i have a 4500 lyman lub. sizer. i needed to size 38 wad cutter bullets so i look in my collecton and find a lyman sizer 358 but i found out that when it was in the luber i cuuld not get the retainer nut to go on. to my suprised it would not go over the die.. it ia an old sizer i used years ago on thr=e old type lyman luber. i also had a 357 sizer and it worked fine. i was sizing double end wc and found the only top punch was for the standard wc. does any one know where you can get flat nose top punch for 38 wc? thanks cjs
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lyman lub. sizer
- Thread starter c.j.sikes
- Start date
That's odd. I thought all the Lyman and RCBS dies were interchangeable. Can you put your calipers to the length and OD of the die?
As to the top punch, since a wadcutter has to go all the way into the die, and there is no narrowed ogive for a top punch cavity to surround, using a sub-caliber straight rod with a flat end or doing half the bullet at a time, then turning it over and doing the other half are the only options that occur to me right off. I've never cast lube-groove wadcutters; just tumble lube bullets that I fire as-cast. Perhaps a top punch that starts it in, then has a short straight brass rod substituted for the bullet nose to push it in the rest of the way would work. You'd have to set up the ejection to work with the rod in place.
Even in molds with lube grooves, these days I frequently just use Lee Liquid Alox or White Label Xlox tumble lubing, then use a press with a Lee sizing die on it. These are push-through dies that use a sub-caliber ram mounted in the shell holder and a long taper to straighten the bullet's entry into the narrowest part of the die. After pushing through, you can apply more lube if you wish.
As to the top punch, since a wadcutter has to go all the way into the die, and there is no narrowed ogive for a top punch cavity to surround, using a sub-caliber straight rod with a flat end or doing half the bullet at a time, then turning it over and doing the other half are the only options that occur to me right off. I've never cast lube-groove wadcutters; just tumble lube bullets that I fire as-cast. Perhaps a top punch that starts it in, then has a short straight brass rod substituted for the bullet nose to push it in the rest of the way would work. You'd have to set up the ejection to work with the rod in place.
Even in molds with lube grooves, these days I frequently just use Lee Liquid Alox or White Label Xlox tumble lubing, then use a press with a Lee sizing die on it. These are push-through dies that use a sub-caliber ram mounted in the shell holder and a long taper to straighten the bullet's entry into the narrowest part of the die. After pushing through, you can apply more lube if you wish.
Edward429451
Moderator
Over on the CastBoolit gun board there is a man goes by Bullshot...He can make you a top punch for it. He's made sizing dies and so forth so should be able to do that too.
Make sure the die is under .720 at the top .
I have run into some rcbs dies that would`nt fit .
Also the retaining nut is easy to get out of round & it makes it aggrevating to start on the die , maybe a little slikum to help it on & over the O-ring ???
As mentioned the 495 tp is the 1 for wc but I have filled any 358 like the 429 with epoxy & trimm it flat , I`ve also taken 1/4 " bolt & put a couple of nuts on it & chuck it up in C/D then grind the corners off to size then use bullet lube to hold it in the ram so it would float .
I have run into some rcbs dies that would`nt fit .
Also the retaining nut is easy to get out of round & it makes it aggrevating to start on the die , maybe a little slikum to help it on & over the O-ring ???
As mentioned the 495 tp is the 1 for wc but I have filled any 358 like the 429 with epoxy & trimm it flat , I`ve also taken 1/4 " bolt & put a couple of nuts on it & chuck it up in C/D then grind the corners off to size then use bullet lube to hold it in the ram so it would float .
Last edited:
Hog Buster
New member
The last Lyman's I bought didn't have O rings.