I don't like brass molds. I don't like 4+ cavity molds

[justindad]

How long was the brass mold sitting on the hot plate?
*
I heat mine for about an hour, with a coffee can to create the mold oven.

[OS OK]

My old Grampa James used to tell me..."You have to be smarter than the tool Son!"
Later in life the Marine Corps said..."Improvise & Overcome!"

So...when I had troubles like yours, everyone said..."You got heat problems boy!"
I fixed that 'pre-heat' dilemma real quick like...



The only thing that won't fit in this oven is a 10 gang armory mold.

[waksupi]

Ladle pouring and six cavity molds are not friends.

[Recycled bullet]

Ladle pouring and six cavity molds are not friends.

Why do you say that

[lightman]

Sorry to hear that you're having these troubles. I've never owned or even cast with a brass mold. But they sure look nice! But I love my 4 cavity molds. 4 cavities seem like a good compromise between weight and production.

[Soundguy]

I prefer aluminum 2 cavity molds and iron 1-2 cavity molds. I don't prefer brass molds but will run up to 3 cavity ones..but I find them more finicky..even the high quality MP. I don't even like 6 cavity aluminum molds if it's a large bullet. They get heavy. If I run 00 buckshot a while my shoulders get tired. 6 strings of 3 at a time.

[crackers]

I got a good deal on a 4x 452460. Paired with a 5pound pot, it was miserable. It didn’t stay long, either.

[dverna]

Ladle pouring and six cavity molds are not friends.

The only large mold I have ever run is an H&G 10 cavity and it ran great. Ladle poured with a large ladle.

One thing about the H&G's...they have good sized a trough machined into the sprue plate. That may help add heat. If I had mold that was running too cold, I would have a trough added...maybe have a thicker sprue plate?

That 10 cavity ran hot and I had to use a damp towel to cool off the sprue plate. But it made excellent bullets.

[waksupi]

Why do you say that

It's hard to pour at a rate to keep a mold to proper temperature.

[lar45]

If I have problems with a mold not filling out, I smoke the cavities with a butane BBQ lighter.
I have several MP brass molds, but do wish that he offered them in aluminum.

[jdgabbard]

Man, I love brass molds (its kind of a toss up whether I like them or iron more...). And I've never had problems with getting them up to temp. They always seem to maintain a more consistent temperature for me than aluminum does. Though I will confess that the weight can wear thin on you. But I've got a few H&G molds, so I'm used to the heavies...

I usually just rest the mold on top of the pot as it is coming up to temperature. Usually by the time it is at the correct casting temperature I pour 3-4 times to get the mold warmed up, and my mold is working flawlessly. I guess if I was casting really small boolits it might be an issue. But I don't even have problems with my 92gr 30cal boolits in brass for my 30 Tok. So I'm not sure why you're having problems.

[MightyThor]

I shoot the wrinkles. I sort them as I size and lube so they get shot separate from the good stuff, but a mag full of wrinkles when practicing close up drills where it is more about smooth and steady than hitting previous hole my wrinkles don't seem to be a problem. As long as the base is complete they go in the case and then down the barrel.

[fredj338]

I prefer iron to brass or alum, but when working with 4c-8cav molds, alum makes sense. I prefer 4-6cav for good production. No place for 2cav in my casting but for my Magma. Not hard at all to keep a good casting pace for 6cav molds, 4cav seem about perfect.

[Smoke4320]

Brass Molds need to be heated more than aluminum molds. Also helps to build a little patina before serious casting.
with a new Brass Mold I will preheat on a hot plate set on hi for at least 45 minutes . Usually that mold will be near 500 degrees by that time
Then I will cast 15 to 25 casts and stop... Dont Care what they look like they just go back in the pot let the mold get totally cold and do same procedure again.
by the third session the mold is seasoned fairly well and I begin serious casting sessions
Just my procedure .. after breaking in over 15 brass molds it has proven to be a good procedure

[Thumbcocker]

Man, I love brass molds (its kind of a toss up whether I like them or iron more...). And I've never had problems with getting them up to temp. They always seem to maintain a more consistent temperature for me than aluminum does. Though I will confess that the weight can wear thin on you. But I've got a few H&G molds, so I'm used to the heavies...

I usually just rest the mold on top of the pot as it is coming up to temperature. Usually by the time it is at the correct casting temperature I pour 3-4 times to get the mold warmed up, and my mold is working flawlessly. I guess if I was casting really small boolits it might be an issue. But I don't even have problems with my 92gr 30cal boolits in brass for my 30 Tok. So I'm not sure why you're having problems.

A layer of clay based cat litter or oil absorber on top of the melt will let you rest the mold directly on top of the lead. Also prevents oxidation.

[jdgabbard]

A layer of clay based cat litter or oil absorber on top of the melt will let you rest the mold directly on top of the lead. Also prevents oxidation.

I've heard this before, but I don't want that stuff in my pot. Hate the idea of anything but lead and flux in there...

[Bigslug]

IME, ladle pouring is a process best reserved for an octopus or the pantheon of multi-armed Indian gods. It may have a place with single-cavity molds for huge BPCR bullets, but pressure casting with that same kind of mold against the spigot of a bottom-pour pot can address those needs. The constant putting down and picking up of all the required hardware is not for me. . .and it probably isn't a good way to keep the necessary heat going into a multi-cavity hollow point mold.

At any rate, your other thread seems to indicate you've got it figured out. The only other thing I could think to recommend for 9mm is to make sure your cases aren't sizing your bullets down below their starting .357" nominal diameter on seating. My answer was to use a Lee .38 S&W sizing die in station 1, then finish with standard 9mm seating and TC dies. Other options are out there, but that's a cheap and effective cure.

[Thumbcocker]

I've heard this before, but I don't want that stuff in my pot. Hate the idea of anything but lead and flux in there...

I don't flux. The fluxing is done during smelting and only clean ingots are added. The cat litter floats on top and can easily be scooped off with an old spoon if necessary. To each their own.

[PhilC]

Did you season the mould as suggested on MP's website? Couple good write-ups under Tips n Tricks section I just ignored the parts pertaining to hollow points as mine doesn't have them.

https://www.mp-molds.com/tipstricks/...-point-moulds/

https://www.mp-molds.com/tipstricks/...gregor-hodnik/

[Harter66]

I have a thread somewhere about a brand new MP PB/HB brass mould . It was a pain in the .......yeah all over , I had over a dozen heat cycles 8-9 casting sessions with it and still sent bullets back to the pot . Hotter , cooler , smoke , clean ....the only thing that did cast right were the stupid hollow base pins ...... it's a great mould to cast now . It took me 2 months of messing around in the land of "what's rust" to get enough patina on the fresh cut brass for it to cast well .

Yep that 2 cavity 462-420 weighs about the same as the 257412 4 cavity iron mould . Either way neither of those have anything on that 8 cavity H & G #130 . Give it a little more time. Just heat it and pour a few every time you cast something and try making a run with it after a dozen or so cycles . I love the brass mould to cast with but it was such a a hassle to get running I might buy another pre owned but probably not another new one . At least not with the idea of having an immediate need for it .

All of my moulds over 2 cavity except the 2 above are aluminum in 3,4,5,&6 cavity and I'm very happy with them from NOE and Lee (not the same at all and only lumped in by cavity counts) . The huge advantage of the H&G is that it drops 1600 gr of bullets at a time and by the time you've made 30 pours it's time to reload the pot and take a breather anyway and by the time you've made 70 pours you've cast 480 bullets and 450 of them will be keepers even on a poor day . There's only 280 when you get to the rest stop with the 4 cavity but that's still twice as many as the double . Of what value it's worth the NOE 3,4,5s don't cast so far apart that you can say they cast a heavy and a light bullet in cavity X . The 3c 460-543 Postell cast about .7 gr throughout a pot and the 454-255 SWC 5c varies depending on my mood and whether it's to cast a pile of bullets or cast 2-3 yr of hunting business bullets in any case it's only about 3 gr for slop and 1 for business. I have a Lee that's been known to cast 3 of a nominal standard 1 or 2 up to 3 gr light and the same heavy in the 6c the steel sprue plates on the 2 largest offenders seem to have closed that gap some . About 2 gr across the mould in both a 158&255 .