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For my .44 caliber guns. All three take .431" boolits and have done great with pan lubed ones. Ordered the top punch and .431 die from Brownells and the press from Amazon. Feeding my Model 24, Super Blackhawk and Henry single shot will be easier now with less fooling around. I tumble lube my gas checked 30 cal boolits and powder coat my 9mm and 38's.
I started out with tumble lubing. It worked ok but was very messy. I've since transitioned to a Lyman 4500 w/Carnauba red. I wouldn't go back. I think that you will be pleased with your decision to move to a lube-sizer for pistol ammo.
I bought mine over 10 yrs ago, RCBS Lube sizer . I will pass along a tip . I run my own cast bullets through the LEE push through sizing die first . I had a cast bullet get stuck in the lube sizer die , had to remove the sizing / lube die to get it out . I can see how people break the handles on the Lyman and the RCBS units . Get a stuck bullet and start yanking on the handles or even use a " cheater " pipe on the lube sizer handle . The LEE push through sizer has saved me from a real problem more than once . I highly recommend using them , then go to the lube / sizer . Yes , it is an extra step , but one well worth the little bit of extra time . Regards Paul
Have you tried powder coating your .44's? I have been doing this for some time now and works well. If you are worried about speed of bullet, I know a guy who powder coats for a rifle cast bullet shoot and has told me they work so well that the association they register their shoots with has been talking about banning them.
Sticking the first boolet (or two) of the batch may be due to lack of lube between the die body and the plunger. Just keep a couple of boolets that you have already sized and lubed around and run them through first making sure that you pressurize the die fully. This will get boolet lube between the body and the plunger. Once the sizer is working, start sizing the new boolets.
I powder coat my 9mm and 38 boolits. And I have done that on my .44 boolits. Just like the idea of traditional lube on my .44 slugs is all. My pan lubed ones are shooting really well out of my three .44 guns with no leading.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sasquatch-1
I will watch for that. I won't be sizing down even 0.001" and my alloy is soft so I doubt it will be an issue.Quote:
Originally Posted by cowboy4evr
I've done tumble lubing, and I've done pan lubing. Gave up on both and bought the RCBS lubri-sizer and never looked back.
Be sure and clean it out before the first use. I had some kind of black grit in mine, maybe blasting media or something.
Never had a bullet stick in any Lube-Sizer. Guess because My Dad always said to hand lube the 1st 3 bullets into the sizing die.
And I've sized the #454190 down from .456 to .452 without a problem.
ATTABOY !!!
The best money I ever spent was for a Lyman 450 lube/sizer ... one cycle of the handle and out pops a lubed , sized boolit w/ gas check if needed and its ready to load .
Tip ...Handgun Lube , soft lubes work better/best . Lithium - Beeswax is an excellant handgun bullet lube . ( For DIY the ratio is 1 part Lithium grease to 3 parts Beeswax)
Very shortly I predict you will be picking up some dies and top punches for the 30 cal rifle , 9mm and 38 cal handguns ... it's just so neat , clean and easy to do .
Gary
I downloaded the instruction manual from RCBS and the say to hand lube the first boolits too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Walks
Well, Brownells did not ship the sizing die though they showed it as in stock. So I will be searching for one......
I have run about 8,000 bullets through my LAM without any difficulties. Read the manual first is highly recommended, like with any new tool. I use LBT Soft Blue which works great.
Got an Inline Fabrication top plate coming for it. Love that system.
Are you lubing the bullets (tumble lube?) first before using the Lee sizing die?Quote:
Originally Posted by cowboy4evr
Are you sizing to the final spec. or something more?
My Amazon order got canceled. Guess the vendor could not supply the item. Going to be pan lubing a while longer I guess.
I have two mounted on my bench. Take the ratchet handle out of the fork and apply the lube pressure by hand, per bullet. Use LBT hard stick, Blue or Red, heated with a hair dryer without a brush on it. The RCBS sizer luber will work with Lyman and RCBS sizing dies. Just need to adjust them differently, so you do not lube the crimp groove.
Speaking of which, get yourself a taper crimp or profile crimp die as a separate crimp, forget trimming pistol cases after the first time. Improve your accuracy quite a bit by getting rid of the roll crimp.
The weak point on the RCBS is the handle mount to the piston hinge, it will work harden then break eventually, after about 750,000 bullets, but that is where they fracture. RCBS will replace them, or the parts for life, without charge or any question.
You will be pleased with the RCBS. I have mine over 10 years and still going strong.
i started using a lube sizer but i just tumble lube now.i must be backward.
Never really got good results with TL in my revolvers. Works fantastic with gas checked boolits in my rifles. Powder coating my 9mm, .38 & .357 boolits and conventional lube for my .44 revolvers.Quote:
Originally Posted by robg
I PC just about everything now, but still keep 2 LAM's filled (1 with Carnuba Blue and one with BAC) just in case. Both of mine are mounted to Inline Fabrication plates and are neatly hung on the wall.
Keep looking for the dies as they'll pop up. I mostly use RCBS but have a few Lyman's as they were available in the size I was looking for and RCBS wasn't (the vendor that is).
Me too, have their plates for all my presses, LAM2, and even my recently purchased Dillon XL750. Picked up a vintage Echo press last year and am going to have a custom top plate made for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmic_Charlie
Have a Lyman .431 that I got but never used. PM me if interested.
Now is a good time to get back into archer because all reloading equipment and supplies are out of stock everywhere.
Good luck with your search.
Just placed and order with a Canadian outfit. Total came to $273 with shipping. Hope there is not duty.Quote:
Originally Posted by greenjoytj
Took my first deer with a bow. I have a take down recurve that I shoot instinctive but have not had it out for a while.Quote:
Originally Posted by greenjoytj
Well, it showed up today. Got it mounted to the quick change plate and it works like a charm. Took quite a few turns to get the lube to show up but it was empty. Strikes me as a high quality RCBS product.
Attachment 284730
Looks great. I bought the same one, used, haven't set it up yet. What's that stand you have it on?
I have the older model that uses the little ratcheting wrench. When adding lube I can use a drill to run the plunger up and down. The little screwdriver bit holder fits the top perfectly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmic_Charlie
It's an Inline Fabrication stand with the quick change top plate. I can easily switch between my Rock Chucker, Classic Turret or the Lube a Matic with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Madisonian
Back off the pressure when you're done to prevent a mess
This statement needs to be added to the casting mould so that its physically marked on the sizer. My rule with the Lyman 4500 is to back off 180* of the ratchet 5 times to ensure its not storing lube under pressure.Quote:
Originally Posted by alfadan
Have had a RCBS and Lyman450 for over 40 yrs both still work perfectly after may thousands of pills through them.always back off when not in use.!
I got an unused LAM2 in the box with .452" die and punch from Craigslist locally for $80.
Now that is a score! Particularly because there are virtually none to be found online. So much easier than pan lubing.Quote:
Originally Posted by DougGuy
My first lubrasizer was a Lyman 45, way before RCBS started playing with cast stuff; it worked great. About 10 years later a friend wanted it so badly he paid me almost the price of a new Lyman newer 450; it's still working great and I've never felt a need to try a 4500.
RCBS eventually copied Lyman's excellent design for their LAM. Seems the LAMS work just as good as Lyman's, they just cost more. ???
I've also had great results with Lee's older 'push-through' sizers and their Liquid Alox bullet lube.
(After all, cast bullet sizing and lubing isn't rocket science and they really don't need to be as precisely made as a Rolex watch!)
Just a heads up, RCBS has sizing dies back in stock.
RCBS bought Lachmiller lube a matic.
Are you sure of that?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dusty Bannister