Can anyone identify this?

[Pooka]

Hi all,

Years back I obtained a couple of boxes of reloading items from the family of a prodigious reloader who had passed.

One of the items is the bullet lubricator pictured here. I've never given it much thought but now I'm curious to learn what I can about it. I'm presuming it's a homemade tool as it has no markings besides the sharpi writing on the stand, but that said, the quality of the craftsmanship is quite high and worthy of being marketed as a finished product.

Can any of you tell me about this, or recognize the design?

Cheers!

[gwpercle]

I can't ... doesn't look like any reloading tools I have used or seen .

PM the photo's to Pressman , he's an expert on small tools of all sorts and can probably tell you what it is .
Gary

[Wayne Smith]

Looks like you put the boolit in the hole in the squared off piece, push the palm piece to lube it, and repeat. Also looks as if the squared off piece will screw off, do you have any others - other caliber lubers that fit?

[rbuck351]

Looks hand made and I think the pressure knob is screwed in rather than pushed. Clever design but a bit slow.

[Pooka]

Thanks for the replies.

gwpercle, I will reach out to Pressman, but I do know what it is (a boolit luber), I just do not know any details about it.

Wayne, no I do not have any other heads in different calibers. Yes, the squared-off end does screw off, presumably both to change calibers, but also so you can reload it with lube.

rbuck, you are correct that one turns the large brass wheel as compared to pushing it.

[Half Dog]

Kinda looks like an air cylinder with mount. Possibly mounts to a drill press as a clamping mechanism.

[Pressman]

This is interesting for its design and workmanship. It seems to be a homemade copy of a Herter's Model 39 Lubricator. Herter's had theirs mounting to a press, but this one used something different. It doesn't matter if it's held secure. It is a push through design and the pusher is missing. Turning the brass knob applies grease to the boolit. There is a die in it, so good there. Put a boolit in from the top, grease and push out the bottom.

I don't seem to have a picture of the Herter's. Oops.
Ken

[gwpercle]

This is interesting for its design and workmanship. It seems to be a homemade copy of a Herter's Model 39 Lubricator. Herter's had theirs mounting to a press, but this one used something different. It doesn't matter if it's held secure. It is a push through design and the pusher is missing. Turning the brass knob applies grease to the boolit. There is a die in it, so good there. Put a boolit in from the top, grease and push out the bottom.

I don't seem to have a picture of the Herter's. Oops.
Ken

BINGO ... I knew Pressman would know ... and it just hit me ... I owned a Herter's model 47 lubricator (1968 catalog) for about three days ... before I returned it . The one you have looks home made .
The model 39 & 47 mounted in a press and used a stick of lube , the big wheel(knob) turned to apply pressure to the lube , the press pushed the boolit into the luber and a pusher knob on top pushed the lubed bullet back out ... it sized and lubed but you got only one size with each caliber ...and it LEAKED lubricant everywhere ... I used it twice and realized it was a no win situation and returned it .
Bought a Lyman 450 and haven't thought about that leaky Herter's contraption .

Gary

[Pressman]

Herter's 47 lube sizer.

More time available this morning. This tool slides into the die station from the bottom and is tightened with a lock nut and it will fit any press using 7/8-14 dies. Boolits are fed from the bottom, nose down and the wheel turned to apply lube then pushed out with the top hand push rod. It's not fast but was not expensive either.

As USRA112 stated the Harry Pope version worked well, as would be expected from anything Mr. Pope made. Another version was sold by Jordan that only fit their presses. There are others out there that date back to the 1900's-1920's.

[super6]

To the op pictures, The brass knob looks to be a encoder wheel, Either a repair or home made. To me this appears to be a home build.

[uscra112]

Harry Pope's version worked much better. This was a badly engineered imitation.

[Pooka]

Thanks for the replies!

Ever have a thing you have no use for but oddly keep around as it just seems wrong to toss it out?

[uscra112]

Thanks for the replies!

Ever have a thing you have no use for but oddly keep around as it just seems wrong to toss it out?

They're called mathoms*. I have a house and a barn full of them.

*mathom: - a word invented by Tolkein, whose hobbits were inordinately fond of them.

[9.3X62AL]

Well, I learned TWO new things from this thread. THANK YOU!

Now, to find a use for this new word--"Mathom". My garage's contents are at least 30% mathom, at last assay. I suspect I am viewed in this light by several relatives, as well.

[762 shooter]

Is Mathomer a word?

Asking for a friend.

762

[Pressman]

House cleaning this week and several carloads of my "Mathoms" went to the donation store. The garage and basement are off limits, however.

[Pooka]

Mathoms... Like it, thanks for the education!