R. Hoch Molds

[mikeyd499]

I just bought several molds from a man who inherited them from his father-in-law. I got 2 R. Hoch molds, one has the number 374265 and the other has 321168. I have looked on the web site for Colorado Shooters Supply but these are not listed. Can anyone help? Mainly interested in what caliber these are. Hoping I need a new gun to shoot them in.

[Mk42gunner]

At a wild guess the 374265 is for a .375 or .38 caliber rifle, like the .38-55, although the 374 designation sounds small.

The 321168 may be for a .32-40, or a tight 8mm.

Cast a few and see what they measure, you can always buy a rifle to use them in, even if you have others that are suitable.

Robert

[Piedmont]

I'm guessing the first one is a .375 and the second a .321.

[shooter93]

Colorado Shooter's Supply could tell you. I believe the 321168 is a 32-40 mold

[skeettx]

You have a gold mine
Yeeee Hawwww
What wonderful moulds
Yes the 32-40 mould is wonderful and the
38 caliber mould will bear study
You have pictures of the moulds?
Mike

[HARRYMPOPE]

they were made by Richard himself and should also be dated and sometimes a design #.They were customs back then and not catalog items.

HMP

[John in PA]

I have several Hoch molds that Rich made back in the late 70's-early 80's. Many people aren't aware that he also did excellent barrel work, and I built 3 customs that he rifled, chambered and breeched up for me: A rolling block in .40-70 SBN, a Borchardt in .40-90 SBN, and an 1870 Springfield trapdoor Gemmer in .50-70. Great workmanship. I believe when Rich sold the mold business that someone else (maybe Dave Fansler??) took over the barrel making business.

[.30/30 Guy]

Molds stamped "R Hoch" were made by Rich Hoch himself. Molds stamped "Hoch Moulds" are made by Dave Farmer (Colorado Shooter's Supply).
The first three numbers is the diameter. The rest of the number is the boolit weight.

[NoDakJak]

I have one of the 32 molds made by Dave Farmer and it is great. Neil

[cajun shooter]

The Hoch moulds made by Robert are first class. The current owner and mould maker is Dave Farmer in New Mexico. He has made 4 moulds for me and they are spot on all the measurements and are very well built.

[billw]

Molds stamped "R Hoch" were made by Rich Hoch himself. Molds stamped "Hoch Moulds" are made by Dave Farmer (Colorado Shooter's Supply).
The first three numbers is the diameter. The rest of the number is the boolit weight.

Mine is a Dave Farmer dated 1 24 89, C1304 on sprue plate, on one side of mould C1304, 301 200 (obvious paper patch) and HOCH MOULDS, other side is C1304. I don't know when Richard sold the business to date his moulds. I'll cast in late September when is just starting to cool down in Mississippi, won't use a patch to test fire them in my 308 Win with 28 gr of 4895-S and either Nabisco Cream of Wheat, granulated, not flake or corn meal as a gas check, did this long ago with a borrowed Ideal PP 190 gr, a test of hunting accuracy at 50 yard paper targets with alloy soft as cast, heat treated/quenched, some others 0.310" sized with an without HGC and with and without bullet lube. The test was to determine if the granulated COW will shoot a clean bore and it did, no fouling. I don't know how CM will work compared to COW. Accuracy was best with a 0.310" sized, HGC and heat treated, lubed and alloy of WW and soft sheet lead at 1:1 ratio, abut 8-9 BHN and 28 BHN after heat treat/quench and aged 3 days. I wrote a short article in The Fouling Shot back then and reported on the impacts at 50 yds bullet stop of hard dirt. The non-paper patch bullet shot the worst but "will hunt at 50 yds."

Warning: By all means do not try fillers in reloading due to highly increased pressure and fillers of another kind may and will damage the gun and shooter.