Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Top punch help

New to the casting game and need some assistance. Purchased a NOS Lyman Mould off fleabay. How do I locate the proper top punch for my RCBS Lube A Matic for these old moulds. I noticed the cross reference numbers rarely match up on these old molds. Below is a pic of the mould and specs:
[img]https://imgur.com/a/T0RDEhj.[/img]

Lyman and RCBS used to publish charts that held that info, and maybe still do. Google is your friend there. Lyman and RCBS sizing dies and punches are interchangeable. I often wished they had used a more prosaic ID system for their top punches, ie: ".30 RN", .30 spitzer", etc. instead of a catalog number that translates into nothing useful to the hobbyist.

This might help

Thank you sir. Simple google search?

Hang on I just found information about that mold in my Lyman reloading book 46th edition

454424 255 gr SWC top punch #424

Midway
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010244446?pid=705704 $15.99

Appreciate it. I’m sure there’s a chart somewhere that lists them all

There are 5 pages of double column tables of all their molds. The only problem, those tables refer to molds they made before 1982.

There are tables for current (+- 2010) Lyman and Saeco molds in Lyman's Bullet Casting Manual but nothing in the Lyman 50th Manual.

Does the fact that this particular mold is a “hp” change the top punch?

Shouldn't.

I gave up buying top punches years ago when I got my first lathe. They are so simple, easy, and quick to make I just automatically do that. For odd shaped bullet noses I cut the cavity a little oversize and with it still clamped in the lathe chuck I fill the cavity with thickened epoxy, and jam the intended bullet into it to make a perfect custom fit. (Bullet held in tail stock chuck, slathered with release goop. Wipe/trim epoxy squeezeout.)

In the tables there is no other reference or description to the #454424 other then SWC.

I wouldn't think the HP makes a difference, because you are dealing with a SWC profile. As long as your alloy is not to soft, you would still have the flat area around the HP to push against.

You guys are a wealth of information. Thank you for sharing

Why not just use a flat top punch & let the bullet self center in the sizer die. I use 2 top punches for about 10 different calibers & never have a problem.

Dick

I feel that a top punch that conforms to the bullet nose does aid in getting the bullet down into the die straight. But of course that's dependent on the top punch being perfectly straight in line with the die too.

easiest thing I have found it find a top punch that is "close" get some silicon and some syran wrap

one bullet of the ones you want to size, put a dob of silcon in the top punch, put a piece of syran wrap on the bullet then press down to size and STOP. Leave for several hours till the silicon hardens.

trim as needed and viola! you have a perfect nose punch