.187 core mold

[ncbearman]

Wanting to swage .224 from .22lr. Please PM if you have one you are willing to part with. Thanks.
-Russ

Update-
Thought I would try here first before I bought from Lee. Looking for a 2, 4, or 6 cavity. I haven't bought one before but I would assume they come with a sprue plate cause………..I would need that too. PM me if you have something available. Thanks.
-Russ

[Forrest r]

Why not make your own???

Doesn't take a lot to make 1. Simply buy a blank mold, I bought a couple from here.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lee-Double-Cavity-BLANK-Bullet-Mold-90801-New-/390956019644?hash=item5b06cb6fbc:g:QYwAAOxyOlhS8lR P

Drill the cavities out to whatever size you want/need. I made this one to make cores for the 224 (.187) and the 9mm/38spl/357 (.312).

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/4bb5af17-f58d-4602-816f-10d73d76b02d_zps0rwcjaet.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/4bb5af17-f58d-4602-816f-10d73d76b02d_zps0rwcjaet.jpg.html)

I used nothing more than a scrap piece of metal (1/8") and a couple panheads (self taping screws for metal studs) to hold the small piece of flat metal to the bottom of the mold.

From there I used a 8/32 screw (.187) and a 1/4-20 bolt (.312) for the adjustable stems. Drilled and taped the bottom plate to hold the adjustable plugs and turned the bolt heads down to the correct diameter to fit into the cavities.

I've also made a 2 cavity core mold that is adjustable for the 44cal's/45cal's.

Anyway, they aren't that hard to make & you'll have around $35 in making a core mold. Or around $32 a core mold if you buy 2 blank molds/combined shipping.

I've been debating about buying a blank 6-cavity mold from lee. But as usual too many irons in the fire already.
http://leeprecision.com/bullet-casting/blank-molds/

[ncbearman]

Thanks Forrester. I had started looking around about that after I posted this. Probably gonna go the po' mans way and do a 6 cavity. We'll see what offers come my way. Great tutorial. In my opinion it is sticky worthy.
Russ

[mckenziedrums]

I've always been really amazed at the price of a core mold vs a much more complex actual bullet mold. Never quite made sense to me that a simple cylinder was more than a bullet shape.

[mckenziedrums]

I was just thinking about it... If you really wanted to be more precise with the core mold you could use the RG style clips like NOE has and just have blank pins of whatever length you needed. Swap the pins when you need different weights. Wouldn't be practical if you change weights a ton of times but might be pretty easy to use for a few common weights without breaking the bank. Not as cheap as a screw but would be a fairly slick setup.

[DukeInFlorida]

I looked at making my own .187 core mold, and then realized:
1) The cost of a blank 6 cav mold from Lee was a LOT of $$$. My plan would have been to drill extra holes, giving me a 11 cavity mold.
2) The trick is to hit the exact middle between the two blocks.
3) I only have a drill press, and knowing that even .001" off from the centerline would screw things up
4) I decided to BUY one from BT Sniper, knowing full well that it would be right, and that he would proudly stand behind it.
5) I'm glad I went that direction, and didn't first screw up a mold block, and then have to pay the $$$ for a well made one.

Unless you have a MILL, and know how to use it, you are better off buying it already made. BT Sniper is the guy with the deal on them.

[Forrest r]

I looked at making my own .187 core mold, and then realized:
1) The cost of a blank 6 cav mold from Lee was a LOT of $$$. My plan would have been to drill extra holes, giving me a 11 cavity mold.
2) The trick is to hit the exact middle between the two blocks.
3) I only have a drill press, and knowing that even .001" off from the centerline would screw things up
4) I decided to BUY one from BT Sniper, knowing full well that it would be right, and that he would proudly stand behind it.
5) I'm glad I went that direction, and didn't first screw up a mold block, and then have to pay the $$$ for a well made one.

Unless you have a MILL, and know how to use it, you are better off buying it already made. BT Sniper is the guy with the deal on them.

Good post!!!!

This is an excellent example of why people should pay someone else to do something if you don't have a clue on how to do something or what their doing.

Myself I'd rather spend $65 and make 1 myself rather then buy 1 for $165. But then again I Guess it's easier to make 1 if you know what your doing. Heck for $165 I can make 2 6-hole core molds + a 2-cavity core mold.