Dating Lyman Mold #358429

[Leadmelter]

Group
I have the above mold. In my vintage lyman molds, it lists it at 165 grs. In the spiffy new Lyman Cast Bullet book, it lists it at 170 Linotype. Is this the difference between Lyman #2 and Lino?
By the way, is there anyway from the markings on a Lyman mold the approximate era it was made?
Thanks!

Gerry

[fecmech]

I have a 4 cavity purchased around 1970. At that time the# 45 cast bullet handbook listed the bullets cast in Lyman #2 and the 358429 was listed as 168 grs. My mold which has the round grease groove weighed 168 grs cast with Lyman #2 and less than that with new linotype(163-165 IIRC). Bullets cast from straight WW metal are 173 grs. If their molds are casting 170 grs with lino it's a bigger bullet than I have!

[Mk42gunner]

The differences between Lyman #2 and linotype are the percentages of lead, tin, and antimony in the mix. I don't recall the exact numbers, but it should be listed somewhere in your Lyman book.

The recent (since 2004 or so) Lyman molds are dated; the older ones unless you know when they were originally purchased, are a guess at best.

Robert