Need info on Harvey Protxbore moulds....

[Harry O]

I have never had one until today, but I always thought the Harvey Protxbore moulds were made to have a zinc washer placed in the mould and closed, then filled with lead. The hole in the washer where a little bit of lead would flow through in order to lock the zinc washer to the bullet. It was to provide the same protection as gas checks.

I bought two of them today that do not have this feature. They are a 357511 (107gr SWC) and a 357512 (156gr SWC). They are in used, but excellent condition. Both are DC moulds and are in the original boxes. They are listed as from Lakeville Arms Company in Lakeville, Conn.

The thing is that there is no place for a zinc washer. It looks like they were made for half (or 2/3) length jackets. There is a truncated cone at the front, a fairly wide driving band, and then a narrower portion that goes STRAIGHT to the flat bottom. I don't know if half jackets are still available (at least yet), but it looks like a gas check could be used with the distance between the gas check and the driving band filled with lube.

Any information would be appreciated.

[45 2.1]

357511 & 357512 are shown in Lymans 1st Cast Bullet Handbook. Both are shown with a gas check behind the base of the boolit. The 511 & 512 are in sequence with the previous zinc base band boolits that Harvey did.

[Glen]

Jim Harvey also design the so-called Jugular bullets that were indeed half-jacket designs. In contrast to the Protex bore bulets these do not have a Zn washer on them.

[floodgate]

Harry:

As you may have noticed, I have been scrounging around here and elsewhere for Harvey moulds by Lyman and Hensley & Gibbs. I have the #358511 hollow-point, but have not as yet come up with the #358512 solid-point SWC, if you'd consider parting with it. These are, as you noticed, and Glen says above, set up for half-jackets, and Jim Harvey advertised them as "Jacketed Jugulars" or some-such. I THINK he inspired Speer to come out with their commercial version.

I have not as yet figured out how he intended them to be assembled: drop the HJ in and then cast, as with the zinc-washer base "Prot-X-Bores" (wouldn't work with the base-pour HP anyway!); swage them together, or just install like a long gas-check.

I have a big bunch of assorted .38/.357 HJ's and can send you some of the appropriate length; I'll compare the ones I have with my mould and get back to you. Use of a slightly short HJ would leave you a bit of a lube groove, which might be a good idea, as the exposed full-diameter lead above the HJ was reported to cause leading. PM me, or discuss here if you want to follow up - I AM interested in acquiring the #358512, if you are willing to part with it.

Doug Elliott

[Harry O]

Floodgate: PM on the way.

[buster]

I found one at a gun show today, had to buy three boxes of reloading stuff to get it.

[buster]

Floodgate Here,s a pic

[floodgate]

buster:

Quite unexpectedly, yesterday I got a package containing the 2-cavity Lyman/Harvey zinc washer base .38 Spl. mould discussed above. I am most grateful to you for sending this along, but have not been able to raise you via PM or e-mail to properly thank you and to ask how much you would like for it. If you intended it as a gift (in exchange for the paltry few .38 zinc washers I sent you a while back to play with - I did get your report on their rather good performance; THANKS!) I will make an appropriate donation to our site and its owner in your name, unless I hear from you to the contrary.

Isn't this a GREAT place to hang out?!?

Doug

[Nueces]

I have not as yet figured out how he intended them to be assembled: drop the HJ in and then cast, as with the zinc-washer base "Prot-X-Bores" (wouldn't work with the base-pour HP anyway!); swage them together, or just install like a long gas-check.
Doug Elliott

Doug, My memory (Dean Grennell -"I'll never forget what a lousy memory I have.") remembered that the Jugular slugs appeared to have the half jackets crimped onto the cores. Found pictures in the 3rd Handloader's Digest to confirm that. Also, the following description: "Swaged to form with crimped-on jackets." The cores were pure lead.

Mark