Harry O
11-12-2014, 10:27 AM
It casts beautifully, but is very, very slow. This is for a .32 Long Colt with a hollow base. I used a 40:1 mix, with the pot turned up as hot as it would go. The mould was dipped in the lead before casting. After a few initial casts, there were keepers. However, even casting as fast as I could, the mould lost more heat than it gained during each cast. After about a half-dozen or so good casts, the lube grooves and driving bands started rounding off. From experience, I know that the skirt would have starting deforming shortly after that.
I brought out an electric hotplate I have for such circumstances. After trying several different ways to do it, I found that it worked perfectly to heat the mould blocks and center pin for about 15 seconds between each cast. With the pot turned up all the way, the extra heat kept things crisp and filled out, including the thin skirt. I ended up with a little over 200 keepers in about four hours. That is the slowest I have ever cast with any mould. It will go a little quicker next time, but I doubt that I will ever get more than about 1-1/2 casts per minute with this mould.
Anyway, the mould (which is listed at 80grains) came out at 73 to 75 grains by my scale. The skirt is fully filled out and should expand properly against the rifling whenever I get a gun for it.
I also made a forming die with four holes to form down .32 S&W Long cases into .32 Long Colt cases. It took some time to make the cases, but they should last pretty much forever at the pressure this one operates at.
I brought out an electric hotplate I have for such circumstances. After trying several different ways to do it, I found that it worked perfectly to heat the mould blocks and center pin for about 15 seconds between each cast. With the pot turned up all the way, the extra heat kept things crisp and filled out, including the thin skirt. I ended up with a little over 200 keepers in about four hours. That is the slowest I have ever cast with any mould. It will go a little quicker next time, but I doubt that I will ever get more than about 1-1/2 casts per minute with this mould.
Anyway, the mould (which is listed at 80grains) came out at 73 to 75 grains by my scale. The skirt is fully filled out and should expand properly against the rifling whenever I get a gun for it.
I also made a forming die with four holes to form down .32 S&W Long cases into .32 Long Colt cases. It took some time to make the cases, but they should last pretty much forever at the pressure this one operates at.