The Whatizzit? Corner

[Bent Ramrod]

This was a recurrent and largely unsuccessful feature in the old paper magazines (anybody remember those?:) ) It was recurrent because it basically was a good idea; unsuccessful because the logistics of the magazine trade worked to ensure that by the time somebody had sent in and published the answer, everybody had long since forgotten the question. Now, of course, with the Internet providing instant communication, we have the opportunity to solve all the world's mysteries in an exceedingly short time.

So, "submitted for your consideration" (in my best Rod Serling imitation voice), are hopefully three pictures of what appears to be a boolit mould. I have seen exactly two of these in 32 years of haunting gun shows. It casts a boolit approximately 0.373" in diameter and 0.790" long, if you don't count the approximately 0.330" long stalk attached to the base of the boolit. The mold has no sprue plate nor any provision for one. It has no nippers for the long sprue, like the old Sharps moulds had, although there is plenty of metal and leverage to incorporate one.

Can anybody tell me why anybody would set a mould up this way, with a long, thick sprue that would almost have to be machined off to make an even boolit base? There is nothing cut-rate about the mould otherwise. It says "Hans Shieder" is very elegant script on the right side, and I'm especially impressed with the cunning (and to my mind, expensive) way Herr Shieder handled the block alignment problem. I kind of wish I'd looked more carefully at the second mould I saw; all I remember is that it was pretty badly rusted.

So let's see if I can incorporate these pictures in here...Hey, I think it worked! Anybody else have any real oddballs for the group to mull over?

[redbear705]

The only thing I can think of is that when casting they used some kind of volume ladle that would only put the right amount of lead into the mold and bullet would probably have a slight crest (for lack of a better word) to it on the base.

Do you know the vintage of the mold?

JR

[Trapshooter]

It might be one part of a mold set for a composite bullet, so the nose alloy could be different from the base. like the recent vintage Lyman. The long shank might be set up for a "shear" as used to cut lead wire cores in swagged bullets.

Trapshooter

[singleshotbuff]

Could it originally have used some sort of base pin or plug to cast a hollow base boolit?

Just a guess.

SSB

[9.3X62AL]

Looking at the sprue shank diameter relative to the drive band diameter, I lean toward Single Shot's opinion--but how is the alloy poured in?

[Dragoon]

Maybe it's supposed to have some kind of paper patch wrapped around the shank?

[floodgate]

Dave:

Have you connected yet with the Antique Reloading Tool Collectors Ass'n? This should be posted on their website Message Board at <www.antiquereloadingtools.com>.

Doug

[leftiye]

The only thought I've had is that the shank would act like the puddles we pour to fill voids in our boolit bases. If then cut off somehow it would create a better boolit base. Of course cutting it off might also be a source of inconsistency. And the modern WFN boolits are "new and improved?"

[Bent Ramrod]

Thanks, all, for the responses. Doug, I'll get those messages off to ARTCA today and try to get back on the site; there's been so much writing at work I can't face the computer at home sometimes.

Unless there was a hollow base portion with a small hole in the center for pouring, there wouldn't be any way to get lead into the mould, as Al pointed out. It certainly could be an attachment though, since it wouldn't need any mechanical holding device, and could easily get lost from the rest of the mould. A two-piece swage is also possible, although the grooves would have to be filled with lube or they'd disappear under the pressure.

My nearly only source for Teutonic gun stuff is the 1911 ALFA catalog reprint, and in there are several pre-cast or -swaged boolits of the same wide-meplat design (minus the sprue) for sale. Truly nothing new under the sun. Unfortunately, the reprinter chose to leave out the loading tools in the interest of saving space.

[montana_charlie]

I have zero experience with antique moulds, but have a good imagination. How about a guess like...

It needed a ladle that provided only the right amount of alloy, then a stout pin was inserted in the 'sprue neck' and smacked with a hammer (or the ladle, if it was beefy enough).
That should flatten the base and help with fillout...all in one stroke.
CM

[38-55]

Hey Ya'll,
I bet it's some type of shutzen ( sp ) mold. Probably was hammered into a false muzzle and then the 'sprue' was cut off and filed flat...... Amazing what them ol' timers did for accuracy...
Calvin