Why doesn't RCBS make a 4 cavity mold?

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well, I am not going to get into the why or why not side of this thread, but will say I'd buy into 4 cavity RCBS molds if they maintained the same quality as the smaller molds.

I have a couple 4 cavity Lymans, and you need the ladle in one hand and wrenches/screw drivers. Allen wrenches in the other to keep them going.

Shake, rattle and fall apart!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a big Lee fan, although their 6 cavity molds are far and away better then the smaller molds, but recently I bought a couple 6 cavity Lee molds for .38/.357 and would have loved to buy some 4 cavity RCBS molds instead.

Yep, would have cost a bunch more, but I would have gotten what I paid for.

At this point, the best molds I have in all respects are a 4 cavity 310gr LBT/LFN and a 4 cavity 465gr WFN from Bruce (Babore) here on the forum.

Wish Bruce was still in production! Great product!!!!!!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[deltaenterprizes]

Four cavity RCBS molds can be made by ganging 2 two cavity mlods on Lyman nutcracker type handles and then making a suitable sprue plate if cost is no object.

[Casting_40S&W]

Paul H, if you have two beers and your friend has four. He has twice the amount of beer as you, and it cost him twice as much. You might save on tool changes, but the cavities are the most time consuming and have the slowest feed rate. Tapping and handle hole drilling is most likely done on a secondary operation anyways. Time is money in a machine shop and material is also a big factor, as the block has to be longer to accommodate 2 more cavities, and sprue plate has to be longer. Its costs more, thats the bottom line. If RCBS did make em, they would be $200, and then they would bend you extra for the handles.

[paul h]

Unless he has two 24 oz cans

Let's just agree to disagree.

You can get a 4 cavity ballisitcast for $175, or if you got in on the group buy, for $120. Too bad I missed out on the group buy and don't have a spare $1000 as I'd gladly get 8 four cavity ballisticast molds at that price.

[Longwood]

Paul H, if you have two beers and your friend has four. He has twice the amount of beer as you, and it cost him twice as much. You might save on tool changes, but the cavities are the most time consuming and have the slowest feed rate. Tapping and handle hole drilling is most likely done on a secondary operation anyways. Time is money in a machine shop and material is also a big factor, as the block has to be longer to accommodate 2 more cavities, and sprue plate has to be longer. Its costs more, thats the bottom line. If RCBS did make em, they would be $200, and then they would bend you extra for the handles.

You are leaving out a whole bunch of other things that govern what a product costs to make.
Much of the overhead would be the same.
A four cavity mold would cost nowhere near double to make than a two cavity mold.

[M-Tecs]

Paul H, if you have two beers and your friend has four. He has twice the amount of beer as you, and it cost him twice as much. You might save on tool changes, but the cavities are the most time consuming and have the slowest feed rate. Tapping and handle hole drilling is most likely done on a secondary operation anyways. Time is money in a machine shop and material is also a big factor, as the block has to be longer to accommodate 2 more cavities, and sprue plate has to be longer. Its costs more, thats the bottom line. If RCBS did make em, they would be $200, and then they would bend you extra for the handles.

Look at what the price difference between two cavity and four cavity molds from Accurate, NEO, Mihec, Lyman, Saeco or the other custom maker . It’s 30% to 40% more not 100%. It would be the same for RCBS.

The reason RCBS doesn’t sell four cavity is because they don’t want too. I don’t have a clue as to why RCBS doesn’t but it’s not for the lack of equipment or knowledge.

As tool maker with 30 years experience in designing and building jigs and fixtures for industry I can safely say that if you can build a good two cavity mold the only thing stopping you for building a good four cavity mold is desire.

[bigboredad]

If I was going to spend that much money I would rather buy from Tom at accuratemolds.com. Why hope you get what you want when you can specify and get exactly what you want dropping exactly the right size

[btroj]

Must be out of ignorance. RCBS just isn't smart enough to know better. They should be listening to the arm chair quarterbacks here.

Shame on them. And to think they survived this long as a business.

[HangFireW8]

Not a growth market, initial design & tooling costs, shrinking number of places to find and use lead. They are happy to milk the current product line as long as they can.

[geargnasher]

If I was going to spend that much money I would rather buy from Tom at accuratemolds.com. Why hope you get what you want when you can specify and get exactly what you want dropping exactly the right size

That's what I do instead of pondering the useless. Tell him what you want, how many holes, what you want it made out of, send the man your money, and in a couple weeks you have a lifetime tool that will rival the best RCBS ever put out. He doesn't make 4-cavity iron moulds, but but he does them in brass and aluminum and builds them in such a way that durability is not an issue with normal use.

Gear

[geargnasher]

By the way, those of you who think you just have to have an iron mould make me think your world is small.

Gear

[40Super]

Gear your statement about giving Tom money and "in a couple of weeks" you'll get the mold, is wrong. It is more like LESS than 7 days

[bigboredad]

I think the best part about Tom is he will take the time and answer all questions you have and is willing to help you make the best bullet for your needs. I just recently spent a week going over designs and asking Tom every stupid question there is about bullet design. In the end I went with a 3 hole brass cause I've been using 3 other molds of his in brass and I am comfortable using that platform. I got his mold exactly 7 days after I gave the ok on the drawing, There was a weekend in there and a holliday. Cast some bullets and they dropped exactly how he said they would and shot them yesterday and I didn't have one group that wasn't under a inch and a half. Rcbs does a great job on what they do. Tom far exceeds your expectations has excellent customer service and builds what YOU want not what he thinks you want. It's your money and you if you work for it and earn it you owe your self to buy What you want

[BWelch47]

RCBS bought the mould section from OHAUS. OHAUS only produced 2 and 3 cavity moulds and RCBS did not change the format. (Yes, the same OHAUS that produces weight scales.)

[Bret4207]

My guess is they ran a business case, subtracted the start up and manufacturing costs from projected profits and found it didn't pay back.

Bingo! Casting is such a small part of RCBS line that I doubt they'd even consider it. Same for Lyman ever bringing back all those moulds we lust after or upping their QC. They make more off sunglasses and ear muffs than casting.