Is this an early "IDEAL" Mold?

Main Castings appear to be Bronze, Handle Ferrules are Brass ( but oddly look like Steel in my Twilight time of day outdoor image ), has the Number for the Boolit, but no other info or Text Stampings on it but for a tiny 2 ( as seen in the Oil Hole image ), Sprue Cutter is Steel...looks like it has an Oil Hole -

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Look like early Ideal to me, but I've never seen them without the Ideal label. It would appear that the wooden handles are later replacements. They look too new and that's a more modern profile and finish.

I do know that Ideal used to sell uncut blank moulds, perhaps it's one of those?

Froggie

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Originally Posted by Green Frog

Look like early Ideal to me, but I've never seen them without the Ideal label. It would appear that the wooden handles are later replacements. They look too new and that's a more modern profile and finish.

I do know that Ideal used to sell uncut blank moulds, perhaps it's one of those?

Froggie

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The Bullet and it's Number are late 1800s early 1900s IDEAL offerings, so, would not seem likely to me that this was some home bore of a blank Mold.

it is shown here on page 4 or so, but I do not know what year these illustrations are from.
https://www.lymanproducts.com/media/...ld_bullets.pdf

This was one of the Boolits for the .38 - 44 Target Cartridge of the Day, or could be alright with .38 S & W Target Revolvers also, however few those may have been.

Maybe sometimes a Mold could have gone out the Doors having missed being stamped the Manufacturer's Identity info...?

I have a few early ( non detachable ) Cast Iron IDEAL molds, if I can remember where they are, I'll compare them to this one.

This is the first I have seen of what seems to be a Bronze IDEAL Mold, and I'd be curious to know if that was an option they may have had? - or if the earliest IDEAL Molds were Bronze, and then things changed to Cast Iron at some point, and no more Bronze? Or..?

Just theorizing here, but maybe it was an in house prototype.

Did the early Ideal molds have an alignment pin like that one? I would have to go look at mine to compare.

Looks like a Yankee mould to me, with handles upgraded with Lee wood and ferrules.

Not a bad idea, actually. Original Yankee handles were pretty much straight dowels, rounded on the bottom ends, and held to the mould tangs with a circle of wire.

They featured the same cavity numbers as Ideal moulds, and there is a persistent speculation that some mole in the Ideal/Lyman mould shop lent out Ideal cherries to the Yankee Specialty Co. Or maybe Yankee bought the worn ones that were still good for a last cavity or two in the bronze castings they used.

Later on, Yankee was taken over by W. Rohrbacher, and some Yankee moulds have his name stamped on them. On some of the moulds, you can see the scribed layout lines for the screw locations. Definitely a small operation rather than a factory setup.

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Originally Posted by Bent Ramrod

Looks like a Yankee mould to me, with handles upgraded with Lee wood and ferrules.

Not a bad idea, actually. Original Yankee handles were pretty much straight dowels, rounded on the bottom ends, and held to the mould tangs with a circle of wire.

They featured the same cavity numbers as Ideal moulds, and there is a persistent speculation that some mole in the Ideal/Lyman mould shop lent out Ideal cherries to the Yankee Specialty Co. Or maybe Yankee bought the worn ones that were still good for a last cavity or two in the bronze castings they used.

Later on, Yankee was taken over by W. Rohrbacher, and some Yankee moulds have his name stamped on them. On some of the moulds, you can see the scribed layout lines for the screw locations. Definitely a small operation rather than a factory setup.

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Huh!

I have not heard of 'Yankee' Molds before, interesting!

Thank you!

A little late but I found this at
http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/Cast_...criptions.html

358344 Square nose bullet for .38 Special designed by C. C. Crossman. Cuts a full size clean hole, giving shooter full count. (PB, WC, 150 - TP is 344)
and
360344 See 358344
and
360344-S Same as 360344, except cast small enough to size .358.

SPJ

I agree this is a yankee or Rorbacher mold. The hollow point molds they made were an interesting interpretation of the early method that Ideal used for making hollow based bullets, using a plug that was captive to one block via screw.

I was thinking that too. Integral handles, bronze, numbered like early Ideals. But the handles don't look right. May have been replaced as you say. I have a Yankee in the Squibb pattern (311413) and it's pretty complete with some charring on the handles. The twisted wire on Yankees are a dead giveaway./beagle

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bent Ramrod

Looks like a Yankee mould to me, with handles upgraded with Lee wood and ferrules.

Not a bad idea, actually. Original Yankee handles were pretty much straight dowels, rounded on the bottom ends, and held to the mould tangs with a circle of wire.

They featured the same cavity numbers as Ideal moulds, and there is a persistent speculation that some mole in the Ideal/Lyman mould shop lent out Ideal cherries to the Yankee Specialty Co. Or maybe Yankee bought the worn ones that were still good for a last cavity or two in the bronze castings they used.

Later on, Yankee was taken over by W. Rohrbacher, and some Yankee moulds have his name stamped on them. On some of the moulds, you can see the scribed layout lines for the screw locations. Definitely a small operation rather than a factory setup.

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I have a very similar bronze mold I've wondered about. Its only mark is "358311". Its an Ideal number and the cavity appears to match the Ideal bullet. It has that same little oil hole too.

Here's one of mine, with aftermarket file handles. It has no markings at all, except for casting flaws on some outer surfaces and battering on the outside from the frustrated user trying to get stuck boolits out of a block half.

Attachment 272371

I got the only casting I made out of it (eventually) and lapped the mould a little with it. Haven't had a chance to check it again.

The handles are surprisingly comfortable in my hands; not a bad modification. Most Yankee moulds I've found cast very well.