Favorite 45 Mould

[Taco Belly]

Hello all,

Just thought I would post a pic of my favorite .45 boolit. It is the whole reason I started casting. After seeing it in Shooting Times article by Venturino a few years back, I took the plunge and started with this Saeco mold. Turns out it shoots great in 45 ACP, AutoRim, and 45 Colt. The gun is a Smith and Wesson Heritage series 1917.

Jeff
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_78214e3045f083839.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=1571)

[Bula]

Man is that a cool pic. That profile in an ACP auto or wheel gun?

[GLL]

Is that the SAECO #453 ? I would like to try that in .45AutoRim !

Jerry

[white eagle]

very nice !
My favorite at the time is a 340 gr Mountain Molds boolit
although I have a very similar affection to a 275 gr Keith boolit
from Accurate Molds

[HollowPoint]

I started out with the Lyman Devastator hollow point mold and to date, that's the only one I've used consistently.

It drops bullets at 200 grains and I don't even have to resize them. Just load and shoot.

I tried the Lee round nose but that mold would cast bullets that were to small. When I tried to open it up some all I managed to do was ruin it.

HollowPoint

[Humbo]

Sweet picture.
My favorite must be an LBT 300 grains LFNGC. It shoots superbly in all my 45's, and the mold itself is a pure joy to cast with. A good number two is the RCBS 300 SWCGC.

[Catshooter]

Mine are recent production 452424s. I have three. All three drop at .453 (perfect for me) and when I say drop, I mean it. Knock off the sprue, open the mould, boolits drop out. Very sweet.

They are my go-to boolit. My bedside gun is loaded with fifteen of them, makes me happy & content. My carry gun is holding eight of them right now.


Cat

[gasboffer]

I started out with the Lyman Devastator hollow point mold and to date, that's the only one I've used consistently.

It drops bullets at 200 grains and I don't even have to resize them. Just load and shoot.

I tried the Lee round nose but that mold would cast bullets that were to small. When I tried to open it up some all I managed to do was ruin it.

HollowPoint

I have the Lee 452 228 1R 6 cavity. It drops boolits at .449.
Do think there is half of a chance that I could open all the cavities a little without ruining the mold?
Clyde

[Leadforbrains]

I started out with the Lyman Devastator hollow point mold and to date, that's the only one I've used consistently.

It drops bullets at 200 grains and I don't even have to resize them. Just load and shoot.

I tried the Lee round nose but that mold would cast bullets that were to small. When I tried to open it up some all I managed to do was ruin it.

HollowPoint

That one was also my first mold and one of my favorites too!

[gasboffer]

I started out with the Lyman Devastator hollow point mold and to date, that's the only one I've used consistently.

It drops bullets at 200 grains and I don't even have to resize them. Just load and shoot.

I tried the Lee round nose but that mold would cast bullets that were to small. When I tried to open it up some all I managed to do was ruin it.

HollowPoint

I have the Lee 228 1R .452 six cavity mold. It drops bullets at .449. Do you think there is any way I could enlarge the cavities without ruining the mold? Anybody?
Clyde

[HollowPoint]

I have the Lee 228 1R .452 six cavity mold. It drops bullets at .449. Do you think there is any way I could enlarge the cavities without ruining the mold? Anybody?
Clyde


There is a way but, it requires some metal working machinery.

If you're able, you make yourself a "Key-Way-Cutter" bit. It's shaped basically like a nail with the head of that nail the same thickness as the driving bands on your bullets.

If your bullets are dropping a .449 then you'd make the diameter of that "Nail-Head" more like .452 or there abouts.

I didn't discover this method until some time after I'd already ruined the mold I eluded to.

With your "Key-Way-Cutter" bit made up (it's basically a reamer) you simply place it in your mold and either turn it by hand (not very accurate) or you index it on a mill or lathe.

By making the driving bands slightly larger than you want them you can then size them down to an exact size after casting. A benefit of resizing is that if after you've opened up your driving bands (if you did a sloppy job) and the bullets cast slightly out of round, the resizing procedure will true them up for you.

I can't remember which member of this forum did a write up on this procedure; he included pictures and everything. That's how I learned about it. When I tried it, it worked out real well for me.

Here's a link that shows how to make a "Key-Way-Cutter" just to give you an idea what I'm talking about.

http://truetex.com/harden.htm


HollowPoint

[milprileb]

[B]Send that mold back to Lee with sample undersized bullet and they will do you right.

I had a set that dropped hugely ovesized bullets and they replaced it promptly and at no cost.

I sent my mold and sample bullets out on a Monday, Following Tuesday replacement was
here at the house.

The folks at Lee mold division will work with you and get things right as they took a burr off one of my mold blocks in the past and it was probably my fault but no charge.

Don't hesitate to FIRST go to the maker of the mold for remedy and not try homemade solutions that waste time and perhaps do damage to molds. Lee specifically is very very customer oriented to get you back dropping bullets from their molds.

[Bryan Marino]

Hensley & Gibbs #68 SWC 200gr .45 ACP.