Belding&Mull might be making molds again??

[oldfart1956]

Fellers went up to central Pa. to visit my Dad on Friday and finally stopped in at Belding&Mull in Phillipsburg, Pa. just to browse. Odd I've never been in their shop...been driving by it fo 40 years. I met 2 of the most pleasent follks I've ever had the chance to meet there. Horribly enough I forget the fellers name...the lady's name was Donna..same as my daughter so easy to remember. Anyways...we got to talking and I asked if they'd ever consider getting back in to making molds again. Legend has it Elmer Kieth finally went to B&D to have his molds made on account of nobody else would do it correctly. The good news is...they're considering it. The bad news is...they won't be cheap. They'll be made in house...nothing imported. I told them about the website here and encouraged them to visit. Hopefully they will, I've been using their products for almost 40 years and I know some of ya'll still use their stuff. Also, the shop is fully fitted and neat. And they have 2 dogs...both with only 3 laigs...go figger? Oh yeah.....they had a nice used Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44magnum. Now they don't.....and I'm $400 poorer. Well, I got 4 molds in .44 and no gun that shootes em' fer beans...it made sense at the time. Hopefully, with a little encouragement they'll take the plunge. Audie...the Oldfart...

[shooter93]

The original Belding and Mull was down in Philipsburg I'm sure you recall. Back then they were a reloading supply house for retailers too. I helped out in a Gunshop back then and we'd leave that place with all the bullets and powders that a pickup truck could ever possibly carry. The new guys are great fellows and I hope they make out well.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

anyone have their website handy?

[shooter93]

www.beldingandmull.com

[MikeS]

Audie, I think you have Elmer's mould making slightly backwards. His first moulds were in fact made by B&M, then Lyman made them, and he was upset with Lyman, so went to H&G to make his final designs.

I just bought a B&M powder measure used for $30.00, but it will need some parts, so I'll be dealing with them real soon. :)

[Piedmont]

I don't think Elmer had them make his Keith SWC bullets. B&M made some blunt bullets, sort of ogival flatpoints for Elmer that Elmer said worked fine up close but didn't hold their accuracy at a distance. I believe Ideal was the original source of all of his 'Keith' bullets except the .41 mag which Lyman did on their own. Elmer thought they screwed that up so the original Keith .41 was an H&G and had Elmer's approval.

[oldfart1956]

Audie, I think you have Elmer's mould making slightly backwards. His first moulds were in fact made by B&M, then Lyman made them, and he was upset with Lyman, so went to H&G to make his final designs.

I just bought a B&M powder measure used for $30.00, but it will need some parts, so I'll be dealing with them real soon. :)

GAAAHH! Well yer probably right...my rememberer doesn't work so well. I thought Elmer went to Lyman and got peeved when they switched to round bottom grooves and he insisted on flat bottom grooves and then went to B&M...? Obviously I'm confused. :) Anyway, good buy on the powder measure an I'm sure them folks will take good care of you. They had a real nice selection of loading supplies/brass/boolits/bullets and a huge rack of different powders. And a puddy good selection of used&new guns as well. As mentioned, what impressed me most was the great folks there. When you order them parts remind them to stop by Cast Boolits!! We can never have too many good venders...mebbe they'll sign up! :) Audie...the Oldfart..

[MikeS]

It's working somewhat. He did go to lyman, then get peeved when they changed the lube groove style, but then he went to H&G. Piedmont, you are correct, Elmer's first designs that were made by B&M were not SWC style boolits, his first SWC was Lyman's 453423 for the 45AR. What I don't remember is if after that one he made the 38 boolit, then the 44, or if he made the 44 next, then the 38. I do believe when he went to H&G, he had them make all 3, plus his new 41 design.

[Piedmont]

his first SWC was Lyman's 453423 for the 45AR. What I don't remember is if after that one he made the 38 boolit, then the 44, or if he made the 44 next, then the 38. I do believe when he went to H&G, he had them make all 3, plus his new 41 design.

His first was the .44 bullet. Remember he had decided by this time (around 1927-28) that the .44 Special was the best revolver cartridge. I don't remember the order after that but they were all done by the time the .357 Magnum came out in 1935.

[shooter93]

They also made a rebated boat tail rifle bullet mold at one time but I never used one.

[MikeS]

I'm pretty sure he did the 45AR boolit first, then the 44, then the 38. At least that's what Glen Frexell says in his book. Not that it really matters at this point in time. Along with having a 452423 I also have a Mihec clone of the H&G #503 (the boolit he had made by H&G after getting upset with Lyman), and I also have a really nice boolit, the H&G #503 clone by Mihec that's cut larger to make it into a 45 cal boolit. Due to his CNC machines, and the way Mihec makes his cherries he can use the same cherry for both 44 & 45 (and theoretically any diameter) as his cherries are all undersize, then he programs the mill to make a circle cut, rather than having a full size cherry that's stationary like the traditional method of cherry cutting moulds. That makes a boolit that weighs in right around 285gr or so. Unfortunately it's too long to load in the short cylindered SAA clones, but it works great from a Ruger Blackhawk's longer cylinders. I've also loaded them in 45ACP brass for use in a S&W revolver, now that's a strange looking finished cartridge! I don't know how much practical use a 285gr 45ACP load has, and the 452423 really is the better boolit for 45ACP.

[Piedmont]

I'm pretty sure he did the 45AR boolit first, then the 44, then the 38. At least that's what Glen Frexell says in his book.

If you are going to bring in an outside expert and say that is what is in his book, don't you think you should verify that first? I just went to his book and the 429421 (the .44) was first.