Have had a Lyman 55 for 25 years or so.  It's not my favorite measure.  Other day at the gun club somebody had a box of old junk free for the taking.  Real rough 55 in the box,

Took it home and stripped it down.  Has seen some hard use. Handle was broken off and brazed back on, and the body was painted blue over what looks like Lyman orange. Had to heat the drum with a torch to get it out. Gummed up with black powder and never cleaned.

Decided while I was at it stripped my 55 down too for a cleaning. There are some differences in the two measures.  Casting on the body of the club pick up is much smoother than my1980 vintage 55.  Significant is the bore for the drum is brass bushed while my measure is cast iron bore.  Has never been real smooth and the drum to bore has always gummed up.

Another thing the small slide is chrome plated steel on the pick up measure while both the small and larger slide are brass on mine.  Steel slide looks to be the same.  Also the plastic powder hopper is screwed in not pressed. Would not be hard to thread up some brass tube and make a brass hopper.

Wonder if I ought to mix and match trying to improve.  Seems the drums will interchange I could use a dedicated measure for my True Line Jr rotary press.  

Any advice ?

Boats

You mention a difference in the way the powder hopper is attached. The one that I have just spins when I turn it. I had been under the impression that they were threaded on. Buffalo Arms, I believe, ofers a brass replacement hopper that I had looked at. If mine is pressed on, how do I get it off? Would it be possible to replace it with a brass hopper?

Boats, back years ago when I was doing research for an article on the various Ideal then Lyman powder measures, I took a bunch of them apart for cleaning, etc.  I never recall seeing a bushed one, from first year productions on up through... 

The blue paint is something I have seen on a couple of the Culver type upgrades and only one that had apparently had the original type rotor returned for whatever reason.  I wonder if the bushing was part of an upgrade?

As to the threaded plastic reservoir, I believe that was discontinued about the same time they went to the grey painted bodies, then never resumed when they returned to orange.  I've never gotten factory confirmation on that, but it seems that the examples I have encountered at least roughly follow this "rule."

HTH ~ Froggie

Thanks all

Good tip on the threaded to bottle adpater, I  use those bottles on my Harrels measure so could be the way to go.

Froggy this measure has been modified I think.  Think it might have been a culver conversion that had the mic drum taken out at some time ?  Blue paint is pretty well done. If the brass bore is aftermarket it's a good one.

Am going to do some looking on Culver conversions see if I can find a photo.

Boats

Got it or more to the point them back together. Used the best parts of both.  Just loaded 100 38 spl ctgs using Unique.  It works much better than my old/new 55.  Only real difference is the body is a smoother casting and it's brass bushed in the bore but a significant difference in performance.

Set it at 4.8 grs and it threw without devation time after time.  Ran 10 throws and weighed at 47.7 grs.   One thing about these 55's with the knocker even when the hooper gets low if you knock on the fill and dump stroke they still throw consistent charges.

I still cannot figure out exactly what I have, Never found a good picture or discription of a Culver conversion, why this one was painted blue, or who bushed the bore out with brass.  If any body needs some 55 parts I have a boxfull now,

Boats

Froggy if this was a Culver at some time best parts are long gone. The drum is origional Lyman,  Only the body looks to have been altered or modified.  And the blue paint added.

Boats