veral smith

[barnabus]

has anyone received a shipment from this guy lately? he is not responding to emails or calls but is cashing payments with zero problems.

[Heyboy]

I just got my 10mm mould last week. It took 2 months and no contact at all until the day he shipped. It was a little nerve wracking but it’s the nicest mould I have. It’s my first custom mould, but it’s perfect. Not saying my saeco, rcbs and Lyman moulds are junk but this LBT mould is VERY nice to cast with.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

there have been several recent threads about this.

[Taterhead]

He did have an email change to

LBTisAccuracy@gmail.com

That worked for some correspondence and a mold purchase last summer.

Good luck. He should step up his game with respect to CS. He's usually been great on email and on the phone. But then can go dark for a bit.

He invested a bunch of time with me on the phone when I got started casting, and for that I'm very grateful.

[barnabus]

there have been several recent threads about this.

and that statement helps how? SMH

[Starsizer]

and that statement helps how? SMH
Barnabus,
I have purchased 4 molds from Veral over the decades, before and after his prison stint, along with lube, hardness tester, and book. Nothing came fast. The last lube order took at least 2 months or more. I actually forgot I ordered it. He’s an older man in a one man shop. Not making excuses for him but if you ordered a mold it will come and you will enjoy it. I understand your frustration with the wait time.

[Tatume]

and that statement helps how? SMH

JonB_in_Glencoe is a nice guy who tries to be helpful.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

and that statement helps how? SMH

well :coffeecom
If you didn't know this has been discussed a half dozen times in the last few months, now you do...many have reported slow responses and reasons why. Searching for those posts will give you something to do while you are waiting for a response ;)

[Land Owner]

Veral is a Sponsor on Graybeard Outdoors who had been absent for a long time there, but has returned only recently with his thorough understanding of molds and all things molten and lead. I sent him an email about his new web site on a Tuesday. A week and two days later, on a Thursday, I received a response. That was three weeks ago. Veral is very much alive and well. http://lbtmolds.com/

[barnabus]

I received a order of lube from him finally today.its not the lube I ordered. he cashed my check and didn't send what I ordered but sent something else that he had. what a bunch of BS. yall can prop this moron up all u want but this is piss poor and just wrong.

[Tatume]

There's plenty of other sources of lube.

[kevin c]

Have you contacted him about getting the wrong lube?

[No1_49er]

Just to add to THIS thread (there are others in the same vein) : -

All I can say is "I'm happy for you, Heyboy"!
In April of 2018 I made initial contact with Veral asking if he was able to supply items to me at an overseas address. He replied that he could, quoted a price inclusive of pack & post, and confirmed that he would supply me with a tracking number once he had received the funds and dispatched the goods.
$278 money order sent and confirmed received by both he and WU.
Since then - zip, nada, nothing.
As has been alluded to, he is one of us "old guys", but my patience finally wore out so I emailed him from a different address inquiring if his revised book was available yet. A very timely response, within a few days, replied in the affirmative. So at that time he was still in business and answering emails, to somebody with whom he hadn't dealt with before. Same person (me) but different contact details.
That communication was followed by a request, from the real me, for an update on my outstanding order. You guessed it - silence.
After many emails trying to get a reply I gave up and handed all details to BBB (Better Business Bureau) A month has passed, and not even they can get a response or an answer.
I believe that his business is operated under the name of F.I.G. Enterprise, or something like that. F.I.G. = Faith in God. Yeh, right. Maybe he does, but I'm really not so sure.
To all you other folk who have ordered - Good Luck

[barnabus]

Have you contacted him about getting the wrong lube?

he didn't accidently send the wrong lube.he put a note in the box that he was out of what I ordered and sent something else.he just wanted to keep the money.

[John Boy]

Every mold I have ordered from Tom, at Accurate Molds, has been received within 2 weeks. One order was 4 days. IMO, Accurate Molds are the best on the market. The 4 day turn around was for a caliber that there are few gun owners in the US and has been obsolete since 1900 ... the 9.5x47R, a Schuetzen rifle caliber designed in 1880 and lasted for 20 years

[C. Latch]

I've met dozens if not hundreds of old folks who were skilled at some sort of trade but couldn't answer the phone or type an email in a timely manner to save their lives. So much so that, to be honest, business experience has taught me NOT to be impressed by the tradesman that answers his phone and talks for hours. He's not working. The guy who lets the phone ring - he's working.

Not excusing him or anyone else. Just saying - old people are different. I'm 44. I am rarely away from a communication device for more than 5 minutes at a time. But I envy some of you guys who are free to work without constantly being on your phones and computers.

[Ickisrulz]

Every mold I have ordered from Tom, at Accurate Molds, has been received within 2 weeks. One order was 4 days. IMO, Accurate Molds are the best on the market. The 4 day turn around was for a caliber that there are few gun owners in the US and has been obsolete since 1900 ... the 9.5x47R, a Schuetzen rifle caliber designed in 1880 and lasted for 20 years

I agree. I just received a new Accurate mold a week or so ago. It took less than 2 weeks.

[Nobade]

Same here. With the service available from Accurate there is no reason to experience the frustration of dealing with Veral any longer. 20 years ago he was at the top of the game but that has changed now.

[cwlongshot]

Veral is a Sponsor on Graybeard Outdoors who had been absent for a long time there, but has returned only recently with his thorough understanding of molds and all things molten and lead. I sent him an email about his new web site on a Tuesday. A week and two days later, on a Thursday, I received a response. That was three weeks ago. Veral is very much alive and well. http://lbtmolds.com/


Yup was just gonna type this!

Beat me to it Richard!!

CW

[curioushooter]

Veral's molds are incredibly overpriced, and I've never found any evidence that his claims of design or construction superiority to be true. His cavities are not rounder or better finished. His designs are not more accurate or deadly than Keith's or any other well designed bullets.

I have a buddy with a large collection of LBTs and who is a disciple of Veral (the give away with these folks is that they will have a bunch of revolver caliber molds LACKING any SWC designs). LBT molds quality is not impressive to me. They sprue plates in particular are thin and the hardware basically the same as most. MPs molds are a level up in quality over all others due to their beefy sprue plates, large sized modern hardware, and incredible finish. Some masters work in oils or clay...others in brass and aluminum.

From MP you can get the same number of cavities, hollowpointed, and made of brass for LESS than LBT charges for a plain AL mold. Arsenal makes a comparable quality of mold and it costs about HALF what he charges. Also, No balloney with MP, NOE, Arsenal, ETC. You pays your money and you gets your mold in a week or so. Even the custom guys Accurate and Mountain Molds have better turn around times than LBT, which is measured in months or even years! I've gotten every mold I've ordered from MP, which is in Solvenia and on the Euro, within 8 days, even the one I ordered on New Year's eve.

[sghart3578]

I don't know Mr. Smith. I've never had any dealings with him. My observations are based strictly on reading the posts on this forum.

The folks that complain, even after knowing ahead of time, remind me of a guy intentionally hitting his thumb with a framing hammer then expressing surprise at the pain.

[Tatume]

I've had nothing but good experiences dealing with Veral Smith. His molds are top of the line, his lube is excellent, and he has always treated me well.

[barnabus]

Have you contacted him about getting the wrong lube?

yes and true to form..no response.

[sv44]

spoken directly with him twice in the past few months-last a few weeks ago. he has my order, he has my confidence, he has my money. He did say his shop sustained some damage and he is in the process of getting that back and, if memory serves (which it doesn't always serve) expected to get that done soon (at the time of talking with him)I have faith in him

[tja6435]

Last few orders I’ve sent in, I had the molds in hand before the checks had been deposited. I called him once to ensure he had my check as I had the mold for at least a week before I noticed that he hadn’t deposited the check, I want to make sure he had the payment and if he had lost it I was going to send him another check.

[Taterhead]

Last few orders I’ve sent in, I had the molds in hand before the checks had been deposited. I called him once to ensure he had my check as I had the mold for at least a week before I noticed that he hadn’t deposited the check, I want to make sure he had the payment and if he had lost it I was going to send him another check.

That happened once to me too. His email reply when I asked about my uncleared check was something like, "if you received your order, you can be assured that I have your check and I will be depositing it before too long".