Lyman 358156 bullet mould

[vrh]

Just bought a Lyman bullet mold # 358156. It is made to be used with a gas check.
Was wondering since I powder coat my bullets, can I use them without a gas check in my 38 special?

[ioon44]

I have loaded that bullet with and with out gas checks in .38 spl and in .357 mag it also makes a good heavy bullet for 9 mm when used with out the gas check. I wish I still had that mold to try it with Hi-Tek coating for 9 mm.

[Ed_Shot]

The 358156 works just fine in 357/38 w/o the gc with traditional lube. I size mine .358. Don't see why it wouldn't do the same powder coated. You'll have to to it.

[vrh]

Thanks for your help guys. I load a light load of Unique powder in my 38 Special. Will post the reults when I get the chance to shoot some.

[xrider472]

What do you guys do about powder sticking to the lube where the gas check would be?

[Bama]

The 358156 works just fine in 357/38 w/o the gc with traditional lube. I size mine .358. Don't see why it wouldn't do the same powder coated. You'll have to to it.

What do you guys do about powder sticking to the lube where the gas check would be?

Use pc so no lube to stick

[xrider472]

The 358156 works just fine in 357/38 w/o the gc with traditional lube. I size mine .358. Don't see why it wouldn't do the same powder coated. You'll have to to it.

I guess i should have directed my question to you, sir.

[beagle]

I had my machinist mill the GC shank out of mine. Ended all that business. The GC requirement has probably kept the 358156 from being more popular over the years than any other factor. It's an excellent design./beagle

[Ed_Shot]

What do you guys do about powder sticking to the lube where the gas check would be?

For my part, I consider powder sticking to lube on a boolit base sans gc or to a bevel base boolit a non-issue. I see no consequence at the target or on the chrony read-out. If it is a worry, wipe the lube off. There is more than one thread here about shooting gc boolits w/o the gc.

[Screwbolts]

If you were to pick up a Star lubber-sizer you wouldn't have to deal with any lube on the shank or base. You could also use any one of the Lee type lubes and air dry and shoot unsized if the chamber well, Or push threw a lee type sizer.

Ken

[Kraschenbirn]

I'd been casting for M/Ls for two or three years before I bought my first 'modern' mold...a 358156 DC...and for many years that was the ONLY mold I owned for .38s/.357s (don't use it much these days but still have it). Loaded, literally, thousands, lubed with alox, without GCs, into milsurp .38 Spl. cases over 3.1 gr. B'eye or 3.3 gr. 700X 'cause I didn't know any better but, you know, I never noticed a lick of downrange difference 'tween those and .38 Spls loaded with GC'd boolits.

Bill

[mdi]

Beagle; does the removal of the gas check shank improve accuracy? With a larger "driving band" at the rear of the bullet make for more accurate bullets?

[beagle]

The way these old eyes let me shoot, I can't tell the difference but I'm well satisfied with the accuracy. At the same time we "bobtailed" this mould, we also made it a HP and that has improved accuracy in every case where I have HP'd a mould with two exceptions.....the 429360 and the 357446. The large rear driving band can't hurt and with the HP, it throws the weight farther to the rear. The big benefit was getting rid of the requirement for GCs which is what this thread is about. I'd not hesitate to do it again. It's worked out well./beagle

Beagle; does the removal of the gas check shank improve accuracy? With a larger "driving band" at the rear of the bullet make for more accurate bullets?

[azrednek]

For what it's worth. I've shot hundreds, perhaps thousands bare assed rolled in Lee goo until I discovered the Lee 125 RF for light plinking loads. Years ago I had a single cavity I bought used with the gas check cavity reamed out. I couldn't see any improvement on paper so I sold off he slow poke single cavity.