Old reloading equipment

[TheEvilZX2]

I was recently given some old reloading equipment, an old Lyman press, Lyman powder drop, some bullets, some 4198 powder, a couple primers and what appears to be a yankee *press*? of some sort? I'm having trouble identifying it. Also what I believe might be some sort of early bullet puller?

Can anyone shed some light on this stuff? Mostly curious about the Yankee...press?...and this...bullet puller?

Does anyone think this powder is any good? One can smells somewhat like a Sharpie marker, the other doesn't smell like anything at all...

What about the primers?

Sent from my OG EVO running CM7.2

 

[K31]

I would use the powder to fertilize the lawn the next time it rains. Maybe someone wants the cans and load data manual on Gunbroker. Do not use the information in the manual. Powder manufacturers change the make up of their product over time. The bullet puller appears to be homemade. The Lyman press is probably still useful it it is 7/8 thread or there were more than the dies included. Hopefully the powder measure is all there and you can find a manual. Primers may be good but there are few (50>) of them and by the condition of everything else they weren't stored ideal conditions, probably chuck them as well.

All I can find about the Yankee press is that it may be from Yankee Specialty Co. of Erie Pa which also made molds.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite/HistMolds/Yankee Moulds.pdf

 

[4570inMD]

From: http://www.castpics.net/subsite/HistMolds/Yankee Moulds.pdf

In the book Complete Guide to Reloading, Philip B. Sharpe, Page 216. Sharpe comments on Yankee
tools. “ The Yankee tool, manufactured by the Yankee Specialty Company, is now built by W. Rohrbacher, 851 East
6th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania.”

Yankee Specialty Company was started sometime in the mid teens. Mattern says in his book published in 1926 that
Yankee had been producing tools for about ten years and that would place them starting about 1916 or so.
Sometime prior to 1937, Rohrbacher took over the business according to Sharpe.

According to American Rifleman comments, correspondence from the company from 1941 through 1949 was not
forthcoming. No reason was given. Then in the May 1954 American Rifleman a note was published: “Yankee
Loading Tool, formerly manufactured by the Yankee Specialty Co. of Erie, Pa., is no longer available as the company
is now out of business due to the death of the owner.”

A run of 38 years making good reloading tools and moulds and so few tools and information remains.

 

[K31]

Yeah, the above appears to be verbatim from the link I post without attribution.

 

[TheEvilZX2]

Yeah I wont be using that manual, I have four or five current manuals now.

There's a few .308 and. 223 bullets ill be keeping, I will clean up the powder drop, it appears to be complete. Although I have a hornady powder drop, this might be nice to keep for whatever reason.

As for the powder, and primer I will probably toss them, but putting the cans and manual online probably wouldn't be a bad idea...


So I was correct then? That Yankee tool is a press right? Any chance I could get a couple bucks for that somewhere? Anywhere in particular?

The bullet puller is most likely worthless....

Sent from my OG EVO running CM7.2

 

[K31]

My guess, without having any kind of scale, is that the Yankee is a shotshell crimper. Maybe a roll crimper for paper shells but I can't see the head.

 

[SKIP]

Are there any prices on the reloading stuff? I remember buying primers for 50 cents.

 

[DocAitch]

Very neat stuff.
I have a similar antique Lyman which is the only one of my measures that is tight enough for W296 (it leaks our of the joints of my other measures).
DocAitch

 

[K31]

Very neat stuff.
I have a similar antique Lyman which is the only one of my measures that is tight enough for W296 (it leaks our of the joints of my other measures).
DocAitch

Get a Redding BR.

 

[DocAitch]

The Lyman works fine, and the Redding I have leaks.
DocAitch

 

[bulletmen]

The Lyman Powder measure is a good one. Doc is right.Clean it up and you will most likely be happy.
When powder smells like solvent,it's time to use it for fertilizer.
No smell and looks dry then give it the burn test.
Of course,are you sure what is on the label is what is in the can ?
If not sure of the source,then more fertilizer !
\That might be a factory bullet puller,seems I saw one like it way back when.

The Lyman press takes 310 tool dies,fine thread,not standard 7/8 x14 (?) You can find dies at fun shows cheap sometimes.
Good little press for pistol cartridges.

www.bulletmen.com

 

[mopar92]

To impress yourself pour the powder on the ground and make a small trail leading to it. Light and stand back.

 

[K31]

The Lyman works fine, and the Redding I have leaks.
DocAitch

My Redding BR works fine with 296.

 

[Pinecone]

The Lyman stuff isn't THAT old. It is orange. Older Lyman stuff, like my original turret press and power measure is gray.

 

[Ironnewt]

I've seen bullet puller like that before. The powder is lawn fertilizer, The primers are suspect. The equipment looks dusty but usable. My first powder measure is just like that one but grey (or gray). Be cafeful with the adjustments

 

[BFMIN]

The Lyman stuff isn't THAT old. It is orange. Older Lyman stuff, like my original turret press and power measure is gray.

You too, huh! I thought I was the last gray dinosaur from planet Lyman!

Once you get used to the #55 measure's numbers not being anything other than a reference when using modern smokless & the 3-slide system it's a nice little measure.

 

[Cochise]

the grey ones were in between 70's vintage older than that they were orange, even older they were black but that is pre Lyman when they were just Ideal.
The first 55 powder measures were orange but werent micrometer. That one could be newer than the grey ones but since it came with a Tru-Line Jr press my bet is older as that press was gone by the early 60's.

 

[BFMIN]

That would make sense. I bought the kit with the Spartan press, #55 measure & case trimmer some time in the late 70's. The big powder resivoir & power trimmer shaft attachment came later.

 

[Pinecone]

I bought my Lyman turret press kit in about 1976 (gray).

Yes, I like the #55 powder measure. Works well. I removed the "knocker" and tap the stops twice in each direction for a consistant load.