Luber Sizer

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  • Last Post 23 November 2008
CB posted this 09 November 2008

Guys

I have a Lyman 45 and now a Lyman 450. My question is are there any advantage in using a Star or even a Saeco or RCBS. What features do the others have that make them different or better. Remember I've done this game for 45 years so a name doesn't make me envious. If I wanted something other than what I have I would buy it. So ball is in your court convince me that one of the others is better than what I got.

Stephen Perry Angeles BR :fire

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RicinYakima posted this 09 November 2008

Stephen,

Better for what? I want the most accurate ammo possible, for benchrest matches. I made a fixture to put a dial indicator on the ram and measure movement as the ram is worked, empty or sizing a bullet. Of the 12 or so I have had, I kept a Cramer, a RCBS and two Ideals, as they were the best centered.

HTH, Ric

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Duane Mellenbruch posted this 09 November 2008

The Lyman 450 might be stronger than the Lyman 45.  The Lyman 4500 will accept their screw in lube heater, rather than the heater plate that must be used for the 450 and RCBS LAM and LAM II.  The Saeco requires Saeco dies and top punches, where Lyman and RCBS allow exchange of their lube dies and top punchs.  The Star is much faster, but takes their own dies which may be somewhat slow to change and adjust to properly lube the grooves in the bullets being sized.  Alignment seems to be a matter of luck. 

I bought an RCBS LAM, and having a selection of lube dies and top punchs feel it is adequate for my needs.  Mostly because I cast for a lot of different calibers and changing the dies is pretty simple if care is used to not cross thread the die retaining nut.  I like blondes, brunettes and red heads with a slight personal preference for red heads.   I do not think there is a major problem with any of them as long as you take proper care of them.  Duane

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mtgrs737 posted this 17 November 2008

Star all the way!  The Star will self center the bullet in the die and will nose first size the bullet which I feel is more accurate (OK Flame away) as there is no chance of deforming the bullet from a nose punch.  The star is also faster, and even though the dies are more expensive from Magma Engineering, you can buy custom made dies for about the same price as the Lyman/RCBS dies and a couple of bullet punches will do most all bullets, so the cost factor is not really a limiting factor (I bought both of mine used for a little more than the RCBS units sell for on ebay).  Star lubers are not that hard to set the bullet depth on for lubing, and they don't fill bevel bases with lube to be wiped off manually later like the push pull lubers do. 

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CB posted this 18 November 2008

I have 2 450's, a RCBS LAM and an old Lachmiller... Each have strong and weak points.

I prefer the 450's for installing gas checks using lyman dies. The Lachmiller is good if you have to make bullets smaller, especially since I rebuilt the weak handle. The RCBS, which I have only had for a short while, is a real PITA to load with lube and doesnt work as well as a lyman using lyman dies. May work better using RCBS dies.

I have a friend that uses a Star, he says you can really do a large number of bullets quickly. It can do gaschecked bullets, but is suited more to plain based bullets.

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Duane Mellenbruch posted this 18 November 2008

What seems to make the LAM harder than the Lyman 450 to load with lube?  They are virtually the same system.  You remove the cap, back off the pressure nut and remove, then shove in the lube stick, and screw down the pressure nut and replace the cap.   Duane

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gunarea posted this 18 November 2008

My 2 cents

   Starting with an Ideal and ending up using a Lyman 450, I have a Lyman 4500 that is presently out on loan. Most shooting concerns all include a human exponent, the one variable that can be depended upon to be undependable. My shooting coach and mentor, God bless him, accumulated a truck load of awards using the old Ideal press.  Modern equipment produces bullets superior to capabilities of most shooters. Only when the human element is removed, does absolute precision control performance. Benchrest shooting is one of the disciplines that will showcase this. Seldom is the offhand, unrested firearm or ammunition to blame for a hit off the X. Bullets which require no sizing, make this a moot point. The finest machine ever built has the same flaw as the worst one. I witnessed a custom built, K-Clifton, operated by a stupid, turn out umpteen hundred 38s unsuitable for anything other than remelting. I believe the machines, generally, are much less culpable than the operators. Careful attention to all aspects of consistent reloading, along with fine tuning, can decrease the travel cone size.  

   Please accept my apology if I seem to be confrontational, but how seriously can play be taken??

                                                                                      Roy 

      

Shoot often, Shoot well

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Jimlakeside posted this 18 November 2008

I think it partly depends on how many bullets you lube at a time. I have a Star setting next to a 450. I never use the 450 anymore because the Star is so much faster. My wife and I both shoot, so I an casting bullets for two people. During nice weather we will shoot 1,000 rounds a week between us, so lots of lubing has to be done. The 450 was just too slow. :lovecast:

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RicinYakima posted this 18 November 2008

Jim,

Your point is well taken. I make maybe 400 match bullets a year and have 400 seconds for practice. Quality is my goal, time to make them is secondary.

Ric

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KenK posted this 23 November 2008

Here is a video of a Star in use.

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?v=ZCtLi8i7tMg

I think that would be nice to have if you shot a bunch of the same bullet. 

My RCBS works fine for me.  Regarding the earlier post about the RCBS being harder to load with lube; I'm not sure what the standard length of a stick of lube is but I have to cut about 1” off the LBT blue.  I figure I'm getting 5 for 4.

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CB posted this 23 November 2008

Duane The fact of the difficulty of reloading the LAM is that you have to pull the pressure screw and pressure nut as a unit and if you are using a lube that requires heat, then it is a PITA to pull it out.

Another thing I dont care for is the single oring on the LAM.. Lube seems to leak past the single oring to a greater extent than the 450. I may attempt to improve on that by making a double groove pressure nut.. But it is too darn cold to venture out into the shop today, a balmy 18 degrees.. Too cold to think about turning on the heater out there, will consume too much money in propane to keep the shop a comfortable temp.. Besides I am trying to save up to buy a star!B)

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Duane Mellenbruch posted this 23 November 2008

Jeff, you are speaking about the LAM II, with the single O ring.  The only time I have ever pulled the threaded rod, which comes out the bottom, was to replace the fiber washer that is located in the base of the casting.   I do not have a LAM II so can not address the need to pull the threaded rod for that specific unit.  Perhaps a user of the LAM II will address that. 

As to the need to use Lyman dies for a Lyman unit, is it because of the tight fit of the O ring at the top of the die?  If so, that is a simple fix the next time you replace the worn out O ring.   Duane

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KenK posted this 23 November 2008

I have the LAM II and it is hard to pull the works out of the top.  I have been using LBT blue soft, I can imagine with a harder lube it would be impossible if it were not warmed up.

I somehow destroyed the original o-ring on the first stick of lube.  I replaced it with one from the hardware store and it has lasted a good while.

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KenK posted this 23 November 2008

The instructions for the LAM and the LAMII can be down loaded here.  I'm not sure why they changed it; the only thing that seems different is the way the lube goes in. 

http://www.rcbs.com/general/downloads.aspx#prod>http://www.rcbs.com/general/downloads.aspx#prod

I wish my LAMII had the ratchet wrench arrangement instead of the T-handle.

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hunterspistol posted this 23 November 2008

:shock: I can't actually do that, I use a Lyman 4500 with the pin heater!

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