Ideal mold

[GP100man]

over on auction arms is a fellow with a mold & it`s a ideal 360 271 S, is this an early 38 s&w mold ??? or something that can be sized & shot in modern 38 calibers???
it looks like a swc configuration.
gotta learn more about how to handle pics:killingpc
auction 8666944

GP100man :castmine:

[Hurricane]

If you look at the Ol Buffalo Bullet Mold Table, you will see the bullet labled as 358271. It has two lube groves, no crimp grove, is 150 grain weight, and a primative SWC nose. It probably was for the 38 S&W when it was made with a 360 diameter. SWC design has gone a long way since this bullet was made and I think you would be better off with a more modern design. Take a look at the RCBS 38-150-SWC. It is a great bullet with the same weight and looks exactly like the Keith bullet 358429 only not as heavy.

[crazy mark]

I use it in guns chambered for 38 S&W with fairly good success. I have one that is a HP. They both drop in the 360-361 diameter range. Nothing wrong with those older designs. Never really tried it an a 38 spl or 357 Mag/Max.

[Bent Ramrod]

According to the catalog, it was "designed by B. F. Wilder, recommended by A. L. A. Himmelwright." They were both target pistol shooters; Himmelwright designed some boolits himself and wrote a book on pistol shooting. The "S" was a modification with a slightly thinner base band that cut the weight from 150 to 125 gr.

[GP100man]

thanks fellas :
i have some kinfolk that shots a little topbreak in 38s&w & was lookin for a mold for him & ran across this , think i`ll send em some Lee 158 TLs that drop 360.
i looked at 360 boolits, but warn`t none & didn`t see the ole 357271 design , pudgy little rascal .
i have the 358447 & 358429 also the 358091& 358156 HP molds great boolit designs . wonder how many yrs. it took for these designs to evolve in Ray Thompson`s & Elmer Keith`s minds?????
trial & errors that never made it to production?????

GP100man:castmine:

[Bret4207]

According to the catalog, it was "designed by B. F. Wilder, recommended by A. L. A. Himmelwright." They were both target pistol shooters; Himmelwright designed some boolits himself and wrote a book on pistol shooting. The "S" was a modification with a slightly thinner base band that cut the weight from 150 to 125 gr.

Which issue did you find that in?

[Bent Ramrod]

Bret,

It was in the first Lyman Handbook of Cast Bullets, 1958, but the info goes back to at least the Ideal Handbook #27, which is the earliest one I have.

[Bret4207]

Thanks BR, I'll look as I have that book. I had heard from some collectors that the "S" prefix also denotes a "Special" order size. Since I have a 360271S that seems to cast a little small for my 38 S+W Perfected Model, I was wondering about that. I think there's wriggle room on this because my 360271S weighs in around 150, not 125. I'll have to look around as I may have another 271S in combo mould that will work.

[Bent Ramrod]

Bret,

Ideal Handbooks 27 and 28 listed the design as 360271 and said it could be ordered shorter. However, No. 34 had the mould listed as 360271-S, at the original 150 grains, and stated that it could also be furnished with the shorter base band weighing about 130 grains. Recommended sizing was .358" for use in .38 Special revolvers, but stated that it could be ordered to size to .360"; Special List.

There is no illustration on the Special List of this same design; the Special List illustrations were those bullets which were seldom ordered or obsolete.

It's weird; in No. 34 the next three designs on the Regular list after 360271-S are all -S suffix bullets. The first is Himmelwright's odd, pointed wadcutter, which is 360302-S, meant for the .38 Special, and weighing 112 gr. This can be ordered with a slightly wider base band (Special List, and no illustration) to weigh around 130 grains.

The next one was the 360344-S, which was a wadcutter. This was also available as 360344, to size .360". Nothing longer or heavier. The last was 360345-S, which was also for the .38 Special, and was offered neither in heavier or fatter version.

So I guess "-S" could mean shorter, fatter or nothing much at all, except that maybe Lyman's copy writer was having a bad day. The only two "-S" moulds I have are the Short versions, so I always figured "S" meant short.

[Bret4207]

I can't help but wonder if there was a Commie in the Lyman manual dept. bent on driving us crazy. It's working!