"Ideal" adjustable 44 Cal. Slug Mold

[BudRow]

At the LGS the other day I bought 5 items from the bargain bin bundled for a "lot" price. Among the items was an adjustable "Ideal" slug mold. It is marked "44 S" and will cast a smooth cylindrical slug. You can vary the length of the slug by means of an adjustment screw. It's in nice shape. Was this for swaging into a copper jacket? I'm not into swaging but love the old world quality of the "Ideal" molds. Bud

[ReloaderFred]

Yes, those were made for casting slugs for swaging into jacketed bullets. I've got a couple of them in .38 caliber.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Hickory]

I have one.
I use mine to cast slugs in which to check boolit BHN hardness with my LBT lead hardness tester.

[longbow]

The original Ideal Cylindrical moulds were intended for casting smooth boolits for paper patching.

Examples of boolits cast in Ideal Cylindrical moulds are listed in the Ideal Handbooks 1897 and 1900 and a picturew of the mould and boolits is shown in Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook third edition.

No reason they couldn't be used for swaging slugs but their intent was for paper patching.

Your 44 cal mould is likely correct size for .44 cal BP rifle cartridges.

Longbow

[BudRow]

Longbow, this is not a pointed bullet slug. It looks like a miniature soup can or something that was cut from heavy lead wire. 100% square blunt ends. Bud

[ReloaderFred]

Mine are also just cylinders, square on both ends. One of mine for the Master Caster is made by NEI, but my adjustable molds are Lyman.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[longbow]

Okay then I stand corrected. They must have used the same idea for moulds for swaging cores but no nose form.

These are the Ideal Cylindrical Adjustable moulds I am familiar with:



It would obviously make sense to use a similar mould for swaging cores though I have not seen one listed anywhere. I have seen other moulds for swaging cores but not these. Live and learn!

Thanks for the lesson.

Longbow

Oh and Merry Christmas to all!

[ReloaderFred]

The core molds look just like any other Lyman mold from the outside, with the exception of having an adjustable screw out the bottom. By moving this screw up or down, it makes the cylindrical cavity either longer or shorter, depending on which way it's moved. It's similar to the core mold that Dave Corbin makes, only they will be either one or two cavity, and designed for hand casting with handles. The description of the core looking like a small soup can is accurate, flat on both ends.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Bent Ramrod]

I’ve got a .38 caliber around somewhere, too. It’s a conventional two-piece mould, with the screw adjustment for length added.

The cylindrical casting is too small in diameter for any .38 caliber barrel, even if patched with paper. They fit (easily) into the undersized .38 caliber half-jackets that are swaged up to 0.357” diameter in the half-jacket or zinc-washer-base dies that used to be offered by C-H, Herter’s, Lachmiller, and other outfits.

Using them for BHN testing is a good idea. About the only practical use for the things anymore, nowadays.