Need help with new rcbs mold

[bpg76]

I posted earlier in the week about having trouble with my lee mold making tapered bullets.I thought after having that trouble I would go ahead and buy an iron mold.I bought the rcbs 270 saa mold and a set of rcbs handles for my 45 colt..I assembled the mold and could see daylight between the blocks.I still saw daylight after cleaning it. is there anything I can do to fix this or should I just send it back to rcbs

[bpg76]

also after cleaning the mold I can see a rough spot in a cavity at the base where the base of the bullet would be formed.

[madcaster]

Try casting with it,it is probably okay.use a #2 pencil to scrape lead from the cavities or graphite spray if the cavities are clear.
This is a GREAT mould.

[Tom W.]

Madcaster, I have one also but have a time finding loads for it. Got any suggestions? I've looked at www.stevespages.com.

[LAH]

Not sure how much daylight yer seeing but some is normal. After all the air needs to be vented away as the lead goes in. Suggest you try casting with it first and holler back............Creeker

[bpg76]

ill give it a try after while..its supposed to warm up pretty good today and tommorow.i have to cast outside.

[Jon K]

LAH,

This is typical of RCBS as of the last few years. Production goes up-QC falls off.

Measure how much the alignment pins protrude from the block. If one is out more than the other, take a brass punch and move it in, so both pins are the same. Now check the blocks for daylight.
If the daylight condition still exists, repeat process of moving the pins further into the blocks, until the blocks close.

Proceed slowly! Only enough to seat the blocks. Do Not Hit the Faces Of the Blocks!

Hope this helps,
Jon

[bpg76]

i tried out the mold this afternoon.after finally getting the hang of it and dropping good bullets.the bullets seemed ok just had very slight lines from were the cavitys joined.they seemed to look like most cast bullets ive bought..I did have somebody nice enough to send me some cast bullets one time that were perfectly seemless.would mine come out like that if the pins were adjusted a little?this was my very first attempt with and iron mold i got about 120 shootable bullets after they started dropping good..whats the best way to get the mold up to the right temperature when you first get started for the session?

[FISH4BUGS]

whats the best way to get the mold up to the right temperature when you first get started for the session?

I always put the mould on the top of the pot as the pot heats up. Some will dip a corner of the mould into the molten lead and hold it there until the lead falls off. I have thought of putting them on the gas stove on low flame while the pot heats up. I have heard of some that heat them with a torch. However, regardless of what you do, you will NEVER get them hot enough to start throwing perfect bullets right away. You just start casting and they will get there eventually.
I have some Hensley & Gibbs 10 cavity moulds that will take upwards of 10 minutes or more to start throwing good bullets! 2 cavity moulds heat up faster. Aluminum moulds (I don't personally use them) heat up VERY quickly I understand.
It is all part of the deal. Just go through them and recycle the bad bullets back into the pot.
Welcome to the pleasure of casting!

[mooman76]

BPG76
What handels are you using. The Lee handels don't quite fit perfect with the RCBS moulds and you can cure it by reaming out the holes the pins go through just a tad. You don't want to do too much!

[MGySgt]

I also purchased the RCBS 45 270 SAA mould in the last few weeks. I had to move the alignment pins in a little to allow the blocks to close al the way. (I use my bench vice, easier to control then a hammer).

They cast just fine but drop a little shy of 454 RCBS states they are.

FWIW

Drew

[STP]

Jon K has it nailed...
The block pins need to be adjusted until no light can be seen when the handles are closed. So adjusted, the block partition lines will disappear and the boolits will not show eccentric (misaligned) results.
"Short" pins will allow the block halves to mate differently, side to side. Large pistol calibers may not show much of a defect, but the rifle boolits sure will. I had a Loverin 311467 mould teach me that one.
Pin protusion is the first thing I check now when a new-to-me mould arrives.

[bpg76]

BPG76
What handels are you using. The Lee handels don't quite fit perfect with the RCBS moulds and you can cure it by reaming out the holes the pins go through just a tad. You don't want to do too much!

im using rcbs handles

[bpg76]

i checked out the mold a little bit ago after using it this afternoon.as of right now the blocks have closed up to where i cant see any daylight.i dont know if there was a burr or something that i couldnt see or using it helped it out.tomorow is supposed to be another nice day i will cast some more with it tomorow.thanks for all the help so far.

[Dale53]

bpg76;
The easiest way to get a mould up to heat is to put the bottom of the mould into the melted metal. About ½ minute is about right for aluminum moulds, about two minutes for an iron mould. Then, you will get proper bullets with a minimum of time.

You can also use a thermostatically controlled hot plate. You'll have to experiment a bit as these vary from unit to unit. I would start at "medium" with an electric hot plate. I don't like the idea of an open flame in contact with a mould. I would be afraid of possibly warping the mould.

It is very convenient for me to just put an iron mould on a hot plate at the same time I turn my pot (RCBS) on to melt it's contents. I leave it for about thirty minutes and when I return, the pot is up to temperature as well as the mould. Then, it's MAKE BULLETS TIME!!

Dale53

[LAH]

bpg76 there should be no finns on the bullets. Since the daylight is now gone I figure the finns will go away also.

Pin adjustment is simple. I drive them in till the mould halves" rock" when mated and then move the pins out till the "rock" stops. BTW my moulds have been packed for a year now but if memory serves they all show vent lines wihen held between a bright light and my eye.

I normally pre-heat on the pot but the thermostatically controlled hot plate Dale mentioned will work better, safer, and be easier on the moulds than about anything. Just my two..............Creeker

[bpg76]

thanks for all the help guys..this forum has helped me out alot..i cast some more this afternoon..after the mold had been aligning better one cavity would drop pretty much seemless bullets and the other cavity dropped ones that just had a slight hint of barely visible lines..the man that owns the shop where i buy my reloading supplies is a long time bullet caster and is a machinist by trade i may let him look at the mold sometime.other than that im tickled to death i have big shiny pile of bullets to feed my 45 colt..i did figure out i need a bigger pot to get much production those big slugs really drain a 10 pound pot fast lol..thanks for all the help

[45r]

tap the side of handle where it holds the mold and it sets the new rcbs molds. they make them that way now so they wear in right. I smoke my mold with long wooden matches and it drops very good bullets.I load my 45 new frontier with 8.7 grains power pistol and get 2 to 3 inch groups and 980 fps with winchester primers.this is the most consistant load I have tried and is safe with colts from what I read in handloader magazine.Hope this helps.