Help me ID This mold please

[FWest]

Looking around the net for any other pictures, can't seem to find a one. Any idea of age and maker ? 36 Cal ball and boolit.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/frankwest/SAM_0151.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/frankwest/SAM_0149.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/frankwest/SAM_0150.jpg

[MtGun44]

No idea, other than this style was typically used for cap and ball revolvers and huge numbers of
repros were made recently. This does not look like the most common repros, so may be old.

The other problem is that the bullet is WAY too long to work well in most of the common cap
and ball revolvers with any substantial powder charge. The common Colt repro conical boolit
is much shorter and even then, requires a reduced powder charge. That boolit in a Colt cap and
ball .36 Navy would require a large reduction in powder to get it seated deep enough to
function. Maybe another brand of cap and ball with a longer cylinder.

Bill

[FWest]

A mystery no doubt. No vent lines. All flat head screws, brass in wood handle. Machined well with no slop in the hinge. Sides match perfectly.
Bullet is about .695 long. A buddy noticed the hole between the handle and hinge said it may be a sizer of some sort ? The cast ball and bullet fit through untouched. Also there is a screw with a cut out centered oppisite the hole-seen in the first picture.

[JMtoolman]

Looks like the hole is for pressing primers into a case. The toolman

[MtGun44]

Yep, probably repriming. So we are talking about a reloading tool, not cap and ball.

How about supporting an early cartridge conversion like a Richards with a small center
fire cartridge, but keeping the same barrel, so same ball/boolit diam.

Bill

[Bent Ramrod]

It looks like the description and picture in Chamberlain and Quigley's "Cartridge Reloading Tools of the Past"of the Smith&Wesson mould/recapper that was part of the Smith&Wesson reloading set, manufactured between 1889 and 1912. The ball was for indoor "gallery" loads, the bullet for more serious purposes.

Other components of the set were a scoop, a couple plungers, one for decapping and one for seating, a decapping base and a seating die and a big wooden mallet. It came in a box with instructions. The picture of the set and a transcript of the instructions is on Page 80.

[FWest]

Very interesting. Thanks for the details.