A Great Mold Find

[ColColt]

I remember having stored most of my casting equipment under the storage area of the stairwell and was retrieving more of it today when I ran across a couple of molds I had bought millenniums ago. Both were 44 caliber. One the familiar 429421 from the 70's and the 429352 both double cavity. I also discovered a 429360.

I use to shoot 44 Spec/44 Mag long ago and had a Blackhawk and M29. Wish I had them both again. I had saw recently where Ruger has a Blackhawk in 44 Special and always wished they'd come out with that. I didn't know they had until a few days ago. This may give me a reason to purchase one.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF3948.jpg

[JLM3rd]

Great find. I've read that the 429360 is inaccurate, and I've seen that in .44 mag, but in a .44 special load with a light load of Bullseye it's very accurate in my 6" model 629.

[Doby45]

That one on the left is not a boolit, it is a HAMMER!!

[Shuz]

I remember having stored most of my casting equipment under the storage area of the stairwell and was retrieving more of it today when I ran across a couple of molds I had bought millenniums ago. Both were 44 caliber. One the familiar 429421 from the 70's and the 429352 both double cavity. I also discovered a 429360.

I use to shoot 44 Spec/44 Mag long ago and had a Blackhawk and M29. Wish I had them both again. I had saw recently where Ruger has a Blackhawk in 44 Special and always wished they'd come out with that. I didn't know they had until a few days ago. This may give me a reason to purchase one.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF3948.jpg

Would you please identify the boolits in your pictures?

[GLL]

Your 429352 is great in .44 Special. I owned two of the 429360 . Both 429360 moulds cast beautiful looking bullets that would not shoot at all. The front bands were way under size !

Jerry

IDEAL 429421 & LYMAN 429360
http://www.fototime.com/EF85E0A54F82550/standard.jpg

[Char-Gar]

That version of 429421 is what Poed Elmer Keith about Lyman and turned him to recommending Hensley and Gibbs molds for his design bullets. A true Keith has three driving bands of equal width and a square lube groove. That Lyman version has a shorter top band and a rounded lube groove.

[Maven]

My experience with #429360 mirrors GLL's. For more on .44cal. CB designs, including -360 take a look at this: http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell44SWC.htm

[ColColt]

It's been literally decades since I've cast/shot with either of those pictured so I can't recall the accuracy of the wadcutter or the 429360. Here's a 429421 example from a mold I bought probably around 1976 or so. Best I recall it did well if I did my part. It looks a bit different from the Ideal mold shown above but has a deep grease groove.

BTW-When I said "A Great Mold Find" that didn't mean either of those are the greatest-just it was great I found the molds at all in all that packed away stuff under the stairwell.:)

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF3950.jpg

[GLL]

Chargar:

Here is another photo from a different angle of that same very early IDEAL 429421.

Jerry

http://www.fototime.com/98111A583CB6C02/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/E574E14FBE964F2/standard.jpg

[ColColt]

I like yours better than mine...wanna swap?

[GLL]

ColColt:

I would also consider it a "Great Find" to rediscover those three moulds in a stash! :) :)
I would be especially pleased to find that wadcutter !

Jerry

[ColColt]

Now, if I just had something to shoot them in. I've been considering the Ruger Blackhawk 44 Special as I think that's one of our all time great cartridges. Model 29's(pre lock) are out of sight.

[EDK]

That one on the left is not a boolit, it is a HAMMER!!

Blammer had a group buy from OLD WEST BULLET MOLDS for 429352 a few years ago...I got a four cavity version and it casts some great boolits...OWBM used a cherry to cut them so you can probably order one. MIHEC has a group buy going on now for a hollow base 44 wadcutter and IIRC NOE has something similar.

You can freak out the shooting range commandos with a 44 or 45 revolver and full wadcutters.

:redneck::Fire::castmine:

[knifemaker]

ColColt; Last year I purchased a Lipsey special Ruger 44 spec. Blackhawk. One of the best, if not best buys I have made in a factory revolver. I am using a custom mold that drops a 255gr. Keith SWC and developed two loads with it for the Blackhawk
One load is the "Skeeter" load of 7.5gr. of Unique and the other is with 15gr. 2400 for hunting. Both loads will print 6 shot groups of 1.5 inches at 25 yards on a consistant basis if I do my part. The grooves on that Blackhawk runs .430 and the cylinder throats mike .4315 and are consistant for all 6 cylinders. Lipsey only purchased a 2,000 gun order from Ruger and I do not know if they had ask Ruger to tighten specs or if Ruger is turning out those tight specs for all their Blackhawk 44 spec. revolvers. I have heard numerous other reports from buyers of the Lipsey's Blackhawks that rave about the great accuracy with those guns.
It took me about 7 phone calls to different shops before I found the one Lipsey still in stock in my area of Northern CA. I am sure those first 2,000 guns have all been sold by now.

[ColColt]

knifemaker-I'd say all those have been accounted for by now-wish I had known about that long ago. I've had several Ruger SA's over the years and was never disappointed in any of them. In 1973(or there about) I bought probably one of the first 4 5/8" barreled Blackhawks in 45 Colt/45ACP they made. If memory serves correctly the serial number was 45-00075. three screw, of course, and like a dingbat I thought they'd always be around and sold it some years down the road, maybe 15 or so. It was a great revolver. I still have the Lyman 453424 mold so, if there's a 45 Colt in my future, I'll be ready for that one as well.

BTW-That Ruger 45 Colt was about $75 then.

[Leadmelter]

6 grs pf Bulleseye/180 WC rock in my Ruger RH. We only shoot 50 ft in the winter at my club. With 20 rounds I can usually cut out the center of the target. I have the other mold but have not worked anything up.
Gerry

[ColColt]

I wish I could recall what sort of accuracy I got with the 429352 WC. It's been along time. Perhaps if I end up with that 44 special Ruger Blackhawk I'll find out. Rest assured it won't be purchased from Bud's after this fiasco this past weekend.

[What Cheer]

GLL,

Would it be possible for you to post pictures of both sides of the Ideal 429421 mould, I am interested in the markings.

Also I would like to know the diameter of the alignment pins.

Thanks,

What Cheer

[Doby45]

Colt I might need to see ifn I could get you cast me up some of those wadcutters/Hammers. ;)

[What Cheer]

Col Colt,

Basically the same request, photos of both sides of your Lyman 429421, also one shot of the cavity.

Did you purchase this mould new, and can you pin down the year?

Thanks,

What Cheer

[GLL]

What Cheer:

It will be the weekend before I can get you photos. I have a few other examples of older 429421 moulds if you are interested in the cherry numbers or more photos?

Jerry

[What Cheer]

GLL,

Thanks, I have been working on a project for a few years regarding the history/chronology of the Lyman-Ideal mould, number 429421, all help would be appreciated.

Thanks, and best regards,

What Cheer

[ColColt]

Colt I might need to see ifn I could get you cast me up some of those wadcutters/Hammers. ;)

What ratio would you like, my man? 1:16, Lyman #2 or maybe BHN22?;)

What Cheer-I'll see if I can do that tomorrow. I'm getting tuckered out tonight. I work 4/10's and have to get up at 4:30 am! So, won't be long before I call it a night. Can't stay up like I did at 40. I did purchase the mold new sometime in the mid 70's. I'll get a shot or two of the outside as well.

[Doby45]

How about straight WW? I could even send ya the ingots ifn ya want.

[What Cheer]

ColColt,

Thanks, when you can get to the pictures will be fine, I do appreciate it.

I thought I was the only one who could not stay up as late, as when I was forty.

Thanks, and best regards,

What Cheer

[ColColt]

Here's the "Hammer". It had been packed with a light coating of RIG and I'm still trying to clean it off. But, here's some pics anyway. I don't know if that 74 on it means it was made in 1974 but that should be pretty close if not.

Doby-I don't have any wheel weights that I've segregated and cleaned yet. I have a bucket of a conglomerate I got from the tire store a couple weeks back and there's everything from WW's to steel, Iron, and stick on's in that bucket. I could fire you up some 50/50 Linotype to lead(about BHN 15) if you'd like or you can send the WW ingots-which ever you want I'll work with. That's the first time that mold has been opened since at least 1977! Those little "hars" on the mold is probably from a cotton T-shirt.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF3957.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x220/ColColt/Misc%20Stuff/_DEF3958.jpg

[Doby45]

That is a gorgeous mold. I will send ya a small flat rate box of straight WW lead and a couple tin "coins" and that should make a sexy alloy. PM me your address and I will get it out to ya. ;)

[ColColt]

Done. They remind me of an old tin can-I may be able to drill out the top and store some soup beans in them.:-P

[Hang Fire]

Odd isn't it? My guns come and go, but the molds for them never leave.

[What Cheer]

ColColt,

Would you post pictures of your Lyman 429421 mould? If possible, one of the markings on both sides of the blocks, and one of the cavity.

Thanks,

What Cheer

[ColColt]

It looks like all the rest of them.:) It's marked 429421 and on the block there's a U5 bottom left and 662 right below 429421. don't know what that tells you.

[What Cheer]

ColColt,

Thank you for the reply.

What Cheer