H&G Mould

[454PB]

Any of you seen a mould like this? It casts a .30 caliber gas checked boolit that weighs 150 grains in linotype and mics .314". The only marking on the mould is Hensley and Gibbs, San Diego, and the numbers "86".

[Buckshot]

..............Nope, but it's a good looking boolit 8)

.............Buckshot

[Texasflyboy]

Here is the info for H&G Mold #86:

#86 - .30 caliber "standard .30-30" bullet. 170 grains in linotype at 1.000" length. Also available at .827" length =135grains in linotype. Gas check base, two round grease grooves, one crimp groove. .155" nose meplat.

[454PB]

Thanks, Texasflyboy. I did some searching on the internet, but couldn't find any info to identify it. I guess what bothered me was the large diameter of .314", I thought it might have been designed for a .303 British or some such. I picked up the mould at an estate sale, maybe now I'll try casting some boolits from wheelweights and see how they turn out. The boolit pictured is one of some I cast just for weighing and measuring.

[Texasflyboy]

Wayne Gibbs (one of the "Gibbs" in Hensley & Gibbs) sent me a copy of the H&G factory ledger where entries on each mold design were made. With the information I have been independently collecting for over 10 years, my list appears to be as complete a list to ever be assembled on Hensley & Gibbs molds.

You can see the results of our work at:

Hensley & Gibbs Mold Reference Page (http://users2.ev1.net/~eastus1/Casting/hgmoldchart.htm)

With that, there are still some gaps. From time to time, Hensley & Gibbs molds appear on eBay that are not on the factory ledger or my list. Wayne advised me of this and it is certainly understandable given that mold production started in 1933, and was for a time, a one man operation. The focus appeared to be on mold production & quality rather than documentation.

I would appreciate a larger photo of the mold, and any markings on each side of the cavities (Mold number, Company name. etc...) for my Web Page.

[454PB]

You have an informative web page. I'll take some more pictures and e-mail them to you. Thanks again for your efforts.