358009 Lyman Mold For Sale NOW!

[358wcf]

Gents-
Hustle on over to EvilBay in the Molds for sale section, and there is listed a very nice 358009 Lyman 2 cavity mold! Currently listed at $43.00. The listing expires on Thursday, July 23--
I've seen many members of this board wish they could have one-- well, here is your chance- and at a very, very fair price.
I already have a new one set away for my own use, and am only pointing this out so you can have one too!!!
Hustle on over, but don't bid the price too high like most folks do--

358wcf

[GabbyM]

Sounds to me it's already to high a price for a 50/50 chance of getting a good mold.

[Ben]

I paid 3 X that for mine...& don't regret a penny of it.

[anachronism]

I just checked. It's almost double that now. If I were going to pay that kind of price, I'd get a GOOD mould, not a Lyman. SAECO makes a nice one...

[Bret4207]

Gee, thanks. I was hoping no one else would notice....

[softpoint]

I've been looking for one for awhile, I've tried twice on ebay, but the price got too high for a used lyman mold. No reason to give as much or more than I can get a custom mold cut for. I have the Saeco 245gr. mold, and it is a very accurate bullet in both my .358's. I have some heavyweight flatnose boolits here from a commercial caster, and if they shoot well I may have a mold cut to copy them.

[shooterg]

For those familiar - what does "BV" designate on the Lyman mold as in "358009BV" . Also "615" is stamped on it. Are these no longer made ? I got one in a lot and do not own any .35 rifles. Probably gonna offer it up on S & S here - want a fair price, but not like EvilBay !

[theperfessor]

I've read that the letters following the mold designation number refer to the particular cherry used to cut that specific mold. The extra number may be used to keep both pieces "paired up" during manufacture. Don't have any first-hand knowledge that this is true but it makes sense.

Maybe a member w/better info will chime in here.

[MtGun44]

Definitely the 3 digit number is the production number to keep the halves match during
manufacture. The letters have various meanings, some are what vendor supplied the
cherry, a "U" is apparently for undersized. That's as much as I know.

Bill

[Marine Sgt 2111]

I just picked up a lyman 358009. Inside of the Lyman plastic box was an inspection tag dated Oct 16th of 1993. Is that possible? I thought the mold stopped being made years before that. Thanks for your input.

[Bret4207]

Lyman brought back several good moulds in the late 80's/early 90's and then dropped them again. IMO Lyman doesn't give a rats behind about casters anymore. While I don't actively avoid buy Lyman products because of that, I won't go out of my way to buy them either.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

I know Bret, I feel the same. The only reason that I bought it was because I have wanted this particular mold for my whelen for a long time. I have been buying molds (Saeco and RCBS) for the sole purpose to convert them over to work on my auto caster and mass produce bullets. Lyman has shrank the size of their mold configurations to the point that they really offer nothing that other mass produced mold makers don't offer. They cut out some very good designs in the process. I was going to go with a custom mold when this popped up and the mold is never been used, brand new.

[357maximum]

I borrowed a 35809 and a 358318 from a very valued member of this house that I wish still posted here. He very graciously let me borrow 2 moulds that I would have had one heck of a time replacing if lost. I truly appreciate the loan to this day as I learned a very valuable lesson from both moulds.....they cast too small in my preferred alloys and in order to get to a useable size I had to go waaaaaaaaaay harder in alloy than I want to....so I quit looking and went the custom route.

If lyman cannot see fit to make what the customer wants and to make it in a useable size, I see fit not to go out of my way to buy items in their product line...I have to say I agree totally with Brets post. Would I buy either mould if I tripped over them at a decent price...well yeah, but I quit searching for a mould I would have to lap to use my mallable hunting alloys with.

I also take an issue with RCBS over their "custom special order moulds"...but then again I come from a line of fellers that get crotchety when they get older...and I ain't getting any younger.

[HiVelocity]

I've been seeing Lee molds, some that retail in the $20 range going for twice that amount when all the retailers are sold out and back orderd for 6-8 weeks.

Even a friend in NC e-mailed me last night to tell me his WW supplier who gave away WW to certain customers is now commanding $2/lb in 5 gallon buckets.

Where do we go from here?

Just food for thought,

HiVelocity