6 dies and top punches. That one was used and abused. The bullet lube had hardened and I used the method illustrated in this thread to remove the bullet lube (same black gunk!!) I disassembled the 45 and cleaned off the 20 years of dust and crude. That 45 I use for sizing my rifle bullet. The third 45 was from a bullet caster who broke the bottom off the internal pressure screw and had upgraded to a newer Lub and sizer. I give him $25.00 for that one. I ordered a new Pressure nut and screw and cleaned up the lub and sizer. I set this 45 up for sizing my .45ACP bullets.
I have a very small machine shop and did several mods to the older "H" dies. These are the dies without the groove for the O-ring. These are the dies where the lube squeezes up between the die and the sizer. I threw the older dies in my lathe and cut an O-ring groove in them. Place an O-ring into the groove and no more lube coming up out the sizer. Another mod that I did was modify the Lyman 450/4500 Gas Check seater for the Lyman 45 lube sizer. The Lyman 450/4500 Gas Check seater fits only the smaller threaded sleeves on those lube sizers. I simply milled the slot in the Lyman 450/4500 Gas Check seater for the larger threaded sleeve that are found on the Lyman 45 lube sizer and it fits perfectly!! I have yet to try it out.
When you find these older lube sizers they are a great bargain.
Cheers
--fjruple