Star Lubrisizer

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Gussy
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by Gussy »

Wayne, I got one of those custom dies made for my bullet and size.

I could not push a bullet through it without excessive force. I thought I would break the sizer. On a whim, I polished the die. Bullets went through like hot butter! The guy making them didn't do a good polish at all.

He did not put enough holes. They would lube better with a couple more. My buddy took his and had a shop burn a couple more with, I think, an EDM.
TexasMac
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by TexasMac »

My New Old Star Lubesizer

The used Star arrived a few days ago & I just finished cleaning it up. What I thought was yellow paint on top of the blue was actually the blue & silver wearing off & exposing the yellow primer. In any case it was obviously not very attractive so all the paint was removed. The unit is in great shape; everything is tight and works smoothly & I got it for less than half the price of a new one. I’ve got several dies, couple of punches, punch nuts and a die removal tool on order. Most if not all the usage will be lubing BPCR bullets which I shoot unsized with soft lube . Pan lubing works well on some but not on others with shallow grooves and the lube I use. Can’t wait to use it.

Image

Wayne
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mdeland
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by mdeland »

Will these seat gas checks? How does the pot metal bodies hold up over time? Might have to keep my eye peeled for one if you guys think they're well made. I prefer the RCBS over the two Lymans I've had. I've had to rebuild the stripped out the press screw in the reservoir. Never had an RCBS give up on me yet.
TexasMac
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by TexasMac »

mdeland wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:37 pm Will these seat gas checks? How does the pot metal bodies hold up over time? Might have to keep my eye peeled for one if you guys think they're well made. I prefer the RCBS over the two Lymans I've had. I've had to rebuild the stripped out the press screw in the reservoir. Never had an RCBS give up on me yet.
Mike,
Based on all the comments I’ve received, everything I’ve read & several YouTube videos the Star is the cream of the crop of lubesizers, and I’ve checked out many forum threads on the Star. No damage reported & it quickly seats & crimps gas checks faster & with less effort than the Lyman, RCBS and SAECO units. I fully understand how the Lyman & RCBS units work and I have a SAECO. Due to the design the SAECO is better (faster) at seating stubborn or tight gas checks than the Lyman & RCBS but the Star beats them all. Since the bullet is inserted nose first the seating punch forces stubborn gas checks on the base prior to being sized & lubed, and it’s all done (gas check seated & crimped, bullet sized & lubed) with one cycle of the handle, not so with the others. Following is a short video of the Star in action. Although gas checks are not being installed it should be obvious how it accepts gas checks.

BTW, another great advantage of the Star is no special nose punch is required for each bullet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW0XVAhRIe0

Wayne
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TexasMac
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by TexasMac »

Mike,

I was thinking about what I said earlier about the ease of seating and crimping gas checks with the Star. Assuming the bullet with the gas check is inserted into the die nose first, which is how the Star is commonly used, then some sizing has to take place to keep the bullet from falling through the die & to hold the bullet in place as the gas check is being seated. Another method is to use the Star just like you would an RCBS, Lyman or SAECO by inserting the bullet base first but in that case you'd need a punch to match the nose shape of the bullet just like with the other lubesizers.

BTW, for those interested in this thread it turns out my unit was actually a Phelps brand lubesizer made by Phelps Engineering which is no longer in business. With some minor differences the Phelps lubesizer is almost identical to the Star & the Star dies fit as would any dies made for the Star. The current owner of Star Reloading spotted the slight differences and indicated it was actually made by Phelps, which I have confirmed due to additional research and by closely comparing photos of each. Phelps made some very good close tolerance copies of both the Star lubesizer and the Star progressive reloaders and they made some later with looser tolerances. Fortunate mine is one of the very well constructed early ones.

Wayne
NRA Life (Benefactor & President's Council) Member, TSRA Life Member, NSSF Member, Author & Publisher of the Browning BPCR book
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Gussy
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by Gussy »

Star is a nose first push through sizer. I don't think it can be used for gas checks.

The good part of nose first is only a flat pusher is used no matter what the nose profile is. However... Soft alloys can have a slight nose deformation as it pushes the previous bullet out
mdeland
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by mdeland »

I kind of had my doubts about how well it will seat gas checks when I realized how it works as a push through. The Lymans and better built RCBS units compress the bullet and gas check together base to nose insuring it is seated fully and squarely. I'm sure the Star is well suited for plain base bullets though.
mdeland
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by mdeland »

I also think the RCBS would be better for compressing any voids as the bullet is made captive and compressed from all sides.
Gussy
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by Gussy »

mdeland wrote: Sat Apr 18, 2020 3:35 am I also think the RCBS would be better for compressing any voids as the bullet is made captive and compressed from all sides.
Not likely. They don't put anywhere near enough pressure to change a bullet. Compared to the Corbin swage press, maybe 10-20% of the pressure.
TexasMac
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by TexasMac »

Guys,

I just started a thread on using the Star to seat and crimp gas checks on the Cast Boolits forum Star Equipment Corner. You might like to follow the responses. The link is: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... -Lubesizer.

Wayne
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mdeland
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by mdeland »

I would think with crimp on gas checks one would want the crimp grip to begin as the bullet base inters the die before the rest is swaged down to size, not the other way around. I always seat the crimp on gas checks to the bullet base by hand then place the bullet into the die base first under the nose punch. The first thing that happens when the handle is pressed against the over size gas check is that it is squared up with the base, pushed fully on then the sides are crimped down to grip the reduced diameter bullet base groove. The rest of the bullet is swaged to size in the opposite direction by the end of the stroke. I don't see why the star couldn't work the same if the bullet is turned around in the die but then the need for the nose punch becomes necessary so it would seem one is right back where he started. It perhaps provides an other option that the rest don't, which would make it more versatile.
I measured the diameter the other night of some before seated .30 caliber gas checks and mine start out at something like .320 for a .308 finished bullet diameter. .30 cal gas checks will seat and crimp fine on .318 diameter 303 British bullets, just seated some and loaded them earlier in the week.
TexasMac
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by TexasMac »

Mike,

See the discussion at the Cast Boolits link: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... ost4881605

Wayne
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http://www.texas-mac.com
mdeland
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by mdeland »

The thing I'm weighing out is after purchasing all the dies and nose punches I already have over 4 decades, does it make any sense to start all over again with a different set up, when the sizer/lube'er I already have does the job very well.
I sure do appreciate the information though to know about what options are available in alternate systems. Good thread Wayne, I will be curious to read of your comparison having both systems to test and appraise.
I did log on your link and read with interest the various opinions.
TexasMac
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by TexasMac »

mdeland wrote: Sun Apr 19, 2020 1:21 pm The thing I'm weighing out is after purchasing all the dies and nose punches I already have over 4 decades, does it make any sense to start all over again with a different set up, when the sizer/lube'er I already have does the job very well.
I sure do appreciate the information though to know about what options are available in alternate systems. Good thread Wayne, I will be curious to read of your comparison having both systems to test and appraise.
I did log on your link and read with interest the various opinions.
Mike,

Based on your situation I expect it does not make sense pick up a Star, even used, considering all the new dies you'd need. My use for the Star will be for lubing bullets with shallow grooves and with soft lube, so I have no plans to purchase more than the 3 dies currently on the way to me. I believe it will be even faster than pan lubing for all my BPCR loads. Although I am curious how well it works with gas checks I'll use my SAECO lubesizer for that purpose although I rarely load and shoot my handguns these days. I have never used cast bullets in high velocity smokeless cartridges for my hunting rifles so the need for gas checks is limited to .357 Mag & .44 Mag revolvers.

Wayne
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desert deuce
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Re: Star Lubrisizer

Post by desert deuce »

Star Lubesizer for gas checking revolver or pistol bullets.
In the .358,410,430 sizing dies, using bullets with a distinct driving band or wadcutters I had the nose punches made to bear on the driving band, not the meplat.

Then, place a penny over the sizing die entrance hole set the gas checked bullet on the penny, guide the bullet nose straight into the top punch and press the gas check into place, remove the penny and push the bullet base first through the die.

One may find, depending upon the individual bullet, it helpful to return a lubed and sized bullet back through the sizing die about every second or third stroke on bullets with or without gas checks.

Using free flowing lubes in doors with shallow grooved bullets I use an ice pack on the lower end of the lube reservoir. When the front of the die holder is cold to the touch I start without putting much pressure on the lube reservoir and increase it until the grooves are filled all the way around, I may have to rotate the bullet 1/2 way around and push it through again and always catch it in hand as it pops out the bottom. Cooling the base and putting too much pressure at the top can cause the lube mass in the reservoir to migrate past the top seal. Too thin a lube at the bottom may not satisfactorily fill the grooves and/or stay put during handling. It also helps to put cool or cold bullets through the sizing die first pass to help the lube stick.
Sometimes you get the chicken, and sometimes you get the feathers!
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