452389 Sittin' at the door!

[PS Paul]

So checkin' around on e-bay, I happened upon a 452389 Lyman 2-CV mold WITH HANDLES. Guy had it listed "Buy it Now" for $159.99, but opening bid was $75.00. so I figured, "What the heck, I'll open at $75.00." three days later and I'm the proud auction "winner" of the mold and handles for $75.00.

wife called me at work to tell me I had ANOTHER mold sittin' on the doorstep waitin' for me when I get home. Yeeehah!

So, it appears to be kind of a "button-nose" wadcutter-style with 2 lube grooves and no crimp groove. guessin' .45 ACP or .45 Auto-Rim, but I'm hopin' to cast/load in ACP and .45 Colt too.

Any of you guys have experience and/or pet loads with this design? It seems it might just be a good "quick shot recovery" boolit for CAS, but not sure if it'll pass the "no wadcutters" caveat some of the clubs have?

I use a large variety of powders and enjoy experimenting, so "mild to wild", I'm lookin' for it all!!

PS Paul

[Shedhunter]

I know the 1911 will let you know if it likes the short round.:D The OAL when loading in the 45 acp is 1.080

Good buy on that one, been seeing just the mould sell for a lot more as of late.

[PS Paul]

I load several other designs for .45 ACP, but the only 45 ACP I own any longer is an extra cylinder in my BH convertible. I can do many things in it that auto-loaders do not allow due to the overly long chambers.

You're right about prices, for sure. I was actually pretty surprised I won the auction. It must be this is just not a super-sought after mold. I guess?
Definitely MY lucky day when I scored this.

[Shedhunter]

I saw the same mould today sell for over 80 bucks, so you done really good. The 452389 usually sells for a good amount. Should be a fun round in the BH. The Lyman 3rd edition cast boolit book has the info for reloading.

[PS Paul]

Thanks, Shed. I've been casting and reloading for nearly 30 years, but sometimes a guy runs across an oddball that sort of takes him by surprise, you know? such is the case with this mold. So, my hope was one of the fellow casters on the forum who might have experience with this particular mold could share one or two of their "pet loads" for this mold.

I have tons of data and do have the Lyman's data to start if nobody can provide a pet load.

I will likely shoot it more often in .45 Colt, but it is just a neat and unique mold that just does not seem to be really prevalent or prominent in the casting world?

PS P

[Shedhunter]

I don't have any pet loads, havn't played with it too much and I hate to say it but I cast more than I shoot. The button nosed mould is fun to cast and makes purty boolits and there is always room for more moulds.

[PS Paul]

I don't have any pet loads, havn't played with it too much and I hate to say it but I cast more than I shoot. The button nosed mould is fun to cast and makes purty boolits and there is always room for more moulds.

Ha ha! Yeah, felt the same way for a few weeks until I FINALLY got to the range on Monday. Let loose with 550 rounds of .357/.38/.45 ACP and .45 Colt. I had quite a stash built up for about 5 weeks and it was drivin' me crazy!

Well, I'm gonna start with maybe Unique or maybe Green Dot (likely uncharted territory) and move on up to 4227 in the Colt. Sure looks like it'll be fun.

[fecmech]

That was a bullet I used "back in the day" for timed and rapid fire when shooting bullseye pistol. In a good "wad " gun it will make small ragged hole 25 yd groups with light charges of bullseye powder(3.5-4 grs). I used 452460 for the 50 yd slowfire stage as it was more accurate at that range and the 389 at 25 yds for the lighter recoil and quicker recovery in timed and rapid. Just tell the cowboy guys it's a round nose!

[NoZombies]

The design shoots very well in my S&W 625, and is a great plinking and paper punching bullet. I never have tried it in an autoloader, but I suspect that will change in the next few weeks.

[PS Paul]

Fec, that's EXACTLY the type of info I'm lookin' for! I made up about 200 of 'em Sunday and am gonna make 4 batches of 50 each. I like the roundnose suggestion too! he he.....

The mold is in really good shape, but the sprue plate has to be either re-faced on the mating surface or changed. I am gonna try the BE load in the 45 ACP cylinder and load up a light load, a medium load and a boomer with green dot, 4227 then HS-6 in 45 Colt. Should be fun!!

Thanks for the help, fellas!
PS P

[Baron von Trollwhack]

In addition to 45 ASCP,very good with 45 autorim, especially with reduced bullseye target loads. BvT

[L Ross]

When I wanted to try to match the factory target that came with my FA Model 97 45 Colt I used the 452389 with 20.0 gr of IMR-4227 and at 25 yards 4 went into a large raggedy hole and 1 was 1/2 a bullet width out. I really ought to poke one of those through a deer some day.

Duke

[felix]

As with fecmech, both the 389 and 460 are winners. My molds produce 454 boolits easily. If fact, some high scoring shooters on the Bear's bullseye team during the early 70s used them instead of the 68. Yes, 389 for 50-75 foot matches often beat the 68 in the ACP, but that depended upon the shooter for the most part. The 389 is my go-to boolit FOR the 4-5/8 Colt at 6.0gr700X, lightly crimped ON the TOP bearing ring with RP primers for the short ranges. The 460 is used in the 7.5 barreled Colt at 6.8gr231, RP primer, for 50 yards. Slower powder for the longer barrel produced enough muzzle rise for the same sight hold. Both guns are fixed sighted. ... felix

[happy7]

My experience is that it has been a VERY accurate bullet, especially in my blackhawk with 45 acp cylinder. It is also accurate in my autoloaders but feeding has been an issue. Adjusting OAL helps, buy I can't seem to eliminate FTF with that bullet in some of my guns, 4506 for instance.

If I want to make small groups on a target with a 45, this would be my first choice.

[PS Paul]

Felix and happy7, thanks for the input! I will be shooting these in a revolver, so FTF=zero issues for me and my chamber throats are reamed to .4525 by me last year...... Should be a good shooter.

I cast up ANOTHER 250 of 'em Monday, so I have a lot to load and can/will do a variety, including L Ross' 4227 recipe (one of my very favorite-if not my favorite- powder in .45 Colt).

I don't have 700-x, but I do have 231, so I'll give that load of 6.0 gr 231 a whirl. Sounds like a fun and "easy to shoot" short-range accuracy load.

You guys are the best!
Paul

[Iowa Fox]

I use 2 bullets in my 1911- the 452389 and the 452460. 3.5 grains of bullseye under the 389 runs flawlessly and groups very nice.

[Victor N TN]

So checkin' around on e-bay, I happened upon a 452389 Lyman 2-CV mold WITH HANDLES. Guy had it listed "Buy it Now" for $159.99, but opening bid was $75.00. so I figured, "What the heck, I'll open at $75.00." three days later and I'm the proud auction "winner" of the mold and handles for $75.00.

wife called me at work to tell me I had ANOTHER mold sittin' on the doorstep waitin' for me when I get home. Yeeehah!

So, it appears to be kind of a "button-nose" wadcutter-style with 2 lube grooves and no crimp groove. guessin' .45 ACP or .45 Auto-Rim, but I'm hopin' to cast/load in ACP and .45 Colt too.

Any of you guys have experience and/or pet loads with this design? It seems it might just be a good "quick shot recovery" boolit for CAS, but not sure if it'll pass the "no wadcutters" caveat some of the clubs have?

I use a large variety of powders and enjoy experimenting, so "mild to wild", I'm lookin' for it all!!

PS Paul


I have shot a 185 grain SWC button nose in my S&W 25-2 in 45 acp. I load them with 4.9 grains of Bullseye and a CCI 300 large pistol primer. It makes a great target round out to 50 yards. The powder is nasty as all get out. But it DOES work.