Tried out my 299155 mould yesterday.....

[Harry O]

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.

[dondiego]

Lot of work for a cartridge that you don't even own the firearm for yet! Sounds like me. I am left handed and once bought a holster and belt since it was left handed. Got the revolver that fit it a year later.

[Bent Ramrod]

Harry O:

Laborious, isn't it?

I once cast 500 of those "Little Minies" (the term I hear at Gun Shows when these moulds or boolits are being talked about) for trading stock for some gun parts. Put me off casting for six months. Never again!

Thanks for the tips on the heating scheme. I've also noticed the ebb and flow of "keepers" from that mould when the poured lead is the only heat source.

[Harry O]

Harry O:

Thanks for the tips on the heating scheme. I've also noticed the ebb and flow of "keepers" from that mould when the poured lead is the only heat source.

I have cast quite a few of 41 Long Colt hollow-base bullets. Sometimes, I can keep the mould hot enough just by casting fast enough. However, the bullet on that one weighs 218gr -- just about three times the amount of lead as is in the 32 Long Colt. For the times that casting fast is not enough to keep it hot, I use the hotplate. I have never had to wait 15 seconds before, though. Usually, 5 seconds or so is enough.

[Mk42gunner]

And people think casting hollow points is slow....

Is the 299155 made on the small blocks or the large ones? From your description, I am betting on the small ones.

Robert