Ideal #4, .45 Colts mould #?

[Dean D.]

I have an original Ideal # 4 reloading tool for the .45 Colt and I was wondering if the built in mould is the same as #454190?

I currently use this mould and it throws a great boolit but I would like to retire it if I can replace it with newer moulds. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Dean D.

[leftiye]

Maybe a couple of pics of those boolits might help us to react to that?

[Dean D.]

Thanks for the reply Leftiye, I'll try to take some tonite and post them asap.

The mould drops a 255gr. boolit very simular to the 454190. I understand that the 454190 was supposed to duplicate as closely as possible the original .45 Colt bullet. I am assuming the Ideal #4 mould is based on the original Colt designed mould but I'm not sure.

[Dean D.]

Ok, finally got a chance to take some pics.

The picture on the left is a picture of one loaded and two sized and lubed boolits from this mould. I use a Lyman 45 sizer with Lyman stick lube.

The right hand picture is of the Ideal #4 tool. This tool has seen a lot of use and the covering on the handles is denim and rawhide made by the original owner pre-WWII, heck, he even made the rawhide himself.

The bottom picture is of the mould cavity. As you can tell, it has had some hard use over it's many many years of production. I am hoping the Lyman #454190 is a match for this mould.

[GabbyM]

Looks like a spitin image of my 454190. Purchased mine recently. Looks quite different from the catalog drawing . Shown here with a 311672.

[Dean D.]

Thanks Gabby! That is exactly what I needed to know. I hate to order something that does not look right in the picture to start with.

I appreciate the help!

Dean D.