Found an interesting Ideal mould for two different calibers

[David LaPell]

I picked up a decent old Ideal mold pretty cheap, it's a two cavity but it's for two different calibers. One cavity is #358429 which is the older style from the looks of it which is what I wanted and the other is #452423 which I was not too familiar with but since I am considering getting a .45 Colt revolver sometime I figured what the heck. I know the 452424 is about 250-255 grains, what is the 452423, about 230-235 grains? I imagine it would be a decent all around bullet if cast from wheel weights, just haven't run across one before. Not sure what Ideal / Lyman was thinking with two cavities from the same mold.

[Beagle333]

It sounds cool! I shoot both of those. Nice find. 8-)
Yes, the 452423 is a little over 235gr.

[Leadmelter]

I have a Lyman four cavity: the front two are #358429 and the rear are #429421. Both are Keith original designs with square lube grooves and slanted crimp slots.
Leadmelter
MI

[Catshooter]

In the old days before Ideal/Lyman joined soulless corporate America they would, for $5 extra cut different cavities in a single mould. Some people like 'em that way and Lyman used to want to please all of their customers that they could. Not just most like today.

The 452423 was Keith's design of his boolit for the 45 auto pistol. Should run about 235, 240 grains. Often feeds well and is quite accurate.


Cat

[Piedmont]

My 452423s from two molds weigh about 245 gr. from wheel weights. I am curious if the front band on your 358429 is smaller in diameter than the other two bands and you will want to check the diameters on that 452423 also. One of mine was a tad under .450" and there is another board member here who says he has one like that, too.

I have Lyman 4 banger from the sixties with three different designs cut into it, two .30 rifle (same cherry), a .38 and a 452423.

[reddoggm]

I can,t say for sure but wouldn,t you want a .454 mold/bullet for the Long Colt I know in the 3 pistols and one lever I have in that caliber that If I was put a 452 down the pipe it would be bouncing down the pipe. Like I said I cant speak for other guns but I have 3 Rugers and a Big Boy all in 45 Long colt and have shot .452 thru all of them and the accuracy was gone

[GP100man]

David

Here`s as good a reference as you`ll find for Lyman molds .

http://www.three-peaks.net/bullet_molds.htm

GP

[David LaPell]

I took a #358429 bullet that I cast from a newer mold and you can see the difference with the front driving band, in this mold you can see the gap where any bullets cast from it will have a thicker band. Hopefully next week or so I might get a chance to cast up a few. Will be fun out of my Blackhawk.

[MT Gianni]

I think the 452423 was the classic bullet for the Auto Rim 45, the Brazilian contract 45 acp's 1917? liked it as well.

[StrawHat]

For a little info on the 452423,

http://www.sixguns.com/crew/cba.htm

[catskinner]

Lyman offered molds with different bullets in the same mold until at least 1962 since it is listed in the first edition Handloaders Digest. Cost at that time was $2.50 and a 4 cavity mold listed at $16.00

[catskinner]

Lyman offered molds with different bullets cut in 2 and 4 cavity molds until at least 1962 since it is listed in the first edition Handloaders Digest. Cost at that time was $2.50 and a 4 cavity mold listed at $16.00

[FLHTC]

Actually they could be custom ordered in the calibers you chose. I've seen many different moulds come out of the more historic locations along the east coast as they closed up shop. I can remember a wall of bullet moulds that were stacked like ammunition boxes in gun shops when I was a kid. I'd like to have some of the moulds I saw over the years.
Another type of mould that you won't find a reference to is the soft nose moulds that were cast from two different alloys and bonded together with epoxy. They went over like a fart in church

[MtGun44]

Elmer Keith designed the 358429 as a heavy .38 Spl boolit, and it was quite successful. The 429421 was made
to the same design concepts for the .44 Spl, also extremely successful. Each is also superb for their respective
magnums.

The 454424 and 452423 were created using the same Keith concepts for the .45 Colt and .45 Auto Rim. .45 AR
was the cartridge developed to let the war-emergency 1917 Colt and S&W revolvers chambered in .45 ACP and
using half moon clips to use single rounds without the clips. 452423 will usually feed just fine in .45 ACP 1911
pistols, too.

Bill

[rintinglen]

I have a bifurcated Lyman also. Mine drops the 452-374 on one side and the 452-423 on the other. IME, this is one of those ideas that sound better than they work out to be. I find that I use more of the 452-423 and end up with the Round nose just setting there, waiting on the bench. It turns the 2 cavity into a single cavity, which I don't like, having been spoiled by the 4,5, and 6 cavity molds I have. But I haven't seen a 4 cavity 452-423 in a long time, so I muddle through.

[helice]

David,
Nice find. If I found one like that I'd rush right out and buy me a lottery ticket. 'Twould be my lucky day. Come back again and tell us how they work.

Ain't it fun to buy a mould and then need to buy a gun to use the boolits in.[smilie=1: