.45 (454) mold descriptions for Lyman / Ideal molds

[ohland]

Scrounged up some descriptions for .454 diameter molds from a variety of sources. If some of you-all have better descriptions from Ideal or Lyman catalogs, please post to this thread with the correction or description of the boolit.

Disclaimer: It is well known that (at times) cherries have been used too long, with undersized cavities resulting. Some throats are too big compared to the groove diameter. Over time, manufacturers held different tolerances and dimensions for the chamber and bore. Different alloys will turn out different diameters. What follows below is simply a collection of the various Ideal and Lyman mold descriptions, which does NOT mean that any particular mold will cast a boolit like you expect. What does this mean? Slug your bore if you don't know the bore/groove dimensions for your gun. If the mold is undersize, you may have to beagle / lap it out some. [ed]

NOTE: Any loads mentioned are taken from period documents, and are not in any way tested. Please refer to modern loading manuals for safe loads. [ed]

v/r,
A fellow servant to the heavy metal :coffeecom

.454 is the standard diameter of bullet for the .45 Colt's revolver. The frontierman's and the cowboy's friend.

45467. This bullet is very popular for medium charges. (PB, 200 - TP is 374)

45468. This is the same as 45467, except that it is made lighter by having flat point and hollow base. Some prefer this form of bullet. No. 3 special tool with double adjustable chamber required. (HB, 175 - TP is 460)

45469. Round ball. This is used with a very light charge for short range and gallery practice. Requires same tool as above. (139)

454148. The heavier weight is lighter than the standard bullet and is claimed to be more pleasant to shoot. The lighter weight is the lightest grooved bullet made for the .45 Colt's. Requires No. 3 special tool with double adjustable chamber. (PB, 189, 247 - TP is 374)

454190. Is the regular standard .45 Colt's. (PB, 255 - TP is 190)

454309 Recommended to those who wish a sharp shoulder wad cutter bullet for the .45 Colt revolver. (PB, 235 - TP is 374)

454424 Designed by Elmer Keith for the .45 Colt with 5 grains Bullseye. (PB, 255 - TP is 424)

454485 A gas check bullet for the .45 Colt. (GC, 250 - TP is 190)

454506 Designed by Jim Harvey. [Prot-X-Bore, shot as cast. ed.] (Zinc washer, 190, TP is ?)

[rcslotcar]

Just bought some old molds and found this old info,,Thanks!!

[fn1889m]

It’s nice when things work out.

Today I cast with an Ideal 454424 mold. I have a Japanese/Winchester lever action .45 Colt 1892 , 20 inch bbl. I was told by several here that a .454 bullet would be “ideal” for this rifle. I found an inexpensive one cavity Ideal .454 mold, with the rounded lube groove, on eBay. The alloy was mostly melted range scrap, with an odd ball handful of some lead bullet someone had given me to remelt. I was hoping they would up the tin content a little bit.

The first few casts were throwaways. But after that, the mold turned out nicely filled out, very slightly frosted, bullets. They were all at least over .454 as cast. They all sized down to .454 in the Lee sizer, with 3 nice shiny bands. The weight was .257 - .260. I assume the difference relates to when I added the cast scrap bullets. The price of free lead. I should probably sort them into at least two piles by weight.

I used a Lyman pot and a ladle. It was easy to keep the mold at a constant temperature. But it was slow with a single cavity mold. I made about 100 bullets in under 2 hours of casting. Slow but very few rejects.

So yes, it’s a nice .454 mold. It was a good day. I would rather have fewer really nice bullets than a lot of marginal ones. I have a couple other older, single cavity molds to try. I hope they are as good.

266519

[cwlongshot]

Great info Oland thank you for sharing!!

The 454424 is one of my favorites.

I found it interesting how this bullet has been cut so differently FROM SAME COMPANY thru the years.

My pop bought our first. Probably about 1972 ish. Sing cav mold. Cast many many bullets for us! I was gifted a two cav when a good friend passed. That bullet was Identical to my sing. About a month later I bought a small bunch of molds at a yard sale. There was a 452424 2 cav and single cav included along with another sing cav 454424 and a 454190 mold. I was suprised How different the 452 was untill I looked at the second 454424!!! It was on a much larger block and the grease groove was SQUARE! Mine where round!! What thaaa???

Neat stuff! I gifted that to another friend then proceeded to "loose" the two cav!!! It will thrn up but its been about 7-8 months and I havent found where it is!!!

CW

[Walks]

My DAD had this mold #454424 a 4cav. When it came time for me to buy my own, I picked the #452454 2cav. The #454454 was also available, but I listened to the guy in the store who told me the smaller diameter mold would be a better choice in my Ruger Blackhawk in .45Colt. Dumb move. By the time I knew better, I couldn't find a #454424 anywhere.
The new bullet was too long to fit crimped in the crimping groove and still chamber in my 3rd Gen Colt. Wouldn't fit in my DAD's New 3rd Gen Colt either. But His bullets from the older #454424 would. Also my mold produced bullets with a rounded grease groove while his older mold dropped bullets with a square grease groove.
Standing both bullets side by side my bullets were definitely taller, had a longer nose. But cast of the same alloy, my bullets were 2-3grs heavier.

I still had the #454190 & #452423. The #452423 became my go to target bullet in the .45Colt for paper punching. Bought the N.O.E. version in a 5cav last year. It drops the most Perfect 245gr bullets. Just a mirror image of my old Lyman#452423. Elmer Keith's bullet for the .45AutoRim, shorter nose.

[rcslotcar]

Ideal mold 45 s (cherry 893) single adjustable cavity to swage cores. I found this recently.

[rcslotcar]

I just bought a Lyman 454 424 single cavity hollow point mold for $20. I can't wait to cast these. I have't been able to find info on this mold yet.

[MT Gianni]

I just bought a Lyman 454 424 single cavity hollow point mold for $20. I can't wait to cast these. I have't been able to find info on this mold yet.

Up until the mid 80's Lyman would hp any mold in their system for you at an extra charge. You called the factory, told them what you wanted and mailed a check. I have seen pictures of 11 different 454424 bullets together and I think it was 18 or 19 429421.

[rcslotcar]

Thanks for the above info.

[32-20]

The venerable 450229 (hollow base) mold drops near perfect .454 for me out of pure lead. I have to size then down to about .451 to try and get them in most of my cap and ball revolvers. Great bullet for other uses, including .45 ACP. Sure they would be good in .45 Colt.