What was Lyman 455506 for ?

[Johnch]

I found a well used Lyman 455506 in a freinds mould drawer yesterday
Interesting looking bullet

Looking on Cast Pic I see bullets in several Ca. with the same design

But what was it designed for ?

May have to borrow it , cast a few and play a little

John

[scb]

These look like swaged zinc washer bullets. I've never used these moulds but I did have a swage die for zinc base bullets. Perhaps you're supposed insert a zinc washer and pour lead around it. Just a guess. You can go to Corbin's website and check out what if I remember right he calls base guard bullets. He uses copper washers. I believe that they also address all the "advantages" of this design. Steve

[floodgate]

johnch:

That one is usually logged as 454506; it is - as scb says - one of the Harvey "Prot-X-Bore" bullets designed to take a zinc washer set in the little narrow slot near the base, this one for the older .45 Colt. The lead flows through the hole to form a "rivet" to keep it attached. Some of these are base-pours, others pour from the nose; which is yours? Picture, maybe?

Corbin's "Handbook of Bullet Swaging", 196 pages on pdf. at their site has a good writeup on these and their improved, cupped "Base Guard" washers (really, a re-invention of the old Civil War
"Williams Bore Scraper" bullet for Minie' rifles). The zinc is supposed to scrape away any leading, and lay down a "Sherardized" coat of zinc that further lead will not stick to. The conclusion from several tests is, they have to be EXACTLY matched to groove diameter, placed with the sharp edge forward, and still do not really work very well.

I have a few washers in the .45 size; if you or your friend want to try them out, PM me with your postal address. But they are pesky to get into place in the mould without letting things cool off too much. If your friend ever wishes to part with it, I am accumulating these moulds, but do not have any of the .45's, and am looking for a set.

Search "Harvey", Zinc", "Prot-X-Bore", etc. here and you'll find a lot of discussion of the topic.

floodgate

[Johnch]

It is a nose pour , but like I said in WELL used shape

I will see if he has washers
I seem to remember a box of something like that in the drawer
And knowing him and his dad ( world class pack rats ) there is
For me , I would not ever use them as GC's are to much trouble sometimes

When I get over there next I will take some pics

I bet you needed fast fingers to not get burned when you inserted the washer

Floodgate
As the mould hasn't seen the light of lead in a many of moons
I will see if I can talk him out of it

John