Lyman Big Dipper

Some years ago I purchased a lever action rifle in .32-20 calibre and offered with it was an assortment of reloading equipment, among which was a lead melting pot and bullet mould for this calibre, along with a quantity of alloy. For the previous fifteen years or so my cartridge use had been .44-40 and .45-70 bullets, both of which are readily available off the shelf. Ready made bullets for this smaller calibre were not so easy to come by so I decided to make my own with my newly acquired “toys”. I now cast for this rifl e and my percussion revolver and will shortly be making .32-40 bullets, although at this time the .44-40 bullets are still cheap enough to buy over the counter.

Specifications

There are a number of electric melting pots available, many with a pouring facility which allows the molten alloy to fl ow through a spout at the base of the pot directly into the mould. This operation was defunct on the second hand pot that I bought, so I have just used a ladle to fill the mould, and the method serves me well enough. The pot we have here is a basic model without any pouring spout so a ladle must be dipped into the molten liquid to fill the mould, hence the pot’s name. The first thing that struck me when I took this out of the box was the 3-pin plug arrangement on the end of the one metre long cable. Being American made the standard plug is the round 2-pin type, which would normally require the purchase of an adaptor to fit UK electric sockets. The Lyman comes with a sturdy 3-pin fitting firmly attached to the factory plug – a nice touch. The base plate and box surrounding the electronics are made from a non-ferrous alloy, as is the cup surrounding the melting pot, which itself is made of steel. The pot has an inner diameter of 4” and is 2½” deep with a claimed capacity of up to ten pounds of bullet casting metal, which Lyman say will be up to casting temperature in fifteen minutes. The whole unit weighs one and a half kilograms.

Heating Up

I loaded the pot with around 7½lbs of lead (old balls and shotgun slugs) and with the dial on top turned to maximum heat it took a shade over thirteen minutes to melt it to a usable consistency. A little trial and error showed that the knob turned to the seventh mark on the dial kept the liquid around the correct temperature for easy pouring and good cast ball quality. The shallow depth makes for easy use of the ladle. For anyone who does not intend to cast large quantities of balls or bullets, or for someone dipping their toe (pun intended) into the world of casting, the Lyman Big Dipper is an ideal low cost option. Perhaps you are casting lead alloy bullets and pure lead balls? If this is the case then this would make a good second pot, enabling you to keep your two components separate. The Lyman Big Dipper is priced at around £40 and should be available from your local gun shop or direct from the importers, Hannam’s Reloading Ltd. on 01977 681639 or their website at twww.hannamsreloading.com

Warning: Fumes from molten lead can be harmful to your health and casting should be done in a well ventilated area. Please follow all advice given in the manufacturer’s instructions when using this apparatus.