Quick poll on first molds.

[rbuck351]

The first mold I cast with I bought new at a local gun store. It was a Lyman 358432 that I bought to feed a Colt Officers Model 38. I bought my first press, an RCBS reloader special, about that same time and learned to reload metallic cartridges from a Speer manual. This was 1968 or 69 and the choices of loading equipment was limited where I lived. Lee didn't make loading stuff at the time. No one I knew reloaded or cast bullets so I was on my own. I think I probably made every mistake in the book.

I still have the mold and the Colt.

[Rapier]

In 1962 I bought a single cavity Lyman 158 grain 357 SWC mould with handles to feed a M-15 Smith. I still have that mould and the handles and the pour dipper. Used a a Lyman nut cracker tool to reload. I still have the set.

[Rockindaddy]

Borrowed a 6-cavity 45-70 Hensley & Gibbs style mould in 1963. Wooah! That started it all! Reloading for my $35 1873 Trapdoor Springfield sporterized rifle.

[Jungle Dave]

Can't remember which caliber, but first mold was a Lee....probably for a cap and ball revolver..

[Green Frog]

Back when the Earth was young and so was I, my father and I decided to get into reloading and bullet casting. For the latter we got a package deal from a shooting friend, consisting of a 10# Lyman pot, a couple of Lyman/Ideal moulds, and a Lyman 450 Lubricator/Sizer. Since this stuff is what I learned with, it’s likely that it strongly influenced my tastes in equipment. Most of my routine casting to this day uses old Ideal moulds or somebody’s custom moulds. After that pot and its 20# replacement went belly up, I’ve used mostly Lee and now RCBS pots, but most everything else tends to still be Lyman.

Froggie

[hornetguy]

I don't remember which was first, but I bought Lyman molds for the .45 Colt and the .44 mag.... IIRC, the 44 mag was a 429421, and I'm pretty sure it was a single cavity.
We're talking about 52 or 53 years ago, so my memory is a little fuzzy....
It's actually a little fuzzy about last week, so, there's that....

[justindad]

I would absolutely recommend an RCBS mold as a first mold. The boolits just roll out. Mine have found better alignment of the two cavities than MP, NOE, Saeco, and Lyman. One of my RCBS molds produces boolits with zero roundness error to the 0.0001”. The molds blocks won’t get damaged by lead smears under the sprue plate. Cleaning after a casting session is a breeze. Iron RCBS molds are the way to go.

[pworley1]

I bought a Lyman 44 round ball to go with a muzzle loading single shot pistol I had built.

[35 Rem]

I started casting while in college with an almost non-existant budget so of course my 1st molds were Lee. They were less than $10 back then. I THINK the very first was the 309-150-F because I got a 30-30 when I was 16 and started loading for it about 2 years later when I got my 1st metalic cartridge loading set-up. I soon got a 44 Mag revolver and got a now discontinued 255 semi-wadcutter from Lee. It's possible that mold was the 1st. I sold many thousands of bullets from each to a local gunshop while in college to pay for my reloading supplies.
Even after graduating I always looked 1st to Lee when wanting a new mold because their molds work and only cost a fraction of what all the others do.

[GONRA]

GONRA hasa lotta "Lyman -Ideal Stock & Custom Auto Pistol" moulds from "good olde days".
Hope my Grandsons appreciate this stuff...

[wv109323]

My first mold was a 4 cavity Saeco for the 200g. SWC .45ACP. about 1981.

[Bazoo]

For me it was a Lee mould, I don't remember the model. I never could get it fill out like it should because I was casting with a castiron skillet over a coleman stove, and I hadn't figured out about heat control, mould temperature, and cadence. I ended up trading it off and I acquired a used Lyman 358156. I really learned to cast on that mould.

[Slugster]

My first mould was a Lee 429/215 gr swc. Purchased from a buddy for five bucks.

[parkerhale1200]

53 now.
Bought my first mold from rcbs when i was 10-11 158gr semi wadcutter, bought a second handed one, you can not eben buy 10 bullits for that price anymore.....(yes i understand economics.).
Still have it and still good.

[atfsux]

I got my start with casting as a young man just out of high school with a neighbor down the street who was using 3 automated Magma Master Casters to do production for his little side business selling cast bullets to the local gun shops. I worked for him helping to run the machines and lubrisize the projectiles and package them. That was in the late 80s. Now I'm 55 and medically retired/disabled after a bad accident. With my insurance payout last April I bought out a local caster who was calling it quits and now have his 3 Magma Bullet Master Mk6s and a Lube Master and 50 sets of molds. Probably later this year I'll get it all set up and acquire my FFL to begin commercial production.

[kilowatt]

My first mold was the 525 grain Lyman slug mold.

[brstevns]

My frist was a EIG Italian brand mould made from brass that made both conical and round ball for my EIG Brass frame Nvay Colt.
That was back 68. No longer have either

[725]

my first casting efforts fed my .45 cal homemade long rifle. that was in 1979. have expanded the effort mightily ever since.

[huntinmo]

It was about 1958, I borrowed an Ideal 311291 from a friend who was casting in a neighbors garage (with permission) and used a Lyman 310 tool to load. Used that bullet in my Marlin 336 with microgroove rifling and it was accurate enough for minute of deer.

[Cord]

Once upon a time, maybe about 1973,

Went to John's Sporting Goods and talked to the counter man...
...Paid $38.50 for a four cavity SAECO Custom Precision #130.

Still have it....
.