Mystery bullet identification help please!!

[mkj4him]

Hey gents. I got 700 or so of these 44 cast bullets (.430) in an auction a while back. Just started trying to work up a load with them and can’t find any data that matches this odd LONG NOSE semi wad cutter with no crimp grove. I can choose a typical SWC data to use but would love to know what exactly it is I have. Can someone identify the make and model of this bullet? Thanks for any help.

[DDriller]

I thought sure someone here would know the identity.

[mdi]

The killer is no crimp groove. I haven't seen a 44 caliber SWC without a crimp groove that I can remember so I'd probably use 44 Special loads and lightly crimp over the shoulder...

[gwpercle]

Think back ... 44 Auto Mag Pistol (AMP)
Semi - auto , 44 cal , no crimp groove would be required for cast boolit loads ..... could be ?
How much do your boolits weigh ?

[Rainier]

Maybe a Hensley & Gibbs #245 - they should weigh somewhere around 185 grains. The nose on your boolit looks too long though.

[mkj4him]

The Bullets weight 232 grains. I am testing some old HERCO with these at 11 grains which is the start load listed in Lyman 47. I seated to about .01” shy of shoulder and roll crimped into the lead a bit. Everything checks out in chamber gauge and in my 629 cylinder. Not sure how they will handle recoil but we shall find out. I’m ordering a lee 44 FCD for situations like this. I don’t think it would be wise to try these in my sons marlin lever action 44. Magazine tube would probably cause them to sink into the case.

If they give me problems with bullets sliding in or out of case during shooting or functioning in our weapons I can always melt and recast with one of my good 44 molds. But these look to nice not to try em.

[rintinglen]

I think that might be from an Old Lachmiller mold, but I can't find an accessible website to verify, it resembles the SAECO 383, a 140 grain 9mm/38Super mold, but I can find nothing on line for a 44 mold equivalent

[onelight]

That sure looks like the pics in post 16 on this thread but they are 35 cal
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...%23128519%3B-)

[mkj4him]

That sure looks like the pics in post 16 on this thread but they are 35 cal
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...%23128519%3B-)

. Yep So it’s called a semi wadcutter truncated comb. Makes sense

[EMC45]

Probably meant to be crimped over the front driving band.

[Oyeboten]

What Arm do you have in mind to be loading these for?

I would just weigh the Bullet, compare it to images of same weight other Keith-style-ish ones, review the Load charge you would elect for one of those, see to it your seating depth ends up the same as the same weight example...which will have your Crimp then, where-ever it needs to be, and just crimp it 'there'. The Bullet does not care if a Crimp-Groove is present, the Case Mouth will crimp in just fine regardless.


Over distance, I bet that Bullet would be a lot more stable loaded backwards..! Mighty ***-heavy as it is...quite unusual..!

[mkj4him]

My SW 5” SS 629-3. And maybe sons marlin 1896 44 mag lever action. Not sure if crimp would hold up in mag tube. I pretty much did just what you said and picked the closest I could find.

[kreuzlover]

Think back ... 44 Auto Mag Pistol (AMP)
Semi - auto , 44 cal , no crimp groove would be required for cast boolit loads ..... could be ?
How much do your boolits weigh ?

We used taper crimp dies for all our .44 AMP loads, but you could actually apply a crimp on .357 AMP loads. I never did, tho. I just used taper crimp on those, too.

[Murphy]

Back about 35 years ago, I had a 3 cavity Saeco mold that sure resembles that boolit. I stumbled across 3 of them in an old drawer last year, still unsized. If I recall correctly without having to run out to my shop and weigh them, they weighed in around 215-220 grains. I shot them out of a S&W 6" 29. I just crimped over the front driving band and all was well. I believe I was using around 10.0 grains of Unique at the time. The same charge I used for 90% of my .44 Magnum loads at the time.

Murphy

[mkj4him]

Thanks Murphy. So you say that’s a saeco mold?

[Murphy]

jmkj4him,

To the very best of my memory it was a Saeco. I have no idea as to what mold number it was. But judging from the one sitting on my desk right now, it's the same as the picture you posted.

Murphy

[mkj4him]

Well that gives me a place to start if I decide they shoot well. I can check saeco