The Keith .357s are here.

[Catshooter]

I pulled mine from the mix and cast 'em up. Running .361 and 178 grains.

They're all packaged up and ready for the mailman on Monday, except for a few troublesome addresses and I've either called or PMed those.

Ken from Canada, please PM me.

I think ol' Elmer'd be proud.


Cat

[targetshootr]

Hot diggity dog. Er, cat.

[kodiak1]

PM sent.
Thanks Ken.

[TCLouis]

This one oughta be about it unless someone finds it in their heart to design an accurate 338 Boolit.

The Lee is very accurate, but is RN, the RCBS is FP, but I have NOT been able to get it to shoot!
Dang, I sure hope this Keith boolit shoots as good as some of the other GB molds!

[David R]

Glad to hear it, I have a bunch of 38 brass already.

David

[gregg]

Purrrrrr fect Meow

Nother got to have did
Thank you

[Poohgyrr]

:drinks:

This old family shooter is waiting, those shiny bullets just don't look right.........

http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/9306/m357rtside21an.jpg

[Cayoot]

Sounds Awsome CS!!!!
In fact, I have a feral cat that has been prowling around here, I think I'll use this mould to cast up some medicine for him in honor of your efforts!

Thanks!

[Catshooter]

poohgyrr,

Lovely piece man. Tell us it's story, please.

Cayoot,

Sounds about correct. I've never used a J-word boolit on a cat before, and I ani't about to start now.


Cat

[Poohgyrr]

Thanks Cat,

Grand Uncle Bill carried this five screw back in the 50's & early 60's when I was just a little kid. Apparently Grand Aunt Juanita kept it, but not any of his holsters or other gear. They didn't have their own kids, and I spent a lot of school vacations at their place. It came to me after Grandma passed on. The holster wear is his, and I'll probably keep it this way for the history.

Still have the original (I think) service grips, and Tyler T grip. The grips shown here are new old stock Fitz cherrywood from John Paul, owner of Fitz Grips (originally designed back in the 30's). They were refinished by Kurt Vogler, who did a great job. I also bought a 2X2X2 pick pouch and some Dade speedloaders to go with this .357. Already had a Sparks holster that it fits into just fine.

I loaded a batch of Skeeter type handloads in .38 brass for this, but used store bought bullets. I need to cast my own boolits and do it right... Eventually our son will get this, some molds, and our only picture of Uncle Bill too... Then maybe someday our (seven month old) Grandson will get it all!! :drinks:

[Cayoot]

Thanks Cat,

Grand Uncle Bill carried this five screw back in the 50's & early 60's when I was just a little kid. Apparently Grand Aunt Juanita kept it, but not any of his holsters or other gear. They didn't have their own kids, and I spent a lot of school vacations at their place. It came to me after Grandma passed on. The holster wear is his, and I'll probably keep it this way for the history.

Still have the original (I think) service grips, and Tyler T grip. The grips shown here are new old stock Fitz cherrywood from John Paul, owner of Fitz Grips (originally designed back in the 30's). They were refinished by Kurt Vogler, who did a great job. I also bought a 2X2X2 pick pouch and some Dade speedloaders to go with this .357. Already had a Sparks holster that it fits into just fine.

I loaded a batch of Skeeter type handloads in .38 brass for this, but used store bought bullets. I need to cast my own boolits and do it right... Eventually our son will get this, some molds, and our only picture of Uncle Bill too... Then maybe someday our (seven month old) Grandson will get it all!! :drinks:

You are blessed to have such a wonderful heirloom to pass on with the history. Not many such heirlooms can be counted upon to save your grand child, or great-grand childs life if they ever need it. It is almost as if your Great Uncle and yourself will be there to help protect your decendents.

Great for you!

[targetshootr]

Nice. So it's a pre-27? At first glance I didn't think it was an N frame.

[Catshooter]

Very nice, very nice. Is it a Registered Magnum?

I have a High Standard HD Military that my dad shot his first Japanese GI with in WW II. I almost sold it before I accidently found out it's history!


Cat

[Poohgyrr]

targetshootr,

Yup, a pre 27. Now I wish I'd bought a 4" M27 when they were still being made.



I almost sold it before I accidently found out it's history! Cat

Wow, yours has some history too. mine isn't a RM, and we still haven't lettered it, but we think it was bought about '54. I didn't know what this was at first & wondered why Grandma had it because Grandpa never had any pistols that I knew of. Then Dad heard me talking about selling it and said Hey! That was Uncle Bill's!! Oh S**t I said...

This is a natural for some cast Skeeter or Keith loads and I have a case of Special brass waiting...

Now if I just had a 38/44 HD......

[old goat]

...Received mine in todays mail. Wed. 10-18-06.....Thanks


...old goat

[targetshootr]

Mine came late today so l cast a potfull and the look super. Thanks Catshooter and everyone else involved.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b233/targetshootr/Im003191.jpg

[TCLouis]

look-a-like in my mailbox this afternoon.

To all of you honchos . . . .

THANX FOR GETTING US SOME GREAT MOLDS!

I had to cast 45-70 boolits the other night in a DC mold. That takes forever to make a showing!

[Johnch]

Got home tonight and found a present in the mail box (43445 )

Looks great

But a bad night , first day not working a 12 so I go after with a stick and string
Had a unseen branck deflect the arrow and hit a yearling well back :(

Waited 2 + hrs and went looking

Good bright red blood

Never beded , walked alomst a mile dripping pretty good .
Then entered a flooded creek bottom and I lost it .
Searched 2 more hrs , but never found where it left the water :(

I will look again tomorrow even though the odd are agains me and it is to rain tonight

Johnch

[Murphy]

Catshooter,

Thanks for all the hard work you've put into this buy. Molds look great, can't wait to get a hot pot of lead going and get busy with this one. :-D

Thanks again,

Murphy

[mick27]

got mine yesterday, looks great !! thanks cat..
mick27

[dmdracer]

Received mine yesterday also (46147), Cast some up last eve.... all is good.

Weight was 179.4 give or take a few and size .360 to .361

I did not smoke the mould and they all dropped out real easy . Even the 20 lb. Lee pot worked good around 900* and did not drip...don't know what happened there :-D

Big thanks for doing this gb.
Regards
Dave

[James Wisner]

Catshooter.

Got my mould this PM, looks great.
Now just have to sneak in some time this weekend to try it out.
Thanks.
Jim Wisner
Custom Metalsmith
98532

[David R]

The pot is full, getting a STAR luber soon. Look out!

Prolly get the mold tomorrow. I was sorting brass tonight and found a few +P. I will load them for special days with the group buy mold.

David

[hpdrifter]

This one I missed. If someone is not happy with theirs or there is an extra, I'd sure appreciate the opportunity to correct my mistake.

[RGRWJB]

I wish I could have got into this group buy.

[Dutch4122]

Received mine (48415) on 10-18-06 and everything looks great. Thanks Cat!

[garandsrus]

Catshooter,

Thanks! Arrived yesterday to 48092.

John

[David R]

Thank you sir, got mine today. 14103.

David

[TCLouis]

Mine arrived this week.

Was planning 20 pounds in a different GB mold each night next week and I get word I have to attend an out of town class Tuesday- Thursday.
10-15 pounds of Ranch Dog 44-240s did not even last thru all of my testing and I have several molds that have been sitting there all summer waiting for cool . . . CASTING TEMPS and it is NOW that time.
After reading about the 44s in ML in the cast Boolit hunting section I may have to see what I can get there with cast and sabots (45 and 50 Caliber)!

[KYCaster]

I got mine Wed. (42701), thanks Cat.

After a bit of Lee-menting, I cast a couple hundred with straight WW, air cooled. This is by far the slickest casting six cav. Lee mold I have.

I measured a dozen or so, they're slightly out of round at .359-.362, but I'm sizing to .358 so that's no problem. Picked ten at random, six weigh 176.7, and one each at 176.5, 176.6, 176.9 and 177.0. The heavy one had a bit of flash on the base which explains that one. That's + or - .11%, I think that's pretty good.

I have fifty of them loaded with 11.2gr. of WC820 to take to the range tomorrow, I'll compare them to the 180-RF GB mold that does very well with the same powder charge. I'm hoping they'll do at least as well, or maybe a little better, we'll see.

Jerry

[Cayoot]

Got mine today!!!! Thanks Cat!!!!:drinks:

[threerivers]

Catshooter I received mine (83539). Thank you for doing this.

[Powderpacker]

Checked out my mold yesterday - boolits fill out nicely, drop out easily, and look teriffic! You guys 'done good'. Thanks again for all the time and effort you put into the K-series.

[Poohgyrr]

Here! Great, thanks!

[BorderBrewer]

received at 91911. It looks great. Thanks for the hard work.
BorderBrewer

[David R]

Thanks,

174 grains, + or - .4. .362 to .364, a little out of round. Maybe .001.

They fall right out of the mold. Nice design, I did nothing but clean the mold and pour em untill they got frosty. Then I slowed down and had nice boolits.

David

[Johnch]

:drinks: I ran 30 - 35 lb of lead thur mine today :drinks:
I have a BIG pile , well realy 2 piles ready to sort and lube .

I bet I got 90 - 95 % good bullets
A combonation of a good aloy , hot mould and a great mould

Another great bullet

Johnch

[cherok9878]

Can anyone share loading data for this boolit. My combo will be Rossi 92 and Smith Mod 28, both in 38 spcl cases. Powder I have on hand is IMR4227, H110, 2400, Unique, W231 and Red Dot. Thanks for any help......larry

[LIMPINGJ]

75440 arrived safely.
Thanks catshooter

[sundog]

74429. Thanks! sundog

[Bodydoc447]

79424 arrived Friday afternoon in good shape. Thanks!

Doc

[David R]

When loading these in 38 cases, the front driving band is so fat that the boolit gets pushed too far into the case from the crimp in the die.

This problem will be resolved for me when I get the STAR and can push em all the way through. Then the front band will be .358 instead of .362 or so.

David

[Bullshop]

David R
You dont have to wait for the Star press to fix that problem. All you need to do is let the lube pressure off after the boolits are lubed then run them in nose first. You can even size the lead band smaller than the rest of the body this way if you want to.
You can also take about 5 minutes and convert your Lyman or RCBS to a nose first push through sizer if you want to. Very simple conversion both wasy.
BIC/BS

[JSH]

Cat, I got mine to 66109. Have not had a chance to defang and give it a try yet.
Thanks for your time and effort into this.
Jeff

[Dragon 31]

Catshooter:

Mine came in the mail today. Can you imagine basically a week from your place to Indiana. If I remember my history correctly the Pony Express was just as fast from the west coast to hear.
Mould looks good will try it out after deer season.

[GLL]

Cat:

Both of mine arrived today ! :) 91106

Look good !

I have cleaned them up and will cast a few tonight.

Thanks again to you and 45 2.1 for all of your work on the Keith-style GB's.

I look forward to the .429 GB.

Jerry

[TCLouis]

is gonna be pouring the silver stream in mine next week!

[garandsrus]

Hi,

I loaded up some of these in .357 cases for a S&W 668 but haven't shot them yet. Make sure you check your OAL before you load very many!

I had to seat the bullets a little deeper than the crimp groove to get them to drop into the cylinder all the way. It appeared that the front driving band was hitting the constriction (not sure what the fancy name is) in the cylinder. I was sizing to .358. The boolit won't drop through the cylinder by itself.

Another cast boolit I loaded dropped in easily, so it's not my sizing die setup...

There were a few posts saying that this boolit was really designed for the .38 and not the .357 because of the OAL. The boolit nose does stick out of the .357 case gauge by a fair amount! After measuring the cylinder on the S&W, the OAL with the boolit seated to the crimp groove was fine, but I didn't take into account the constricition in the cylinder.

John

David R - I am using a RCBS sizer and am able to size the front band going tail first without any problems. You may just need to adjust the press so that the bullet will go into the die farther.

John

[kodiak1]

This is to Catshooter, 45 2.1 and anyone else that was in on the making and designing of this mould I LOVE IT and I haven't even got to test drive itr yet.
To All Thanks a Ton Ken

[David R]

:) Thanks for the replies guys, but I have STAR on the brain. :)

Just one more reason to buy one.

I bid on a few on Ebone, but they are going for 175 or so and a new one is 195.

David

[AKtinman]

Thank you Catshooter, and all involved in this project!

This will be just the ticket for my 38/44 Outdoorsman.

Ron

[Bear4570]

Got mine for 54213 and can't wait to try her out, thanks for all your hard work.

[BeeMan]

David R
You can also take about 5 minutes and convert your Lyman or RCBS to a nose first push through sizer if you want to. Very simple conversion both wasy.
BIC/BS

Dan, please elaborate on the conversion. Thanks.

BeeMan

[Bullshop]

Dan, please elaborate on the conversion. Thanks.

BeeMan

BeeMan
This is a simple conversion but it is for sizing not lubing. Simply take the ejecter pin out of the die, then remove the depth adjusting assembly from the bottom of the press. Now you can use a flat punch to push them through nose first and catch them at the bottom. This will realy help things if you are having a problem with boolits being sized off center and show wider bands from more sizing on one side than the other. Just size them nose first this way, then lube them in the normal manner. It makes an extra step in the process but without doubt does a more precise job of sizing.
BIC/BS

[dragonrider]

Got it yesterday, used it today. Haven't checked any yet but they look great. Thanks for honchoing this deal. What's next?