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Thread: What Is A Good .45 ACP Mold?

  1. #61
    Boolit Buddy dancingbear41's Avatar
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    [QUOTE][I have the Lyman 452460 SWC and 452370 RN. New Lyman moulds are quite nice because they now have a much thicker sprue plate although the only new .45 mould I have is their HP Devastator which is awesome!!/QUOTE]

    I don't know what I was thinking, or rather wasn't. It is the Lyman 452374 RN bullet I have.

    Simon.

  2. #62
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Venturino View Post
    EDK: Redding/SAECO has a full wadcutter .45 bullet. Its their #453 and is supposed to weigh 225 grains. They used to have a 260 grain version but no longer catalog it. I have both in triple cavity moulds and they are excellent bullets.

    MLV
    Thank you, sir.

    I remembered you had mentioned it in an article and scratched my...er...nose to find it; I was thinking 45 ACP and it was on 45 Long Colt....in an issue of HANDLOADER I've re-read a million times...You and Brian Pearce out did yourselves in that issue.

    The only problem with the SAECOs is getting one discounted...or quickly if not in stock at the outifts like Midway or Grafs. Since I've got 2 group buy moulds to pay for (and bought another 550B) this will be on hold for awhile. Missouri got enlightened about CCW permits and I think a 625 with full wadcutters would be ideal

    Thanks again...I've enjoyed your books and magazine articles.


  3. #63
    Boolit Buddy
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    EdK: you're very welcome. Glad to hear that Missouri got the CCW.

    Mike V.

  4. #64
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by ANeat View Post




    Here is a Group buy Lyman "copy" a Lyman and the Lee bullet together.

    Is the Lyman the one on the far left?

  5. #65
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    Hmm, old thread I had never read. Thanks for bringing it back.

    To answer your question, the Lyman 452374 is the middle boolit.
    The one on the far left is the group buy Lyman "copy".
    Not a very accurate copy either...
    Last edited by Matt_G; 08-09-2009 at 10:14 AM.
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  6. #66
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    Here is the Lachmiller 200 gr SWCPB (on left) (from 3 Cav) beside the Lyman 452460 (middle, didn't have a photo of this boolit).

    They both feed and shoot well in my 1911 but the SAECO #068 (on right) six cavity casts so well and makes such huge piles of perfect boolits so fast it is by far my most used bullet in this gun. Typo fixed, it is #068 NOT 069

    Rick

    Last edited by cbrick; 08-18-2009 at 12:04 AM. Reason: Fat thumbs, all 10. Typo, #068 not 069
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  7. #67
    Boolit Grand Master



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    I have shot .45 ACP's enthusiastically for many, many years. I have shot both NRA Bullseye and IPSC.

    The H&G #68 is the premier .45 ACP bullet for both sports. It shoots really well in a variety of .45 ACP pistol designs (including the great S&W Model 25 and 625 revolvers). The nose "strike point" is designed to hit exactly where the issue hard ball bullet hits the feed ram - that is the secret of it's vaunted reliable feeding reputation.

    MeHec's copy of the H&G #68 is as close as close can be. My MeHec six cavity mould is a treasured possession. It gets used a LOT.

    Dale53

  8. #68
    Boolit Master
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    IIRC H & G stopped production in about 1997 or so and then Ballisti-cast bought the tooling but couldn't buy the name. They also had to change the numbering system as part of the deal.
    I haven't bought moulds from Ballisti-cast but have heard good things about them. I think there were some problems when they first took over but from what I understand they have corrected them and are turning out good moulds.
    I have about 15 H & G moulds most are 8 and 10 cavity moulds and at one time I had nearly 40 moulds but lost half in a divorce. When I had that number of moulds I was selling about 40,000 hand cast bullets per week. This was a lot of work but using the gang moulds it was possible. I also had a regular job.
    The best seller in 45 acp was the number 68 and it remains my favorite. The 200 gr. number 519 was second and a tie with the number 130.....Wes
    The problem in America today is, there are to many fools making to many rules that don't apply to themselves. Now just wait until the new pres. takes office and see what happens!!!!!

  9. #69
    Boolit Master
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    I'm fortunate enough to have an old two cavity H&G #78 that I consider to be the finest bullet extant for the 45 a.c.p.
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  10. #70
    Boolit Buddy
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    ANeat's photo explained to me why the Lee 452-228-1R boolit causes headaches for .45 ACP shooters.

    I edited the photo to put the Lyman boolit next to the Lee, and indicated roughly where the boolit starts tapering in towards the nose.



    The max OAL for a .45 ACP round is 1.275". I measured some old (1963) military ball .45 M1911 ammo the other day at 1.265" average. People using the Lee 452-228-1R boolit in M1911's are reporting having to reduce their OAL a fair bit, to somewhere in the 1.200" OAL range to keep the boolit from being jammed into the throat and getting shoved back into the case, like in this thread: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=60510

    Because of this, I can only suggest that the 452-228-1R would be a poor choice for .45 ACP boolit casters.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 45LymanVsLee.JPG  
    Last edited by SierraWhiskeyMC; 08-20-2009 at 02:42 PM.

  11. #71
    Boolit Master
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    Ballisti-cast took over the H&G line.

    Before you commit to a particular bullet, ask if somebody will send you some from the various molds and try them in your gun.

    The most expensive mold is cheaper if you don't have to buy 2 or 3 others to get there. That expensive mold will last your lifetime if you treat it with care and you will most likely get your money back out of it if you decide to sell in the future. Ask the original owners of H&G molds if they lost any money when they sold their molds.

  12. #72
    Boolit Master
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    The only way I ever lost money on a H & G mould was the ones my exwife got in the divorce. That was 100% loss. Well maybe I came out ahead in the long run.
    I did buy a custom matched used pair of 4 cavity #68 bb moulds one time for 100.00 and sold them several years later for 300.00. They went to South Africa and I didn't even have to pay shipping that far on them....Wes
    The problem in America today is, there are to many fools making to many rules that don't apply to themselves. Now just wait until the new pres. takes office and see what happens!!!!!

  13. #73
    Boolit Mold
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    I have been casting lead bullets for over 40 years and there are as many questions as there are answers. I used the Lyman 200 grain SWC for almost all my .45s. But some of the newer guns like Glock and Springfield Armory are kind of touchy when it comes SWCs. So for those guns I used round nose. It matches the factory shape and haven't had any problems with stove piping. Good luck

  14. #74
    Boolit Buddy Tippet's Avatar
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    I've got the Devastator, haven't used it yet. Waiting on my MiHec dual cramer mould:

    Mihec has some moulds ready-to-go in .452, couple of 200-gr six-holers in flat & bevel base:
    http://www.mp-molds.com/index.php?pr=E_-_shop
    This shop also has some moulds for 45ACP:
    http://www.hollowpointmold.com/

  15. #75
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    Tippet, I love your avatar!
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  16. #76
    Boolit Master at Heaven's Range 2010

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    45 acp

    I have both lee 45acpthe copy of H&G and the tumble lube in 6 cavity.they both work in my 3 45s.I used the H&G 68 for yrs and now use lee,club owns the 68.I crimp on top band (roll) crimp.never had a failure.shot compitition for 30 ys.the gun shoots better than I.
    get what you want all brands work just that Lee is least expensive and of 10 6 cavities they worked from the get go.as did the 2 cavities.
    WILDCATT

  17. #77
    Boolit Man Cannoneer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 35remington View Post

    I have no doubt the short 200 SWC cowboy type bullet (the alternate Lee bullet with the big flat) works in many 1911's, but I must point out it wasn't designed for it - it's a cowboy action bullet.
    .

    The big flat nose has been around since the early 1970's. My first .45 mold was the .454 RFN that Lee made back in 1974, This is before Cowboy action shooting. I was using that bullet in .45ACP and Auto Rim thru my Colt 1917 and my Colt Government Model Series 70 years before CAS came about. It hammers cyotes and wolfs like there's no tomorrow, and mine fed well in both my Colt Government and My Springfield M1911A1.

    The 200 grain version works as well without the recoil associated with a 255 grain bullet.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check