My Joe Ruth repro of the famous Pope lube pump has just resurfaced. Oh Happy Day!  I bought it about 25 years ago at an OGCA show, never used.  It came to me with no insert, and I would like to make one so I can use it with my 25-20 SS low wall.  My question is, has anyone here made inserts for this specific tool. And can you share dimensions, etc?
TIA ~ Froggie

I apologize I meant to reply but it slipped my mind.  The insert for mine measure 0.5005 dia and 0.985 long.  Grease holes location depends on your bullet.  It is steel and looks to be precision ground round stock which would make sense for production work.  The insert that came with the pump is for .38
bullet so I have a specimen to work from.  I want to make a couple for my rifles myself.  Charlie

After reading your post I remeasured my die.  It was as I stated.  The OD is straight and pump was probably reamed with .500 reamer length as stated.  Actually length of die is not critical if lube holes are drilled correctly.  Charlie

I didn't reply Charlie because I only have an original Pope, and no knowledge if Joe Ruth's clones were the same? My Pope has an aluminum insert for my .28 Pope barrel and Pope mold.

No O rings just the tight fit.

Thanks, gentlemen. I’ve now gotten more good information in less than a week than I’ve ever gotten altogether before.  One last question, please.  Is the insert relieved around the middle so grease can get to the holes easily?  Charlie relieved his so grease could go all the way around the insert and reach the bullet from all directions.
A photograph would be nice if one of you has an insert out of his pump (pretty please)
Froggie

Thanks to Charlie, Tom and Vall.  As soon as the pony drops off my pump and I can precisely measure Joe’s finish ream dimension, I’ll grab a piece of aluminum rod and turn it to match the dimensions I now have.  I can easily bore the chamber for the bullet body, then make a half reamer to do the nose.  I’ve got it all firmly in the old amphibian cranium and think I can actually do it in one or two trips over to the machine shop at the community college where I used to work.  Once I finish one there I can make a few additional blanks to bring home and finish on the antique lathe in the basement.  Heck, I probably can get this job done more quickly and easily than assembling the low wall!   
Best regards,
Froggie

Charlie, my inserts are bored through, not shaped for the bullet nose. Not sure they'd be as easy to use if they weren't bored straight through as they are?

Going back to my post the die has two diameters first into the pump is .499 the base end of bullet , last diameter is .504. only five thousands difference .005. the slight tape insures the fit into the body without slipping all the way thru and no O rings are needed for a seal. Length can be whatever the length of the die cavity is in the body.  I hope this clears up my part in this?  Tom

OK, two more questions now for all to consider.  Number 1, for Tom & Charlie, what is the outside diameter of the insert?  Have I misread it as being .5005” the full length or is it .504” at the base end and .499” at the end that goes in first, or??  If I read Tom’s measurements correctly, it is the latter and Charlie’s seems to be cylindrical at the  smaller .5005” diameter all the way.  I was subtracting .5005” from 504” and getting 35 ten thousandths, then misplaced my decimal.  . I guess I’ll have to check for that taper in mine.
Number 2 for all three of you,  are the chambers all reamed straight through (or with taper as needed) without regard to nose shape of the bullet?  Charlie Dell insisted that the chamber had to fit the bullet profile exactly until it got down to the size of the pilot hole.  A lot of extra work!   
I’m probably digging for answers I can’t answer until my pump is in hand.  I really do appreciate all of your input so I’ll be able to “hit the ground running” when it finally does arrive.
5o, thanks to all of you for putting up with all these questions.
Froggie

I use three different pumps Original Hartford marked Pope A Joe Ruth pump and one made by the late B W Darr. All take the same dies ,499 x 504. The dies are cut down leaving a ring at the top and at the bottom so they slide in and out easily.
Small end goes in first the dies are cut for the bullet you are using straight no taper, Pope multi diameter bullet we would cut the die to fit it with no lube leakage. I went and  took pictures to illustrate this and find since the last microcrap 11 DOWNDATE it and others on line  will not now read SD cards. So now I have to find out how to correct this!

Ooo, ooo, I’ve never seen one of Barry’s. Is it a pretty close copy of the Pope version?
Froggie

I THINK Charlie's reasoning for the the nose fitting was to absolutely control how deep the bullet would go into the die. I usually just fitted to the nose and body diameters, pushing the bullet base in flush, and got a decent seal unless you really gronked on the handle.

Willis

DId pope taper bore the inserts to match bullet taper?

If available, boring the lube die with the bullet mold cherry sure works nice. Just enough clearance.
Chuck

I wonder if one could "cheat" using modern materials by machining insert for close sliding fit on base band...and drilling/ boring remaining die I.D. oversize..like .062" or so, and using an easy flowing epoxy injected between die and release agent coated bullet?  I use this trick when form fitting nose punches for seating and sizing die nose punches.  The stuffcan be drilled and machined after hardening and there should be no real wear.

Interesting thought, 22-5-40.  It won’t get high stress, so it might work, but the grease grooves in the bullet would have to be totally filled in(with release agent?) to get that first bullet back out.  Of course CD was horrified when John Mertz made an insert out of delrin. SACRILEGE! 
I’m just happy to go with a “modern metal” like aluminum. 
Froggie