[Carroll B]

I just bought a RCBS 2 cavity mould and RBCS handles. Can anyone tell me if the RBCS handles I bought will fit Lyman moulds? If so do they fit the Lyman 2 or 4 cavity moulds? Been looking at Lyman moulds on one of the auction sites and would like to bid on one if my RBCS handles will fit the Lyman.

 

[dozer]

RCBS will fit Lyman. I'm sure they work on 2 cavity, but I do not have 4 cavity and can't say for sure.
Doz

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Carroll:
here's an article by Marshall on the new Lyman 4 cavity mould handles, with pictures. It might help you.
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/open_sight/archive_open_sight.htm/8

Bye
Jack

 

[kciH]

Jack,
those handles look an awful lot like the SAECO handles. Have you heard if they are the same? They look identical to me.

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Steven:
They do look like the handles in the Redding-Saeco 1998 catalogue and the 2 cavity Lyman handles I've got here, except that the 2 cavity's jaws are shorter. I suspect the same outfit makes them for both companies. On the other hand, the handles in the RCBS 1997 catalogue are quite different, and Lyman single cavity handles were still the old style short ones, at least on a pair bought 3 years ago. My 2 cavity handles were bought 3 years ago too.

I've heard that RCBS and Saeco jaws are thinner than Lyman, and Lyman handles don't fit RCBS and Saeco moulds. My Lyman jaws are .301-305" thick around the screw holes. Would you mind measuring the thickness of your Saeco jaws and perhaps someone can mike a set of RCBS jaws too.

Bye
Jack

 

[kciH]

Jack,
I didn't measure them, but it is very obvious that the SAECO and RCBS are a good deal thicker than the Lyman. About an 1/8", I don't know the metric on this The SAECO and RCBS appear to be quite close in thickness. These observations where with an "old style" Lyman 4 cavity handle set and a RCBS 2 cavity and the SAECO handles which are supposed to handle anything from 1-8 cavity (I've only used 4 cavity with them) So, my hopes have been dashed, as I don't much care for the Lyman 4 cavity handles that I have. I've only got two Lyman 4 cavities, so I'll probably hold off on the new handles. You are most likely correct in thinking the mould handles are made by the same people, as they are identical in the hinge area as well as the handles.

Another queston: Do the Lyman "small" handles for the one cavity moulds also work with the 2 cavity moulds? I purchased several Lyman 1 and 2 cavity moulds off of Ebay over the winter months. I also purchased a set of the handles that I mentioned above. I haven't tried any of the 2 cavity moulds as of yet, I'm hoping I don't need another set of handles. I don't know if the Lyman moulds from today are the same as the older ones I have. The 2-cavity moulds that I have are considerably smaller than either the RCBS or SAECO 2 cavity moulds.

Thanks,

Steven

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Steven:
The small Lyman single cavity mould blocks won't close when they are mounted on double cavity handles. The blocks end up 1/8" apart. The double cavities moulds don't work on the single cavity handles either, as the jaws are too close together, and the blocks will meet on the side towards the pivot, but don't on the side away.

There are large block single cavity Lyman moulds that needs the double cavity handles. Mostly they're the big black powder Minié moulds.

Bye
Jack

 

[kciH]

Jack,
it looks like it's time to buy more mould handles! Thanks for the input.

Steven

 

[Jack Monteith]

Hi, Gents:
Here's how to modify Lyman large handles to fit RCBS and LBT and NEI mould blocks. Easy.
http://www.mountainmolds.com/lymanhandle.htm

Bye
Jack

 

[Blackhawk44]

Check out the Lee mold hands made to work on single and double cavity Lee, Lyman and RCBS. Appear to be adaptable to others from their configuration.