Civil War Self-Cleaning Bullet Moulds

[klw]

Greg Edington over at NSSA is about to have another batch of mould blocks made for the 58 caliber Wilkinson bullet. Greg has put a great deal of effort in trying to recreate the Civil War self-cleaning bullets. The moulds he has made yield projectiles that are truely unique.

Anyone interested can find him at NSSA. A typical link would be
http://www.n-ssa.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=6465

You can go to that, look up his part of the thread and send him a private message.

He is just starting up this order so there is time to contact him and get an order placed if anyone on your bulletin boards is interested. $80 for a double cavity iron mould.

I don't know if he would do it or not, but he has written a couple articles about these unique designs. He has REALLY put a lot of effort into the historical research here. You might try asking him for copies of those articles.

I got an e-mail from him today about this latest project of his. He e-mailed me because I always buy any mould that he has made. Many of his designs come with two base pins, one for the Wilkinson version and one for the Williams variation. Some of these base pins work a great deal better than others.

He told me today that the Confederates noticed that and altered their base pin design to eliminate most of the voids at the top of the hollow cavities. You might want to ask him about that. Personally I found it VERY interesting.

[dromia]

Thanks for the heads up, I would like one to try in my 2 band Enfield.

[dromia]

I've been in contact and this could be a goer.

I'm going to have some casting, lubing, loading and shooting ahead of me when all these moulds I'm in for on various boards land, I'll be like a pig in s***e.


:-D:drinks::castmine::drinks::-D

[piwo]

My .58 is not finished being built, and Greg mentions a .54. I'd like to find out what he's built in .54 and maybe lay my hands on one.

[klw]

My .58 is not finished being built, and Greg mentions a .54. I'd like to find out what he's built in .54 and maybe lay my hands on one.

I don't know if he has any of these mould left but in some way they have been the most interesting. Two base pins. One with a rather flat top and one with a very pointed top. Rejection rates with linotype (yes I know that this is the wrong alloy) were 80% and 20%. The point base pin made a huge difference.

According to Greg the Confederates noticed this too and modified their base pins. This, of course, suggests that there is an idea base pin shape. Interesting thought, don't you think?

[piwo]

According to Greg the Confederates noticed this too and modified their base pins. This, of course, suggests that there is an idea base pin shape. Interesting thought, don't you think?

Absolutely. Interesting stuff. Still a little beyond my comprehension as I've casted for only a few type projectiles, but that's what makes it so damn interesting. Just like Golf. Back in another lifetime when I played regularly, no matter how much you thought you knew, there was always something else, and your limitations were exposesd big time.[smilie=1:

[jaystuw]

Has anyone at NSSA ever made a mold for .44 cal conical pistol bullets? I've always wanted to try out this type but don't want to pay the money for an original mold-6cavity molds are very expensive! I guess I could go with the small steel ball/conical type but only as a last resort, they look great but don't cast enough bullets. The type of bullet I'm thinking of is the later type for the 1860 army (pointed with recessed heal and grease groove,not the recessed heal dragoon type) thanks for any help.

JOHN

[klw]

Has anyone at NSSA ever made a mold for .44 cal conical pistol bullets? I've always wanted to try out this type but don't want to pay the money for an original mold-6cavity molds are very expensive! I guess I could go with the small steel ball/conical type but only as a last resort, they look great but don't cast enough bullets. The type of bullet I'm thinking of is the later type for the 1860 army (pointed with recessed heal and grease groove,not the recessed heal dragoon type) thanks for any help.

JOHN


Don't know the answer to that and I'm not sure I real clear on exactly what bullet you are talking about. BUT if anyone would know it would be Greg. Very nice fellow. I'm REALLY impressed with the amount of effort he has put into researching the mould that he has had made.

Incidentally he is essentially doing a group buy so the orders might take awhile. People are sometimes quick to promise money but slow to sent it. So his orders, thru no fault of his, sometimes take awhile. But he will get there eventually and his stuff is worth the wait.

[jaystuw]

Ken-

Thanks for the info. I just saw on another thread that you are Kenneth L. Walters! I have enjoyed your articles in gun digest and handloaders digest since I was a kid. Excellent work. I look forward to reading your future posts.

John

[klw]

Ken-

Thanks for the info. I just saw on another thread that you are Kenneth L. Walters! I have enjoyed your articles in gun digest and handloaders digest since I was a kid. Excellent work. I look forward to reading your future posts.

John

Legally, according to the U.S. Government, you are old when you hit 65. So I've got a couple of years to go. But, if you have been reading my articles since you were a kid I sure hope you aren't very old.

Age is an interesting experience. I've had two birthdays that REALLY upset me. 30 which was the end of life (I came from the generation that said don't trust anyone over 30) and 60 which I thought was the end of life. But, well, I was wrong about that.

Old age has just been a lot of fun. Retired at 54, almost ten years ago, and life REALLY does go faster when you are having fun.

[jaystuw]

Ken:

The government may think you are old at 65. But in the world of cast bullets and shooting, people are just getting into their prime at 65. Alot of the best guys here are, "way over 60". It just seems there is no substitute for time and experience in this game. Really, the only birthday you have to worry about is your 95th,Only Then will you have to start thinking about wrapping up experiments and reporting the results. As for me, I will thoroughly enjoy reading about your results in the 2041 edition of Gun Digest.

John

[klw]

Ken:

The government may think you are old at 65. But in the world of cast bullets and shooting, people are just getting into their prime at 65. Alot of the best guys here are, "way over 60". It just seems there is no substitute for time and experience in this game. Really, the only birthday you have to worry about is your 95th,Only Then will you have to start thinking about wrapping up experiments and reporting the results. As for me, I will thoroughly enjoy reading about your results in the 2041 edition of Gun Digest.

John

Age is relative I think.

I bought alloy for decades from Bill Ferguson. He must be in his mid-80's now. At one point he said that the reason he had given up selling linotype and other alloys was that he just couldn't lift the 50 pound boxes of bullet metal anymore. He was also having trouble buying metal in bulk and in shipping it through the post office.

But Art Green, another good source for alloy, is just approaching 80 I think. Art works 15 hour days routinely. He has an older brother who still works and is in his mid-90's. In fact Art's family lives so long that they are in a study about families who live very very long lives. That was on NOVA a while back. No only do these people routinely make it to 100 they are impervious to most illness and can smoke and eat virtually anything without ill effect. One fellow in that groups smokes three packs a day and another lady eats cheeseburgers daily.

God, I think, has a sense of humor that is a bit odd!

Given the delays between paying for an article and printing it, I've got a pretty good chance of being in the 2041 Gun Digest. Of the four articles I've sold in the last ten years, Gun Digest bought three of them years and years ago. I might live long enough to see those in print but I'm not holding my breath.


P.S. I think that Bill is selling bullet metal again but only in the Tuscon or Phoenix area. Don't think that he ships anymore.