Handles for Hensley@Gibbs

[carolinashooter]

A novice's question for someone. I have been offered for purchase a Hensley&Gibbs 10 cavity .38 cal. mold. My question for this is do they require a special handle for this mold? I understand H@G no longer exists. I do not want to buy molds and then not be able to use them. Does a 2 or 3 cavity mold use the same handles as a 10 cavity?

[RogerWatsonfromIdaho]

carolinashooter,

Handles for 2 or 3 cavity moulds do not fit 10 cavity moulds.
Ballisti-Cast is making Hensley & Gibbs bullet designs.
They also sell handles.
http://www.ballisti-cast.com/Price%20List.htm
Handles (H&G 8 or 10 cavity)... $75.00
Check with them.
Roger

[carolinashooter]

Thanks. Just contacted seller and he is including handles with the mold. If handles alone are 75.00 I am getting a DEAL !

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Ballisticast indeed does make and sell the handles that you need to put your 10 cavity mold into operation. The handles are a bit pricey, but they are extremely well made and very strong as were the originals made by H&G, and they will last a long time and sustain constant use. There is no other source for them and the likelihood of finding a stray, unattached set of these is remote. The handles are not the usual type of "scissor" design such as (are used on a set of ordinary pliers) or the ones used for one thru four cavity molds. These have the hinge forward of the blocks and open from the rear, where the wooden grips are located. The ensemble is a massive combination that is larger than any mold-handle combination that was ever commercially produced for use by a person casting by hand. Some bullet casting machines may have used larger molds having a greater number of cavities. But H&G 10 cavity molds when gotten up to speed in conjunction with a good bottom pour pot, are capable of casting/delivering a huge number of uniform, and consistently high quality bullets in a comparatively short period of time. Having the melting pot keep up with the mold can be a problem, but generally ingots can be added while the casting person takes a break...and that, is usually a must, for the weight of this size mold blocks, handles and the weight of the bullets in the blocks tend to tire the wrist and arm of the user after a while. It takes a bit of conditioning to be sure, but you will have a lot of good well made bullets on hand to shoot and a handshake that your friends will remember.