When I bought my first H&G mold ........

[Jack Stanley]

When I bought my first H&G mold , I remember the catalog saying they did not make rifle molds . Well tonight I found myself wandering around Texasflyboys collectors sight . What I learned was that they DID once upon a time make molds for rifles .

The two that caught my attention was the number eleven and the number ninety-nine . The first a forty-five grain round nose for the twenty-two lover and the other a heavy thirty caliber mold that looks for all the world like the old Lyman 311334 .

I can't help but wonder if the new company has the old cherries in a box somewhere . Does anyone cast with those old collector molds ? When did they stop cutting rifle molds ?

Jack

[hammerhead357]

Jack I bought my first H & G mould well over 25 years ago and IIRC they weren't making moulds for rifle boolits then. I really doubt that the cherries are still around but just because I said that watch someone prove me wrong...

IIRC while talking to Wayne Gibbs one day on the phone I inquired about rifle moulds and his reply was that there were to many varibles and everyong wanted something different so it was to much of a hassel....Wes

[Jack Stanley]

I'd be glad to see the cherries are still around because I'd be inclined to buy one . The closest thing I have is a number sixty-seven for the 32-20 , I actually bought this one to use in reduced loads for a bigger rifle . I did get the appropriate rifle for the mold later [smilie=l:

I sold a Lyman mold that is much like the H&G ninety-nine and I wish I hadn't . If Ballisti-cast would cut one and it drops at .310" to .311" I think I'd pay the money for a four cavity .

Jack

[Texasflyboy]

.... What I learned was that they DID once upon a time make molds for rifles...The two that caught my attention was the number eleven and the number ninety-nine . The first a forty-five grain round nose for the twenty-two lover and the other a heavy thirty caliber mold that looks for all the world like the old Lyman 311334 . I can't help but wonder if the new company has the old cherries in a box somewhere . Does anyone cast with those old collector molds ? When did they stop cutting rifle molds ? Jack


In reverse order to your questions, Hensley & Gibbs stopped offering rifle moulds about 1957. They ceased offering all two cavity moulds when the demand for 8 and 10 cavity moulds suddenly surged in the late 50's. I like to think that the surge in reloading interest post-WWII helped drive folks into reloading and casting in the glory days of the 50's and 60's. A lot of companies were born in that time period that are still with us today because of that post WWII surge. Two cavity production resumed after they caught up with back orders and gave into overwelming customer demand for them. But they never again made rifle moulds after the 1957 stoppage. All Hensley & Gibb rifle caliber moulds were born before 1957.

Design #99 has always been one of my favorite Hensley & Gibbs designs. I own about 6 variations of the design, and every single one shoots extraordinarily well. That long bore riding nose is the cat's meow for .30 caliber rifles. My first #99 was a two cavity that cast the noses about .298"/.299" and performed extremely well in my 03A3 with a two groove barrel. I estimate I put more than 3,000 #99's down that two groove barrel before I changed it in the late 90's (the bore was worn from far too much .30 AP that was shot between cast bullet sessions.

A few years ago I discovered a two cavity #99 mould in my collection that for the life of me I can't remember when or where I bought it. But it was there. I had always assumed it cast the same as the other 99, but lo and behold, the noses came out .303" and the rear bands about .316". My Krag sporter, Enfield and Nagant love that fat #99. I made the mistake of loaning it to Ed Harris last year and almost hate to ask for it back. Almost. :-)

That fat .30 was a surprise. Which made me realize once again, that Hensley & Gibbs was more a custom shop than a standardized factory churning out the same design over and over. Hensley & Gibbs made moulds and cherries to order. I seem to recall in one of their letters seeing the advice from James Gibbs "For best results, slug the bore and send us the slug for best fit". I have to assume the cherry was cut to fit the slug dimensions.

Wayne told me that making cherries was a tedious time consuming process that was never perfected. They handmade all their cherries. They had some sort of forge in the shop and used leather if I recall at some part in the heat treating process (carbon?) to harden the cherries. George Hensley taught Wayne's dad (James) how to forge the cherries, and Wayne learned it from his dad. Some days the cherry lasted multiple blocks, some days the cherry shattered on the first pass. During one of my emails to Wayne I asked what became of all the cherries he must have had lying around when he shut the business down in 1999, he never directly answered my question but instead said all tooling was sold to the first Ballisticast, which has changed hands at least three times since 1999 if I remember correctly (I make no attempt to). One of the options when they were in business was to get multiple sets of blocks cut from the same cherry. John Ross, the author of "Unintended Consequences" has a matched pair of two 8 cavity #503's cut from the same cherry. It is only with the greatest difficulty that I keep from prostrating myself on his front lawn with bags of cash in the hopes that he sells those moulds to me, but I am not holding my breath.

In order, for my collection, I wanted to have cherries in #50, #68, #503, #99 and #20. I've never been able to get a single one. I am trying to manage a trip to the West coast this summer and accidentally show up at a certain Oregon address with high hopes, but again, not holding my breath.

One has to assume that not everything went up for sale and there is a bit of history still in his garage, but Wayne is retired, occupied with his Grandkids and the failing health of family members, so his emails to me have been getting farther and farther apart. He does answer my emails, but months pass between emails, many months. He is always gracious and patient in answering my many questions. I've tried to capture as much information as I can on the website and still have much more to post, but life and work keep interfering, but I do manage to get bits and pieces up when I can. I estimate the website has about 60% of the available information I have in my files.

[hammerhead357]

Flyboy I have a #503 8 cavity that I want to trade. Let me hear from you....Wes

[Jack Stanley]

Flyboy , thanks for the info . If Ballisti-cast has them It would be great if one could persuade them into making them available . Thant fat 99 sounds like a great one to have .

Jack

[shooter93]

I have a few H&G molds, the strangest I have is a 108 grain mold for 22 caliber They are good molds for sure but I think many of the custom molds available are their equal but they do have a collector value too.....and yes Tom...I remember you need pics...didn't forget just need to take the time, the first couple I took weren't very good.

[beagle]

I know for a fact that H & G still offered 2C moulds in 1989 as I bought two from them. At that time, it was about like NEIs order form. You could specify any number of cavities./beagle

[cuzinbruce]

My first H&G mold... A two cavity #51 SWC with a hollow point pin for one cavity. I was walking around a flea market, and there it was. The pin was attached with wire to the handles so it wouldn't get lost! Price was low enough that I didn't have to think about it. $5
Strangest would be a .58 Minie Ball mould with hollowbase.
A while back. I had one for pistol bullets with zinc washers on the bottom. Thought about that for a while but putting washers in the hot mould for each bullet doesn't sound like a lot of fun so I sold it.
Bruce