new(old) reloading stuff. HELP!

[axp117crow]

so this is new to me, but very old equipment. the my dad told me it was somewhere in his shed if i wanted it, so i figured i'd dig it out and see what i could make of it. so i got some pics of the stuff, i'm wondering if it is any good? the best way to clean it up? and what else i need to reload?





the wooden box in the bottem right of this last pic has a bunch of dies and primes in it. some of the dies are labeled, some are not. thought i got a pic of those too, guess not.

if you need more info or different pics let me know.

thanks for the help

[axp117crow]

ok so i should have posted this before, but i just figured i'd get the writing off of each and post it, also i wanted to google it myself.

andyway the top one is Lyman 450

pacific power c

lyman easy shotshell reloader

and RCBS Uniflow is on the blue "thing" in the bottom picture(powder dispenser?)

[1927A1]

The gray press is a Lyman cast bullet sizing press
RCBS Powder measure
Yellow is a case trimmer
and a bullet mould


Id use Hoppies and 0000 steel wool, Flitz metal polish is good to especially
on ares where tolerances are tight.

Heavily pitted externals you could go as far as Naval Jelly. I would probably cold blue exterior surfaces once well cleaned and use gun oil on the balance.

[andrewjs18]

The gray press is a Lyman cast bullet sizing press
RCBS Powder measure
Yellow is a case trimmer
and a bullet mould


Id use Hoppies and 0000 steel wool, Flitz metal polish is good to especially
on ares where tolerances are tight.

Heavily pitted externals you could go as far as Naval Jelly. I would probably cold blue exterior surfaces once well cleaned and use gun oil on the balance.

yep..lube it up and try to get some of the rust off the machines...I think you'll be fine. That RCBS uniflow is super nice....we use 1 that's gotta be 25+ years old and still drops consistent charges.

[mauser]

It looks like you have almost everything you need except a scale and a caliper or some other length gauge. You'll probably discover that there are a few small parts missing here & there. RCBS is real good about supplying replacement parts. Other brands can be had fairly easily too. Don't give up on any of it if it's missing something.

Get a reloading book and read it. It'll tell you what everything is and how to use it. ABC's of Reloading, Lyman, Lee, or a host of others. Check your local library, book store, eBay, Amazon, etc...

If I had that equipment in that condition I'd start by gently but thoroughly wiping, brushing or blowing off anything loose, dust, loose rust, etc.
The next step would be spray it with some decent penetrating oil like Kroil or PB Power Blast. (Not WD-40, that's not penetrating oil).
Leave it sit for a few hours to a few days, (while you read your books). Wipe off excess oil, move any parts that look like they were made to move, repeat as needed until everything moves freely. (One time may be enough). Take the powder measure apart, clean and dry it thoroughly, put it back together. Lubricate everything else with light lubricating oil. Test for function. Don't worry about appearance unless something looks broken or incomplete. Discoloration doesn't hurt anything, rust pits might, depending on where they are and how deep. Don't get aggressive with sandpaper, emery cloth, Dremel tool, wire wheel, or anything else that may remove material.
You will need the plastic tube and cap that goes with the powder measure. It may be there but not with the rest of the tools. Look for other boxes that may have parts, things tend to get separated when they're stored.
The complete tool looks like this:


The dies should be individually marked as to what brand and caliber they are. Use steel wool, wire brush or some other "not too aggressive" abrasive with penetrating oil on the outside of the dies to get them clean enough to read the markings. If there's rust inside the dies it could mean that they are ruined if it's too bad, especially sizing dies, but light surface rust can be cleaned and there may be no damage done. Light surface rust on the inside can be cleaned with penetrating oil and a Scotch-Brite pad or fine steel wool. Take the dies apart, one at a time to keep the puzzle easy to put back together, and clean them gently but thoroughly then put them back together. Test for function by sizing an appropriate empty cartridge and inspect it (the cartridge) for scratches or other marks, then try it to see if it chambers easily into the gun.

After you read the book(s) and get things cleaned up and figured out, you'll probably still have plenty of questions before you're ready to start reloading, but they'll be more specific and easier to answer. Feel free to ask in this thread or send PMs to anyone who has offered help and suggestions here.

Good luck.

[axp117crow]

thanks guys. i'll have to look through the stuff for the rest of the powder measure parts. or they may also still be in my dads shed and i didn't see them. but thanks a lot guys, i'm gonna get a book, clean everything up and then see where i go.

as far as dies, do they go bad? i know you mentioned cleaning them, but is there a point of no return?

[imashooter2]

If the dies are pitted or scratch the cases when you size, they're junk. If they are plain steel pistol dies, then they aren't worth the hassle anyway. Get carbide pistol dies so you don't have to lube cases. Rifle cases need lube no mater what.

Electrolytic rust removal:

http://www3.telus.net/public/aschoep...lyticrust.html

[mauser]

thanks guys. i'll have to look through the stuff for the rest of the powder measure parts. or they may also still be in my dads shed and i didn't see them. but thanks a lot guys, i'm gonna get a book, clean everything up and then see where i go.

as far as dies, do they go bad? i know you mentioned cleaning them, but is there a point of no return?

Yes, especially the sizing die.
As mentioned by imashooter2, if they're rusted to the point of leaving marks on your cases they're no good. I've seen some that were pretty rusted on the outside and still good on the inside. The case lube that was used when the dies were in service provide some protection against corrosion. If there is rust on the inside but no pitting, and it will clean up without removing material to the point of changing the dimensions of the die (even one thousandth of an inch is a lot in terms of sizing dies) and leave the surfaces smooth, you should be OK.
As I mentioned in my previous post,

Test for function by sizing an appropriate empty cartridge and inspect it (the cartridge) for scratches or other marks, then try it to see if it chambers easily into the gun.

As far as the dies that aren't sizing dies, as long as the adjustment threads aren't damaged and all parts move freely when not locked or tightened, you should be OK.

[Qtrborecrazy]

Put it on E-bay as antiques get some sucker to buy it at very high prices and then you can buy new up to date stuff. Worked for me.

Qtrborecrazy