What was the 40395 Lyman mould meant for?

[Harry O]

I picked up a single-cavity mould in that size fairly cheap recently thinking I could use it in a 38-40. It has two lube grooves, but no crimping groove. That is similar to my 40043, but it is a strange looking round-nose instead of flat-nose. I think that I could use it for that, but it would have to be in a handgun instead of a lever rifle.

Haven't cast with it yet, but I am guessing it is probably 0.405" to 0.406" OD as-cast. Will have to cast a few to check if too much sizing is required to use it in the 38-40.

[Bob Krack]

I picked up a single-cavity mould in that size fairly cheap recently thinking I could use it in a 38-40. It has two lube grooves, but no crimping groove. That is similar to my 40043, but it is a strange looking round-nose instead of flat-nose. I think that I could use it for that, but it would have to be in a handgun instead of a lever rifle.

Haven't cast with it yet, but I am guessing it is probably 0.405" to 0.406" OD as-cast. Will have to cast a few to check if too much sizing is required to use it in the 38-40.Harry,

I read the Lyman mould number you mention as .403-95, not .40-395.

I truly do not l like Lyman's numbering system, but it's not my choice to make.

Vic

[floodgate]

HarryO:

Odd little bullet, apparently made by Ideal only through 1904. The old Handbooks just say: "These are good light weight grooved short range .40 caliber bullets....Another good .40 caliber short range bullet is No. 40043." Probably for the various .40 caliber single shots (Maynard, etc.), as the pointed bullet wouldn't be a good idea in a tubular magazine, as you note. The 1900 HB No. 12 cut shows the two groove version at 195 grs., with a short-cherried single groove at 145 grs. Lyman seems to have revived this one 1927 - 1950, but shows it only in the special list group, with no comment. Is yours one of the old fixed-block moulds, or one of Lyman's interchangeable ones (it would be stamped "IDEAL/Middlefield")?

Fg

[Harry O]

Floodgate: It is a single cavity mould made for interchangeable handles. It is stamped IDEAL, Middlefield, Conn, USA. That probably makes it one of the later ones, right?

I was casting with some other moulds on Thursday and cast a few with this one to get the diameter. It is 0.406" as I suspected. Almost all of my Lyman moulds cast 0.003" over the stamped diameter (a few are only 0.002" oversized, but 0.003" is most common).

That is why I got two 40043 moulds for my 38-40's. It is closer to the sizing diameter than the 40143's made now. I also ran across a 42498 several years ago. It casts right at 0.427". The 42798 I have casts at 0.430". Of course, since all 44-40's I am aware of use .44 Magnum barrels, the 42498 is of no use.

[Harry O]

PS: It is the two groove 195gr nominal version.

[floodgate]

Harry O:

Yep, that's one of Lyman's "revivals", though what they had in mind for it I do not know. They did show several of the previously discontinued designs as available in the first real Lyman Handbook #28 of 1927-8-9 (#27 - for 1926, a few months after they took over in October 1925 - was a hasty reprint of the last Marlin issue of 1915).

I understand that some of the .44-40's had groove diameter as small as 0.425" in the early days; I had a Melvin-Hulbert revolaver that slugged to that. IIRC, my #42498 mould worked OK for it.

Fg

[TAWILDCATT]

I am guessing that it might be for win like 40/60-40/65 ect.these are now being made new.I think Starline make cases.:coffee::violin: