Lyman Mold Number Suffix's

[alamogunr]

I have a Lyman 4 cavity mold, ID'd as 452460 AW. Does anyone know what the suffix AW means?

[John Boy]

John - Ideal used a 3 digit cherry number for each of the molds. My guess the AW is Lyman's cherry number used after they bought out Ideal
AW is not on Cast Pics for the listing of Ideal mold cherry numbers

[alamogunr]

Thanks! I bought it used(barely) on whim several years ago. I've never used it since I got a MP H&G68 shortly after and have used it exclusively for a .45 SWC.

I really need to try it out. Not sure I will like the clamshell handles. Will Lee handles work?

[mattw]

I have been curious about these letters as well. There are letters to designate over and under size and long or short. But, I have never found anything that explains the AX or AV or a few others I have.

This link does have some info as well.
http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/310/L...Reference.html

[gwpercle]

I have a Lyman 4 cavity mold, ID'd as 452460 AW. Does anyone know what the suffix AW means?

I seem to remember reading these letters were used in manufacturing , such as keeping blocks together or for some such other manufacturing reason and don't really mean anything else.

The 452460 is an excellant 45 acp boolit. I used it in NRA Bullseye Shooting matches back in the day.
That boolit over 5.2 grains of Unique won me a 1st Place trophy in a 1911 G.I. Match once....

It's never failed to feed in a G.I. surplus 1911 , Colt Gold Cup , Colt Commander , Star model PS and a Ruger SR1911 all of them had no modifications to feed this boolit....it's a winner in a 1911 .
Gary

[MGySgt]

I really need to try it out. Not sure I will like the clamshell handles. Will Lee handles work?

Short answer is NO. However if you take a set of the Lee Mold Handles and use a belt sander you can thin down the arms of the handles to fit in the slots. I have done this on one set of Lee handles that I use on my Lyman 4 cavity molds. I bought something like 6 of them when I found a sale for them years ago for $10.00 each.
YMMV but it worked for me.

[alamogunr]

I'll try that. I did the same a few years ago and still have some that I've never used.

[Bent Ramrod]

I heard that Lyman now outsources the mould cherries from specialty manufacturers rather than making them in-house, as they used to. The alpha letters are internal reference codes for the cherry manufacturer.

There should also be a three-digit number on each block that is the assembly number, to keep the blocks together as fitted, and, of course the four-to-six digit mould number, combining the nominal diameter and the designated Lyman/Ideal top punch number for the lubrisizer.

[tazman]

Thanks! I bought it used(barely) on whim several years ago. I've never used it since I got a MP H&G68 shortly after and have used it exclusively for a .45 SWC.

I really need to try it out. Not sure I will like the clamshell handles. Will Lee handles work?

I use the 452460 in my 45ACP pistols and it works really well for me. The accuracy is slightly better than the H&G 68 clones in my pistols.

[Baltimoreed]

Attachment 237418
Last week I cast, pc’ed, sized to .451 600 of these critters and loaded up 150. Feed fine in my 1911. Thinking that my mould is an Ideal double cavity. Need to put them on paper, feel like they’re hitting high left on my steel.