Lyman Lubricator 450 vs. Lee Liquid Alox

Buy the 450. Can't beat the price, options are always a good thing.

Look up White Label Lube paying special attention to their stick lubes for the 450. I have come to prefer their 45-45-10 lube to replace Lee Liquid Alox. Dries harder and far less sticky.

I am not sure what it would take for me to go back to wax lube. I suppose having to pick between wax and Alox would doit though.

Have you tried hi-tek? Will save you time cleaning too.

I'm very fond of White Label lube.

I'm in the same place as @Thomasss .
I'm looking closely at hi-tech or powder coat to replace my alox.

I tried powder coat first, I’d probably go back to it before I went back to wax lube. People have come up with better application methods since I switched to Hi-tek

Those are the same issues I had with PC, it took more time for me to get good results with it but they did hold up.



I use the hi-tek two part mix with acetone and put ~ 150 in a touch up paint bucket (cheap liners, I can throw away vs clean out) I mounted a motor to, for agitation.

Alox requires 2 lubings. Before and after the Lee push thru die. This is best method if wanting to oven heat treat bullets. Lube with RCBS 2, wash off with warm water, oven treat.

As cast, tumble lube, no sizing, may work? Not to my liking.

The Lyman 450, 1 size/lube & done. Some harder lubes will need a heater @ 70F degrees.
If bullet is a bevel base type, lube will need wiped from the bevel of every bullet, after sizing.

$50 buy it. Resale if not liked. Make profit.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/taurus-g3c-9mm-luger.317/

I would buy the Lyman. That is a steal for the sizer and lube sticks (5-7 bucks ea. nowadays). Get you a .356 and a .358 size die and see which one does best in all your guns.

I lube size and Lee liquid alox all my bullets.

Thomasss said:

I got a Lyman lube and sizing die marked on the bottom "#40".

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My late 1970 vintage H&I dies & newer, have size marked on top. Nothing on the bottom.
The number of holes have changed.

The diameter marked on the die, may no produce that diameter. A .356" die may produce a larger diameter or smaller. . The harder the alloy, the larger the sized bullet. Near pure lead, smaller diameter after sizing. As much as .001" difference between near pure & linotype.

I tried powder coat. but just can't seem to get a consistent even coat.
I'm coating Lee 125 grain swc with Harbor Freight black mat powder coat.

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Do not use Harbor Freight powders.
I suggest either Ford Light Blue, Green Mirror, or even better Extreme Chrome from Eastwood
(and bake them upright in a controlled/monitored* oven)

* What price to assuage your frustration ?

I've won so many long range pistol matches using ALOX, I don't think I could bring myself to change now!

DM

I started casting long before I could afford a lubersizer, nose punches and dies. I started with pan lubing with a long discontinued Lee kit (small pan, "cookie cutter", sizing die and punch). I often used alox then 45-45-10. I pan lube about 30% of my cast bullets, dip lube some in 45-45-10 (I bought a 10 year supply from White Label) and have PCed a few thousand. Each lube/finish has their good points and downsides; my 9mm with hot handloads work quite well PCed, my 240 gr & 265 gr Ranch Dog design seem to prefer dip lubing in 45-45-10 and I have two older Lee molds that drop bullets that love dip lubing in alox (I don't care for messy looking brown noses on tumble lubed bullets do I dip lube).

I guess I said all that to say I have been successfully casting, lubing/sizing (one dip with alox) quite successfully for over 30 years without a lubersizer. Many cannot, will not go without one, just showing the other side of the equation...

DM~ said:

I've won so many long range pistol matches using ALOX, I don't think I could bring myself to change now!

DM

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mdi said:

I guess I said all that to say I have been successfully casting, lubing/sizing (one dip with alox) quite successfully for over 30 years without a lubersizer. Many cannot, will not go without one, just showing the other side of the equation..[/QUOT

I have often thought about powder or hytec coating, but tumble lubing is so simple.

Swirl, dump, leave it alone. No ovens, no lining up bullets on trays, no special equipment. Any sizing is simple push-through.

Different strokes for different folks.

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Show-off....

Thomasss said:

I tried powder coat. but just can't seem to get a consistent even coat. I'm coating Lee 125 grain swc with Harbor Freight black mat powder coat. Warm bullets 180 degrees for 4 min. then dropped them into plastic container and swish 'em around for 20 seconds with powder then bake them in toaster oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Covers most of the bullet but no all of it. I tried a second coat, which looks better but then the ogive is up to .360.
The only thing I might be doing wrong is I do it in the garage which is 43 degrees outside because it stinks a lot when baking. My wife would shoot me if done in the basement and my guns are pretty straight shooting. Also tried acetone, but that coating flakes off real easy. Anyone want to buy a slightly used Cuisine Art toaster oven?
Also tried the broil option but that turned everything to plastic mud.

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Well there’s your problem!

Most parts of the current 4500 work with the 450, with the exception of the seal plug and o-ring.

Just an off side thought. You mention a ,355 sizing die. IMO this seems to be undersize for 9mm, 38/357.

My success with PCing consists of; cleaning the bullets in acetone or brake clean, using well known powder (I purchased powder from Smoke over on castboolits.com), hand "tumbling" for a few minutes, setting bullets base down on non stick aluminum foil, baking 20 minutes @ 400 degrees and allowing to cool before handling (a few hours to overnight). I have fired some 150 gr .308" bullets in my Garand and my Ruger 308 to 2600 fps or so range with no seen problems, and a few "Real Magnum" 44 Magnum loads (240 gr. LSWC, RNFP, 265 gr. RNFP) with no fouling. I guess a very important part is using a quality powder. IIRC I started with HF Red and got so-so to decent results, but when I went to a quality powder, results improved 100 fold...

Thomasss said:

.355

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Slug the barrels throat for the correct sizing die. Take a .358" diameter bullet. Drop in barrel chamber. Tape bullet into the barrel so the front of the bullet is sized. Like photo. Measure. A lubed & sized bullet should be a hair smaller.

My Taurus throat is .3568"

Thanks 234, I had forgotten that simple way to determine throat diameter, much easier than a chamber cast or a "pound cast"...

I think the only thing I have left from my casting days is the old Lyman 450 Lubrisizer. I’m pretty sure I know where it is, too. I just can’t get rid of it for some reason. I’m never going to cast my own again but, I just don’t want to get rid of it.