I'm just getting into reloading for myself as I've recently come into a .375 and a .416 Rigby from my dad. While looking over some of the recommendations on this board re equipment, I've noticed a couple mentions of the Culver-type benchrest powder measures. I'm quite certain the Culver in mention would be Homer Culver, a machinist and benchrest shooter my dad knew well back in the 70s.
My dad has some "discarded" BR barrels Homer gave him (apparently not up to snuff), and 2 of his measures (one rifle, and one pistol)that look sort of similar to the Lyman style. Am I right on the connection? Any idea of how collectable these are?

Thanks,
Bill Shear

I don't know if there is any collector interest in old Culvers, but they are fine measures, and the new ones are pricey (worth every penny, but pricey).

There are no "new" Culver measures as Homer has been dead for several years. He didn't make many inserts in his last few years. He used Lyman measures and made his own inserts. They are the standard by which all benchrest powder measures are judged. Harrell's "Culver" type is a fine measure as is Brunos'.
There is a rumor that a well known BR gunsmith from Scottsville, Va. is going to be making Culver inserts in the near future.
My wife and I both use Homers' measures and I have one as a spare. I also bought one off of the BR site and, someone had either opened or closed it to far and now it is out of index.

What's the insert look like?
I have three Lyman 55's and really like them, but if there is somthing I can make to improve one I wouldn't mind expirementing.

Rusty, Homer made his inserts out of brass. If you look at one of your Lyman measures, the round disc on the left, with the screw in it, holds the insert through the body. Good luck finding a Culver insert. As I stated earlier, Homer didn't make many in his later years and, he's been dead for several years.

OK... let me rephrase that.

What is different about the geometry of the Culver insert? What did Homer change to make them pour more consistantly than the stock Lyman? I doubt simply changing the insert to brass would do this.

Rusty, here you find a picture of a Culver style (Harrell) powder measure

http://www.zediker.com/books/ar15/zbay1.html


While the original Lyman has a sliding bolt system to set the powder volume, Culver uses a threaded bolt.

This allows a better fine tuning and repeatability.

Not more, not less: you pay only for this extra comfort when you buy a $200 Harrell instead of a $60 Lyman.

People claim the Culvers are more accurate - my experience with my eight measures of different style and brand is: the way you handle the measure is the key to accuracy.

Rusty, I wasn't trying to be a smart ass. I just didn't understand your question. The insert that Homer made was a prcision item.
The beauty of a Culver is, they all measure the same. I have a Harrell that is really good but not as consistent, with other Harrell measures.
In the long run any of the current measures I mentioned above are top notch measures.

The thing I like about the Lyman 55 is the ease with which they handle huge differances in powder volume. Is this changed on the Culver mod? Are they set up to handle a specific range? For example: a low volume insert would be 0-25 grains and then medium volume 20-50 grains and a third insert for large volume 40 to 80 grains. This would make doing a micrometer adjustable insert much easier.

I definatly agree with waitaminit; if one operates the measure identically on every load; one can get impressive repeatability.
I was just wondering if the Culver mod allows more room for operator inconsistancy while minimizing charge inconsistancy.

I think you will find that genuine, original, Culver conversions of the Model 55 Lyman are very collectible among the benchrest clan. That also goes for their "gizzards" ("innards") without the Lyman measure.

To find out value, I'd go to benchrest.com and ask on the BR forum there. Then I'd take what I gleaned from that source and use the info to establish a reserve for an auction on eBay. I suspect it would be worth the very little money eBay would charge as their "take" if a sale was made.

My impression is:
If there is a compensation for operator inconsistensies, it's with the Belding&Mull measure.

Rusty, I have never had occasion to use my Culver measures "wide open" so I don't know what the max capacity is. The adjustment range is from 0-100. When I was shooting the short .308 I used 71 clicks which delivered 41.0 gr. of H4895.

Sorry, I've been away since my original post and the feedback. To the gentleman who posted re a possible "remanufacture" of the Culver inserts, that is correct. The machinist is Clay Spencer in Scottsville, VA, a world-class BR shooter, bbl maker and smith. He actually mentored under Homer, a close friend of his, and will probably be working on these in the not so distant future.