divingin
Gold $$ Contributor
I bought the Area 419 kit; very impressed. (Mostly loading for 6BR with Varget.)
Then I saw the new Lyman kit (similar to the 419, but with O-ringed press fit caliber-specific adapters); and needing something for a planned range-reloading box, bought that as well. While not as nice or sexy-looking as the Area 419 kit; it does the job for about half the price.
Both of those are aluminum funnels with interchangeable caliber-specific adapters. The 419 funnel is machined from billet, I think the Lyman is cast, then machined as necessary. The adapters for both are machined, I think; both models are anodized aluminum; 419's screw onto the funnel; Lyman's are press-fit with O-ring retention. Area 419's comes with a nice machined aluminum plate that holds all the pieces, Lyman's comes in a plastic box with foam cut the pieces.
Note that I do not use a drop tube, so have no comment on suitability for that. I've had a few cases (both funnels) where bridging powder jams it up, but nowhere near as often as with a universal sized plastic funnel, and about half as often as with a Satern .22-and-up funnel. A light tap gets everything flowing again (that's become my default behavior before moving the funnel to the next case.)
Then I saw the new Lyman kit (similar to the 419, but with O-ringed press fit caliber-specific adapters); and needing something for a planned range-reloading box, bought that as well. While not as nice or sexy-looking as the Area 419 kit; it does the job for about half the price.
Both of those are aluminum funnels with interchangeable caliber-specific adapters. The 419 funnel is machined from billet, I think the Lyman is cast, then machined as necessary. The adapters for both are machined, I think; both models are anodized aluminum; 419's screw onto the funnel; Lyman's are press-fit with O-ring retention. Area 419's comes with a nice machined aluminum plate that holds all the pieces, Lyman's comes in a plastic box with foam cut the pieces.
Note that I do not use a drop tube, so have no comment on suitability for that. I've had a few cases (both funnels) where bridging powder jams it up, but nowhere near as often as with a universal sized plastic funnel, and about half as often as with a Satern .22-and-up funnel. A light tap gets everything flowing again (that's become my default behavior before moving the funnel to the next case.)
Nice setup.
