The Joys and Pain of Brass Molds....

[bluejay75]

Greetings Casting Brethren,

I am by no means an expert in anything but I think I am in love with brass molds now.

Here are my trimmed down positive observations:

1. They hold heat and you can get through the majority of your session without cooling them down or heating them back up.

2. They cast prettier Boolits. I always wondered how Beagle333 got his boolits so nice and shiny. Heat control and brass molds.

3. They cast consistent boolits. I have very few rejects per 500 boolits as compared to the same alloy and aluminum molds of equal size.

4. On a hotplate...it seems like the heat builds up in the mold resulting in fewer pours to get to good Boolits.

5. You can lube your molds with less lube resulting in fewer rejects following lubing once youre casting.

One borderline negative observation:

1. Heavy...I made an attempt to cast with two brass molds at the same time. That didnt last long at all.

2. Heavy...By the time my arm got tired casting with one mold it gave me time to do other things and come back and the mold was still throwing good boolits.

What are your observations? Any tips that you would like to share?

Bluejay

[Walks]

I cast with 3-4 iron molds at a time. Maintain a good rythem and I get good bullets. My biggest problem is keeping the pot full.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Personally, I prefer aluminum molds. Besides the weight difference, I have found with brass, that I need to cast slower because I will get base slump. With al, I count to three and drop. With brass, it is more like five or even ten. I am far from an expert. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

[JBinMN]

I don't have any brass molds, but I reckon someday I will. Thus I cannot add anything one way or the other as far as advantages or disadvantages. I just have alum. ones & they have done me right fine so far.

I do think that I will be getting at least a multiple cavity one(4+) if I do get one, and if I can find one in a type I like. Heavier weight mold or not. I reckon that had I known what I do now, even with the alum. ones, I prefer the multiple cavity ones(4+, mine are 6 cavs) over the singles or doubles I have. Simply due to production levels & speed. The lil bit of extra time spent to do 6 cavs vs 2 cavities is inconsequential to me for the results I get. I feel as though it would be like the difference between a progressive & a turret press, or a SS to a turret.

Anyway, the time will come when I get to try one or more & I will be better informed by my own doins, but until then I get to read what others have to say in this topic. I have read others about much the same thing & I still maintain the thinking I have mentioned above after that. I will see if anyone has more to add that may change my mind.




(P.S - I "am" wondering how long it will be before this topic turns into a "peeing contest", or a "bashing" of mnfrs. It seems to happen just about every time something like this is brought up... We shall see? eh? )

[Dieselhorses]

All molds have advantages and disadvantages, but specifically with brass molds, aside from weight, it's tough sometimes to keep the e-clips in place despite being in grove (almost too small) AND pills are a bit touchy falling out despite smoking and/or using graphite pencil. But I have to admit, the quality of the casts are noticeably better than all my Lee molds.

[Springfield]

Comparing LEE moulds to brass moulds is a bit unfair. Better to compare brass moulds to better aluminum moulds like NOE or Accurate. The only brass moulds I use are 2 cavity MIHEC HP moulds, and the brass is your friend as it holds more heat to help fill-out the hollowpoint. I haven't had any problem losing the e-clips. I have never cast with brass non hollow point though, as I prefer 5-6 cavity moulds and they would be too heavy for me.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I picked up some sturdier e-clips at the hardware store. They fit the groove fine, but are a little bigger. You need to turn them so they don’t interfere with the handles.

[kevin c]

I have eight cav aluminum molds by MP. I have one four cavity HP brass mold by MP that outweighs the aluminum ones. I think I'd end up with carpal tunnel syndrome or some such if I had an eight cav in brass. I do confess that the brass mold is a work of art (haven't cast with it yet).

[Land Owner]

I do confess that the brass mold is a work of art (haven't cast with it yet).

+1

I purchased 2 two-cav Mihec brass HP molds a year ago and no handles (still haven't). They are almost too purdy (and heavy) to heat up. One of these days though...one of these days.

[Bent Ramrod]

The “weight” issue in brass moulds is pretty needless, IMHO. I have a few integral-handle Yankee brass moulds that are the same type and size as the corresponding iron Ideal moulds. They cast as well as the Ideals (or slightly smoother), hold the heat as well, and never show a speck of rust.

It appears that Eagan started the trend of using massive brass blocks on his moulds, and everybody else seems to have followed suit. Eagan was the go-to guy for the cast bullet benchrest crowd, and may have decided that using blocks of the size of Lyman two-cavity moulds (or slightly bigger) for a single cavity was in order for maximum heat retention consistency. For anybody that isn’t weighing, uniforming and neckturning cases, bumping boolits to fit the chamber throat, and doing all that other benchrest stuff to get every fraction of a theoretical percentage point towards “the Ultimate” in accuracy, it is kind of an overkill situation. Visual inspection and/or weighing of the castings from a lighter mould will get the shooter the same results.

I would be delighted if all my moulds turned into brass overnight by magic; they are superior to iron and aluminum for all the reasons others have stated, but I think the manufacturer could pare some of that weight off with no difference in castability or accuracy that the end user could distinguish.

Every time I cast with one of my large, heavy brass moulds, I think of the old Joe Weider ads. He sold a lot of instruction books for body builders, one of which was titled “How To Build a Mighty Grip.” A good casting session will certainly do that just as well.

[RED BEAR]

The only brass molds i have are mp molds and i just love them. But they are a bit heavy. Thats why i like lee molds is there light weight.

[Burnt Fingers]

I just got a new MP brass 6 cavity mold from a group buy. This will be my second 6 cavity brass mold. Both are 9mm. They seem to balance very nicely for me and I really don't notice the weight while casting.

When you get them they are so nice looking it seems a shame to cast with them. But then you remember they make such purty boolits that you HAVE to use them.

I also have some 4 cavity HP brass molds and one 2 cavity brass mold.

Like Bent Ramrod I'd be pleased as punch if all my molds turned to brass overnight.

The 6 cavity brass 9mm molds seem to weigh about the same as my 4 cavity H&G molds.

[country gent]

I like my brass moulds a lot and they all cast very well. Very consistent bullets. My Brass moulds are all Old West moulds by Bernie Rowels and are very high quality and very good craftsmanship. Brass offers some advantages in heat retention stability corrosion resistance. Brass is a heavier denser material. It is probably the easiest of the 3 to machine and finish.
Steel has good heat retention and very useful life span, it will rust. Handled roughly cat iron may even chip. Steel is probably the hardest to machine and hardest on tooling. Steel is mid point I weight for the materials.
Aluminum is the lightest of the 3 materials and softest will ding and scratch the easiest. Aluminum wont rust but certain chemicals will cause a corrosion to form which is as destructive as rust. It gives a good life span of useful life. Its heat retention is low and casting cadence may need to be faster or lead ran hotter. Depending on grade aluminum can be harder to machine being gummy and abrasive. It is harder on tooling than brass but probably easier than steel.

I have a very few aluminum moulds ( bullets I don't cast often or in big quantities), Brass ( as stated above) and steel / cast iron ( Lyman, RCBS, Brooks ) all cast good accurate consistent bullets. More so than material in a mould is the craftsmanship the maker takes in it. This aspect is the big thing. A Mould made by Brooks, Noe, Accurate, Old West, probably has more care taken in the making than one of the production ran moulds.

[Smoke4320]

Love Brass Molds.. yes they do hold heat much better than aluminum.

[RogerDat]

Weight matters to me. For quantity I have gone with NOE with 4 or 5 cavities, Lee with 6 cavity. I finally decided to purchase a brass mold for HP .38/.357 use. Two cavity which I'm hoping will be lite enough and I don't anticipate needed HP bullets in the quantity I do SWC bullets I get from molds with more cavities. Two cavity should be sufficient for HP bullets. Brass for HP or special sizes or configurations that will see more limited production seems like it might work for me.

I'm not in a huge hurry, most of the time if I do 1 or 2 hundred in a session that is plenty. I'll do more tomorrow evening if I want more. I do want to enjoy it and not sure above a certain weight I would find casting as enjoyable. There is also the long term prospect of weight being more of an issue as one gets older. Why buy a mold that lasts a lifetime if I can't use it for the last 10 years of my own because it is too heavy?

I debate the 8 cavity MP molds for that reason, really nice but weight could be a problem later. NOE 5 cavity or Lee 6 cavity less weight so I expect I will get longer use from them.

[RKJ]

I've got 2 or 3 MP brass molds and while they are heavy they cast such good looking bullets (and so many are time) that I enjoy using them. I cast in short sessions so the weight doesn't get to me so much. One of these days I would like to try a quality aluminium mold,but all my needs are covered right now. I "need" to get a new gun so that I have to get a new mold.

[Land Owner]

Why buy a mold that lasts a lifetime if I can't use it for the last 10 years of my own because it is too heavy?

Because for the years of casting you do with it (make a bunch), the boolits are supreme AND you can sell your jewel for what you paid for it.

[megasupermagnum]

I prefer aluminum myself. I could see why some like the heat retention of brass. I don't like that myself, I like how controllable aluminum is. I never gave much chance to iron/steel. They cast good bullets, but the fact that they rust if not stored oiled is a deal breaker. I know myself too well. The only real problem with brass is that you can get them too hot, and solder lead to them. I never cared about shiny bullets at all, good bullets cast with a frost. As someone mentioned, it's too easy to overheat a brass mold and cast slumped bullets.

[M-Tecs]

I love my brass molds. On the weight issue I have been use H&G 10 cavities molds since the mid 80's so they seem light to me.

[kevin c]

Ten cavities? I thought the eight on Miha's aluminum mold drained my pot quick. Ten cavities I'd need more capacity then I ever dreamed of having.