Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Lube sizer advice, anyone use a magma?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    64
    Region:
    Deep South - Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas

    Lube sizer advice, anyone use a magma?

    I am looking to buy a lube sizer and was curious if anyone has any advice on which works best and why. I was looking at the magma star with heated base, if anyone has used one of these I would love to hear about your experience with it.

    Thank you,

    Jim

  2. #2
    hawkeye2 is offline
    Team:
    2nd Virginia Volunteer Infantry
    Member
    6194V
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Cross Junction, VA
    Posts
    182
    Region:
    Allegheny - Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia
    Lyman and RCBS dies and punches are interchangeable with each other and some sutlers make custom size dies for them. I believe the Magma is all by itself and with no one making aftermarket dies for them.

  3. #3
    bobanderson is online now
    Team:
    1st Michigan Infantry
    Member
    12291
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Howell, MI
    Posts
    831
    Region:
    Northwest Territory - Michigan, Ohio and Indiana
    Quote Originally Posted by musketnut View Post
    I am looking to buy a lube sizer and was curious if anyone has any advice on which works best and why. I was looking at the magma star with heated base, if anyone has used one of these I would love to hear about your experience with it.

    Thank you,

    Jim
    The Starr sizer, sold by Magma Industries, is a high quality, two stage sizer and lube pump. I think it's strong point is the push through design. The bullets go nose first so no deformations on the nose. The dies also can be tailored so the lube ports can be aligned with the lube grooves in your bullet. If you have a lathe you can make your own dies. I used mine when I shot Black Powder Cartridge Silhouette. I made the dies to fit the long, heavy bullets necessary to shoot tight groups on those 500 meter rams. Great tool, but pricy. If you're a tinkerer, you'll love it.

    Most skirmishers use push through dies, which leads some to think they aren't all that concerned about accuracy. I disagree. It's an uncomplicated approach, sufficient to the task. They are also easy on the wallet.

    My every day Lubrisizer is a Lyman 450. Easy, precise and works great with the light lube I make.
    Bob Anderson
    Ordnance Sergeant
    Company C, 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry
    Small Arms Committee

    "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on.
    I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
    - John Wayne in "The Shootist", 1976

  4. #4
    Kevin Tinny is offline
    Team:
    Tammany Regiment, 42nd New York
    Member
    13667
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    573
    Region:
    New England - New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts
    Hello, Jim, on lubrisizers:

    I have used Star lubrisizers for a long time. They are well made and efficient, IF:
    The sizing die sizes the specific metal TO the desired diameter.
    The lube holes in the die align well with the lube grooves in the bullet.
    Seems aligning multi lube grooves of minie's is tricky for me with Star's.
    Single lube groove bullets are easier.

    Lately, even with supplied samples in a specific alloy such as 20:1 or even pure lead, Magma often sends a die that is off up to a thousandth. I know how to measure; sorry.
    Sometimes nothing I do will align the bullet lube grooves.
    I spent more time fiddling and having oozing lube issues.

    For MINIE'S, I prefer a 7/8" X 14tpi threaded die and a square faced plunger that is .001" smaller. The round tip plungers are apt to cock a minie.
    Sizing dry vs. lightly lubed can change OD a few tenths.

    To save time, I order dies in sets of three, one .001" under, one at the OD, and one .001" over desired OD. Yep, I have lots of them.
    I size pure lead minie's with a very light coating of the shooting lube and then dip them for full lube when seated in the soft tubes.

    If you go w a Star, skip the heater. It won't matter with our relatively soft lubes.

    Hope this helps, Jim.
    VR/ Kevin

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    1,814
    Region:
    Potomac - Virginia, Maryland and Delaware

    RCBS!

    Hands down RCBS - great equipment and very generous return/exchange policies.

    The heated baseplate isn't needed for the lube that skirmishers typically use.

    They aren't cheap, but I am. If you look around on eBay, local gun shows, estate sales, etc you can find them at greatly reduced prices.

    Once you get one and set it all up, you'll wonder how you got by without one before.

    Some, like myself, get a lube-sizer for each piece and set each up specifically to suit the particular ball - thus making beautiful, consistent ammunition with very little effort.



    My two cents, results may vary...
    Semper Fi,
    Rob Freeman
    Col, USMC (Ret.)
    1987-2019

    The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. - Vince Lombardi

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    48
    Region:
    Visitor
    Quote Originally Posted by hawkeye2 View Post
    Lyman and RCBS dies and punches are interchangeable with each other and some sutlers make custom size dies for them. I believe the Magma is all by itself and with no one making aftermarket dies for them.
    Magma will make you any size die you desire so it really does not matter if anyone else is making dies.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    48
    Region:
    Visitor
    I have 3 of them. Nothing else comes close.


    Quote Originally Posted by musketnut View Post
    I am looking to buy a lube sizer and was curious if anyone has any advice on which works best and why. I was looking at the magma star with heated base, if anyone has used one of these I would love to hear about your experience with it.

    Thank you,

    Jim

  8. #8
    Kevin Tinny is offline
    Team:
    Tammany Regiment, 42nd New York
    Member
    13667
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    573
    Region:
    New England - New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts
    Hello, RC:

    I use Star's for square/flat based bullets. All fine w those.

    Have you used your Star's to both size and lube hollow base 58 caliber diameter minie bullets, please?

    Tx. Kevin Tinny

Similar Threads

  1. FS: Magma Star Lube-sizer
    By Eddie Bruner, 12222 in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-11-2017, 09:25 PM
  2. Lyman lube sizer die in .513
    By MIKE KOCH in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 11-10-2015, 11:17 PM
  3. wtb lube sizer dies
    By george7542 in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 10-01-2015, 11:23 PM
  4. Lube sizer dies
    By civilwarlife in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 06-23-2012, 12:43 PM
  5. WTB Lyman Lube Sizer
    By Dennis Kurowski 10555 in forum Wanted/For Sale Items
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 04-03-2009, 05:58 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •