Cutting Down LEE 32 93gr & 120gr

[deltaenterprizes]

I am looking to make a 32cal 77gr boolit from a heavier mold by milling down the mold.
I would prefer a 6 cavity but will do 2 double cavity molds if I have to.
The 120gr looks like the same as the 93gr with the addition of the gas check shank.
I plan on making the mold a single grease groove.
Has anyone done this?

[MT Gianni]

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=30-070B-D.png
This sure seems like an easier route.

[Conditor22]

Lyman 2-Cavity Bullet Mold #311252 32 ACP (311 Diameter) 75 Grain Round Nose

this is what I use

To answer your question, Yes I have heard of it being done. I have been given several failed attempts molds that I've managed to salvage into something different than they were attempting to make. Choose where you cut the mold down to carefully. You may ruin the ballistics of the boolit thus creating a total waste of your time and $$.

[rking22]

Look in the 32acp threads in the handguns forum on here. Several folks have cut down the lee 100gr.
Here is one reference
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?391320-What-is-your-best-most-accurate-32-ACP-load/page2

[Joby]

I just bought the LEE TL314-90 to mill off the base a bit for use in 32acp.
But I cast a bunch first to try it first as a 90 grain. We’ll see,with time permitting right in the middle of deer season

[deltaenterprizes]

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=30-070B-D.png
This sure seems like an easier route.
Easier but not cheaper!
I am a machinist wis a nice shop and disabled on $800/month!
A $40 LEE mold and an hour of shop time and I can make the thousand boolits I want and sell the mold and buy something else with the money and be way ahead of the game!

[country gent]

It shouldn't be to hard you need to cut down to next gull caliber dia base and grease groove, Here the tumble lube design would give a finer weight adjustment. one thing to check before cutting is the cavities straightness to the blocks.

I have done this in the mill and also the lathe with a 4 jaw chuck. The lathe actually worked really well. I centered the blocks on parallels and indicated in both for spin and flatness. I fround a HSS cobalt tool in a vee honed it with a radius on the point. Then faced off what was needed. had a nice finish when done and it cast good.

You can cut to exact weight and then bore out small dia of grease groove to make a new base band also touchy but is doable.

cast a few first and face them to desired weight and see what they look like first. This will tell you how much to remove.

[deltaenterprizes]

It shouldn't be to hard you need to cut down to next gull caliber dia base and grease groove, Here the tumble lube design would give a finer weight adjustment. one thing to check before cutting is the cavities straightness to the blocks.

I have done this in the mill and also the lathe with a 4 jaw chuck. The lathe actually worked really well. I centered the blocks on parallels and indicated in both for spin and flatness. I fround a HSS cobalt tool in a vee honed it with a radius on the point. Then faced off what was needed. had a nice finish when done and it cast good.

You can cut to exact weight and then bore out small dia of grease groove to make a new base band also touchy but is doable.

cast a few first and face them to desired weight and see what they look like first. This will tell you how much to remove.

I plan to cut a few to get the weight before I do the mold.
Specific weight is not critical just shooting for around 77gr

[rintinglen]

Over the years, there have been several reports of people successfully doing exactly what you propose. It is easily something any skilled machinist can do. A guy on you tube recommend the 32-93 2r as a place to start

[deltaenterprizes]

Over the years, there have been several reports of people successfully doing exactly what you propose. It is easily something any skilled machinist can do. A guy on you tube recommend the 32-93 2r as a place to start

And it comes in 6 cavity!
I will have to request some samples to see how much needs that be removed and what the base band will look like.
I have a couple of 113gr coming to experiment on.
I will have to buy 2 double cavity molds if they work.

[beemer]

I had a friend mill the back band off a Lee 311-100-2R, it ended up at 85 grains. He could have cut a little more without causing any problems but the 85 worked fine. I had problems with my CZ-50 and a RCBS mold chambering properly due to the front band. If I had ordered one I would have bought the lighter one but I picked this one up at a flea market cheep.

I also cut the gas check shank off a C309-113-F that poured .312, made a nice 100 grain flat nose boolit for my 32 S&W Long.

I cut the shank off a Lee 158 by hand, it worked but I think I was lucky.

All the molds I cut had the old style line up pins. Would the placement of the new pins prevent them from being cut down ?

Dave

[Jniedbalski]

I got the lee mold .311 100 2R it’s cut down I thank .090 and cast at 80.3 gr. It was a bevel base mold now all the Bevel bass shank is gone. It cast great and shoots great out of my Bretta 81 with 2.0 to 2.2 of bullseye. I got this mold from a member here already cut down . Thinking about doing another one but this time doing it to a 6 cavity mold