How out-of-round is too out-of-round?

[dmbassking]

I have had great luck with my lee 6-cav molds and decided to get 452-200-rf for my 45 colt and 45 acp. The problem: they are out of round!!

On the large side they are .452 (same as my sizing die) and on the small side they are .446-.447. I get excissive leading when using this boolit and it seems to be regardless of velocity (equal amounts of leading in colt gov model and springfield 1911). I assume this is due to gas blowby.

Is this one i should send back to lee?

thx,

mike

[Bent Ramrod]

That's pretty extreme. Two or three thousandths is OK for a production mold but six is grounds for return to the factory. I would include a casting to illustrate the problem.

[Buckshot]

...............Lee says their moulds cast less then a thousandth out of round. I don't know offhand if THAT is a warranty FOR thier moulds or just what they strive for. Regardless, that is way too much offset and needs to be replaced. I'd send the mould and a couple cast boolits to Lee and expect them to replace it. They will, too!

...............Buckshot

[Marshal Kane]

Ditto . . . send the mould back. How does something like this get by QC????

[NVcurmudgeon]

Will Kane, before I sent that mould back I would do one more final test to avoid possible egg on face. Try it again, this time conciously being sure that the mould is fully closed. Then measure the boolits and see if they got any rounder.

[tommag]

Sorry, couldn't help myself! I was about to return these to the pot but thought, these may fit some of my do-it-yourself gunsmithing projects quite well.

[dmbassking]

Will Kane, before I sent that mould back I would do one more final test to avoid possible egg on face. Try it again, this time conciously being sure that the mould is fully closed. Then measure the boolits and see if they got any rounder.

This mould had always done this. My alignment pins are locking the mould together solidly and it is apparently due to misaligned mould halves that I am having this issue. Only a few thousandths off but dang!

I have cast with this mould over multiple sessions and it's the same result each time. My best guess is that this mould would cast undersized if it were lining up properly.


Mike :castmine:

[Leftoverdj]

Ditto . . . send the mould back. How does something like this get by QC????

We are Lee's QC. They are real good about replacing standard production items. It's a lot cheaper to ship 'em as they come off the line, and replace the ones that bounce back than it is to test each one. Given Lee's prices, I have no quarrel with that.

Story is a bit different on the custom runs. Browse through the Group Buy threads, and you'll find some sad stories. They are the only game in town on group buys so we put up with them.