Can someone decipher these Lyman mould numbers?

[Sgt. Raven]

I've had all my reloading gear boxed up over 30 years and some of it is stuff my first wife's Step-Father gave me. With the cost of ammo now and the loss of my late wife's income after she passed, I have to start reloading to feed my Cowboy Action Shooting.

I have a like new Lyman mould that has 452423EX on one line then 04 by the lower corner and 568 in the bottom center and 568 on the other block in the same place. It looks like some form of a Kieth style bullet.

[Mooseman]

452423 was the Elmer Keith design 240 gr for 45 Auto rimmed cartridge.Hard cast 1:10 tin to lead for the 1917 Colt revolver.
http://www.elmerkeithshoot.org/GA/1969_01_Elmer_Keith_Favorite_Load.pdf

[Hickory]

I would only concern myself with the numbers, for reference of mould caliber and design.
The letters are for manufacturing purposes.

[Sgt. Raven]

Do you have any idea what the EX behind the 452423 stands for. I going to have to take the mould over to my friend who casts a lot and see what it throws.

[Mooseman]

It should be "EK" for Elmer Keith

[theperfessor]

I've been told the letters identify the cherry or the cherry maker that cut the mold. The 568 is to keep the blocks together during processing.

[MikeS]

It should be "EK" for Elmer Keith

No, as the Professor said, the letters identify the cherry used to cut the mould, and the machinist that cut it. They have nothing to do with Mr. Keith. Now on the RCBS moulds, the KT does mean Keith Type, but not the Lyman moulds.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've had all my reloading gear boxed up over 30 years and some of it is stuff my first wife's Step-Father gave me. With the cost of ammo now and the loss of my late wife's income after she passed, I have to start reloading to feed my Cowboy Action Shooting.

I have a like new Lyman mould that has 452423EX on one line then 04 by the lower corner and 568 in the bottom center and 568 on the other block in the same place. It looks like some form of a Kieth style bullet.

Here is a excellent chart for lyman mold ID...with pictures
http://www.three-peaks.net/bullet_molds.htm

[MtGun44]

Yes, EX is cherry maker info, not well documented info, usually ignored for our purposes.

THe 586s are block identification numbers used to keep the pair together during manufacturing,
useless otherwise. Calling 1:10 tin:lead 'hard cast' is a bit of a stretch, this is - at least by today's
standards- not very hard. But a perfectly good alloy, altho - again by today's cost standards -
considered a real waste of expensive tin. Tin above 2% (1:10 is 9%) is considered a wasteful
luxury - works well but too expensive for most of us. Antimony and a touch of arsenic are
much more efficient at hardening up to 12-14 BHN that is what wheelweight alloy is, good
for most of our purposes without anything else - although sometimes a touch of tin is added
to improve mold fill out.

If you start out casting with std air cooled wheelweight alloy and you should have fine boolits
for a .45 ACP cartridge, the mold was designed for S&W and Colt revolvers shooting the
.45 ACP with either half moon clips or the now hard to find .45 Auto Rim rimmed brass cases. It also
will work well in .45 Colt and many 1911 semi-autos will feed it, but not all due to the shape.

Bill

[runfiverun]

ek is part of the mold number.
the o & 4 are the cherry number and maker stuff.
the 568 is to mate the two halfs.
i'd love to have this mold for my 45 ar cases.