NEI Molds

[ACC]

Is NEI Still in business? My best friend pasted away two weeks ago and he designed at lest 20 different bullets for different people and NEI made them for these people. One was a Keith type swc for the Federal .327 magnum and the .32 H&R magnum. Along with bullet molds for the 7.62X39 and the .308 Winchester (this one being used in competition).

If they are still in business does anyone know their web address? They used to be located in El Paso Texas (My friend and I to a short 600 mile trip to talk to the owner once).

I still use the 7.62X39 mold that he designed. In my CZ bolt gun it shoots within an inch at 100 meters and has taken my deer every year for the past 5 years.

ACC

[Outpost75]

NEI been out of business for a long time. Quality suffered after Walt died.

Best molds available today are Accurate, CBE, NOE, and Mountain Molds. There may be others, but these are the ones I have the most personal experience with. Tom at Accurate has the greatest variety and is the go-to guy for anything pure custom if you want your own design at highest quality for an affordable price.

[ACC]

I Just wanted to see if my buddy's molds where still being made. Told his wife I would.

ACC

[Char-Gar]

Is NEI Still in business? My best friend pasted away two weeks ago and he designed at lest 20 different bullets for different people and NEI made them for these people. One was a Keith type swc for the Federal .327 magnum and the .32 H&R magnum. Along with bullet molds for the 7.62X39 and the .308 Winchester (this one being used in competition).

If they are still in business does anyone know their web address? They used to be located in El Paso Texas (My friend and I to a short 600 mile trip to talk to the owner once).

I still use the 7.62X39 mold that he designed. In my CZ bolt gun it shoots within an inch at 100 meters and has taken my deer every year for the past 5 years.

ACC

Walt Melander got hit with a huge tax bill from the State of Texas re some obscure manufacturing tax. Walt's response was to pack up and head to Oregon. He made molds there until his death. The family tried to run the business, but it eventually failed due to poor quality.

[Petander]

I just got a 6 cav steel NEI mold today,a 358-142 gc. To my surprise it was unused.

Breaking it in now,making dummies for a longer OAL. Got lucky,they fit both a Rossi carbine AND a mod 28.

Mold looks and feels like good quality.

.

[Teemu]

edit... should drink my morning coffe first and read and write then. Nice catch.

[ACC]

I just got a 6 cav steel NEI mold today,a 358-142 gc. To my surprise it was unused.

Breaking it in now,making dummies for a longer OAL. Got lucky,they fit both a Rossi carbine AND a mod 28.

Mold looks and feels like good quality.

.

Doesn't look like steel to me. When they where in El Paso the quality was the best. I have inherited all the molds that my brother had . Eight are NEI. It's a shame that when the driving force of a family owned business dies, the kids drive it into the ground.

ACC

[Petander]

Doesn't look like steel to me. When they where in El Paso the quality was the best. I have inherited all the molds that my brother had . Eight are NEI. It's a shame that when the driving force of a family owned business dies, the kids drive it into the ground.

ACC

You are right,removing that black cosmoline-type preventative revealed an aluminum mold.

After a couple of sessions I'm still getting seams,Lee-style. Normal?

[Teemu]

And all aligned pins are down on mold half. I got like 10-15 NEI's molds but pins are up and down on half. I'm still don't know when company went to he's kids. I remember there was some dog's pictures on webpage. And it was called Meehanite that material which molds where made. Sprue plate was like cut peace of steel. Sharp edges. Well I could take some pictures when I have time. Just curious if those molds are after Walt.

[Petander]

And it was called Meehanite that material which molds where made.

Now there you go,that's the name of the magic material indeed.

I'm at 1000 bullets,four short break-in sessions.

I've been buying NOE and Mihec lately , no comparision for ease of use and bullet quality. Need to tap many times to drop the bullets. Hard to open with the bullets in,too.

[ioon44]

I am still using NEI molds that I bought in the 1980's when Walt was making them, the molds are still producing good bullets and have been used a lot over the years. If I need a new mold it will be from Accurate.

[alamogunr]

Meehanite is a type of cast iron. Not aluminum. If your NEI mold is aluminum, it probably is post Walt but I'm not absolutely sure of that.

"Meehanite is a trademark for an engineering process to make a range of cast irons produced under specific and carefully controlled conditions to precise internationally recognized specifications. Wikipedia"

I don't know what those conditions are but I do remember that RCBS and it's predecessors used the material. I don't know for sure if any one does today.

[Petander]

Meehanite is a type of cast iron. Not aluminum. If your NEI mold is aluminum, it probably is post Walt but I'm not absolutely sure of that.

Thank you for clarification.

My mold is aluminum.

[Bent Ramrod]

I have a few NEI moulds, a couple still in the original boxes; all aluminum, and the El Paso address on the boxes. IIRC, the EP address is on the mould blocks as well. I never realized that he made moulds of other materials.

The original R. Hoch moulds were advertised as made of “high-grade Meehanite.” Don’t know if the later Dave Farmer ones still used the stuff or not.

[Chill Wills]

This is from memory so now I need to check old catalogs, but this is what I remember.
Walt started making molds and gained a reputation for his good product and then sold the operation to a company called Toolidine. NEI molds came in boxes with both markings, NEI-Toolidine. Toolidine mold quality was good but for some reason may not have made money and Walt took the business back.
In the earlier days NEI molds could be had in either brass, Iron or aluminum.

I think Walt died in 2003. I do remember having talked to him just the day before but the year I am not 100 % on. Nothing was made for a long time before his son-in-law in Texas started up. Never the same.

[Petander]

Thanks everyone.

I've made 1000+ bullets now. Three alloys,various temps and techniques,the seam line is there to stay. This is not from the good NEI -times - not a bad mold either but I'm getting old and spoiled by NOE,Mihec,LBT,Applegate,H&G etc. My biggest complaint is the need to tap the mold,often several times to release bullets. I generally don't hit my molds with anything, I open the sprue with glove,turn the mold ,drop the bullets.

I'll let these settle down and load after a few days. Purple ones are heat treated to 18 BHN. These measure just fine,weight and dia.

[samari46]

My aluminum two cavity mold as made by Walt was for his 180 grain 30 caliber DD mold. The DD ring cut just below the ogive of the nose was to help center the nose of the bullet as it was being fed into the barrel. Frank

[Teemu]

Here is picture one of my NEI's mold, Looking kind of crude but cast's well. Can't complain. This mold is ordered probably 2013 or 2014 so is after Walt.

[dkf]

Here is picture one of my NEI's mold, Looking kind of crude but cast's well. Can't complain. This mold is ordered probably 2013 or 2014 so is after Walt.

That looks like a post Walt mold to me. I have one also that looks like that (mines iron), it is not near the quality of my older NEI molds Walt made.


Walt at NEI made TONS of aluminum molds. Aluminum molds from him seem more common than iron or brass from what I see. I'm not complaining my Walt NEI aluminum molds are my favorite to cast with out of all of mine.

[Petander]

No that the jury is out there I took more pics. How does this look? Pre or post?