#358429 info needed......

[FN in MT]

I'd like to purchase the Lyman #358429 four cavity and was wondering if the currently produced moulds are OK or have they changed the original design. Had one of these thirty years ago but lost it someplace when I moved many years back.

Sorry for such a newby Question...but You guys will have the info.

FN in MT

[runfiverun]

i think they changed to a rounded lube groove, and may have changed back again.
but others will know more.

[Tom Herman]

I looked in the Midway catalog and bought the 358477 because the picture showed a beautiful square grease groove. Imagine my disappointment when the mold that arrived had a round groove.
Wherever you order it from, verify that the 358429 has the square grooves...

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[vanilla_gorilla]

I wish to know as well. I've been looking at the Lyman 358429 for my next mould, but not if it's been changed to a round groove.

[BCB]

Here are a few of the ones I have cast recently. The mold is less than 10 years old, but I don't remember the exact date. It is a 2-cavity mold...BCB

[BCB]

PARAMETER OLD STYLE NEW STYLE DIFFERENCE
FRONT BAND 0.1120 0.0910 -0.0210
MIDDLE BAND 0.1320 0.0950 -0.0370
LOWER BAND 0.1170 0.1170 0.0000
BEARING SURFACE 0.4810 0.4550 -0.0260
MEPLAT 0.2450 0.2520 0.0070
BULLET LENGTH 0.7510 0.7350 -0.0160
WEIGHT 170.0000 165.0000 -5.0000
DIAMETER AT LOWER BAND 0.3600 0.3585 -0.0015
O.C.L.@CRIMP GROOVE 1.657 1.645 -0.0120


Here are a few numbers comparing the old to the new mold. Hope it posts O.K. BCB


Well, it didn't so you will just have to line the numbers up yourself!!! I can't seem to do it...BCB

[HeavyMetal]

Buying a mold from Lyman is a crap shoot!

I have long felt the molds get cut with whatever cherry is within reach of the guy cutting the mold at that moment!

A better idea, if your not in a hurry, is to advertise for a 4 banger 358429 with the sq groove.

I have a single, converted to HP, but right now I couldn't tell you which groove design it has.

[kenjuudo]

I have the design in an Ideal SC and that mold has the round groove.

jim

[FN in MT]

Been gone for the weekend just got in......Thanks for the input. I was going to buy a 4 cavity from Grafs as they are reasonably priced compared to anything locally. REALLY want a 4 cavity as I shoot a lot of .38 slugs.

Would the round lube ring be all THAT bad compared to the square???

Anyone other than Lyman make a 4 cavity .38 Keith slug??

FN in MT

[Heavy lead]

I just bought one two months ago, a 4 cavity 358429 from Midsouth and it has a beautiful fat square grease groove and throws boolits .3585, very happy with it. Midsouth has their 4 cavities for $66 and some change, by far the cheapest around. BTW I picked up a 429421 4 cavity at the same time and this has a square grease groove too. I picked up a 4 cavity from them about a month later that casts .453, maybe Lyman made some new cherries, I'm happy with all 3 of them.

[fecmech]

I have an Ideal 358439 HP Keith and a 4 cav 358429 from the 70's both with round grease grooves. The 4 cav shoots less than 2" avg. groups @ 50 yds out of my GP100 Ruger@ approx 1200fps. A different loading running 1400 fps out of my Model 94 Winchester rifle averages 2-3" at 100 yds. The HP shoots equally well. IMO the shape of the lube groove is not very important. I would not worry about it.

[Cherokee]

I doubt that your target can tell the difference between round or square grooves.

[FN in MT]

Appreciate the replies.......ordered one today from MidSouth.

FN in MT

[GLL]

FN:

Here is an old IDEAL 358429 flanked by a pair of 358439s.

Jerry

[fecmech]

Lyman must have been all over the place making cherries for the Keith bullet. As I said in my previous post my Ideal HP mould had a round grease groove as did my 4 cav 358429. Your ideal has a square groove and the pics show different placement of the lube groove and a larger and more beveled crimp groove on the solid Keith than the HP.

[barefooter175]

I bought my 358429 about 15-18 years ago used. It has a round lube groove. The as-cast bullets weigh 158.2 gr. and mike at .359". The alloy used is a 50-50 mix of linotype and wheelweights. It shoots well out of my .357 Ruger Blackhawk. I haven't tried it with any .38 loads.

[FN in MT]

Barefooter....... Where in Hunterdon County?? I grew up in Kingwood, near Barbertown. Moved to MT way back in 1979. A lot has changed out there since then. Used to hunt, shoot and ride my horse all over the place.......now it's all houses and uptight New Yorkers.



My original #358429 that I bought in the early 70's cast HEAVY slugs and had a square grease groove. Mine cast 170-172 gr slugs IIRC. I used almost straight linotype back then. Shot thousands of them in .38 cases over 5.0 of Unique.

My mould should be in this week. I'll post if mine is square or round.

FN in MT

[FN in MT]

My mould arrived yesterrday and it has a SQUARE grease groove.

[MtGun44]

One more data point that says that Lyman has gone back to the
(more or less) original Keith designs after decades of wandering in
the wilderness.

Somebody at Lyman needs to get a pat on the back !

Maybe somebody at the factory lurks around here.

Bill