Brass vs. Aluminum Molds?

[Nora]

I'm looking at possibly getting a bonus check this month. Being the responsible person that I am, in a not so stable economy I feel investing would be a smart move. Problem is I'm not sure on which direction to go. Which would be a better investment toward happiness and satisfaction? Having a .316" mold made for my M-38 out of brass or aluminum? I've got no experience using brass molds, so is there any advantage in one? I only see them listed by those custom made. The price doesn't seem to be that much different..... so how do they stack up performance wise? :coffee:

[Blammer]

brass is more valuable... :)

I'd go with brass, they cast really well!

[runfiverun]

brass dude.

[SwedeNelson]

Have three from Old West Moulds.
All are the best.
Brass is realy sweet.

Swede Nelson

[borderghost]

Having a custom 3 cavity brass mould made - boolit is going to be for 50 cal with sabots - .451 / .835 long / smooth body / FB/RN / bout 325 grn - also having a custom jig of my own design being made so i can make hollow points after i have cast , hole will be 3/16 with an adjustable depth - wonder which type of lead - soft , medium , hard - will be using the spin jag to load them with , hoping the smooth body will let the sabot release better then having rib boolits, any ideas or suggestion are welcome

[Gerry N.]

I've got both kinds of moulds. Both cast very well. Brass takes very close attention to temperature becasue if the unthinkable happens and you solder the blocks together, you end up with a very pretty, very expensive paperweight. For that much money, I would surmise you could buy three Lee molds , holding the extras in reserve, with enough left over to take the missus out for a steak dinner.

There you have my 2 cents.

Gerry N.

[montana_charlie]

with enough left over to take the missus out for a steak dinner.
I wonder if Nora has a 'missus'...or (perhaps) IS a 'missus'.
CM

[shotman]

Brass is good BUT dont get too much tin in the mix or it will be what gerry said. I heat my new one hot to get a [patina] on them before lead gets in it

[Nora]

I wonder if Nora has a 'missus'...or (perhaps) IS a 'missus'.
CM

Gerry N. is right, I HAVE a missus.

[dromia]

I find that brass is a fine mould material. if I have a choice then it would be brass before aluminium. Not that aluminium doesn't make fine moulds too.

[GLynn41]

I have a brass as well good alum. good is good both well work so chose what you like --my personal fav is the brass though

[Ron B.]

Hello Nora,
Personally, I like the feel of steel.
But, I must admit brass is sure nice to look at! :veryconfu

**
I just read this---"Gerry N. is right, I HAVE a missus"
And, must add; "Whatever rocks your bedposts there friend!" [smilie=s:

Good shooting!
GRB

[Nora]

I just read this---"Gerry N. is right, I HAVE a missus"
And, must add; "Whatever rocks your bedposts there friend!" [smilie=s:
GRB

GRB, What I meant was, I have "boy parts" and my missus has "girl parts". :roll:

[Ron B.]

GRB, What I meant was, I have "boy parts" and my missus has "girl parts".

Lol!; that is funny!
MR Nora, I meant no harm.

GRB

[captaint]

So, hold on now - I've been thinking about getting a brass mold. Just what does it take to solder them puppies together? I mean mold temp & melt temp. And if one does this, can we get them apart? Mike

[Gerry N.]

So, hold on now - I've been thinking about getting a brass mold. Just what does it take to solder them puppies together? I mean mold temp & melt temp. And if one does this, can we get them apart? Mike

If you should, Gof forbid, solder a mold together, and it happens, all it takes is temps a bit too high with an alloy with too much tin; you can get still them apart.

Getting ALL the solder off, however, is nearly impossible, so the molds are effictively ruined. They will re-solder themselves very easily. The tin gets into the surface of the brass.

All this horror aside, it doesn't happen very often, but bears consideration. I have two brass molds for Round Balls. I use only lead that's as pure as I can get and try to keep the temp as low as I can consistent with well filled roundballs, so thus far, no problem.

A friend "won" a Civil War era brass minie ball mold on EvilBay, tried it with range scrap alloy and soldered it on the third cast. We figured it was soldered long ago, and cleaned. No way of telling when in the last 140 or so years it happened so he's now the proud owner of a very pretty and very expensive display artifact AKA: paperweight.

Gerry N.

[RugerSP101]

Do any companies have premade Brass bullet molds that I can check out online ?
:)

[turbo1889]

I love brass molds and have yet to stick one together -- however it is also true that I'm a cheap sh*t and very seldom add tin to my mix. Usually it's straight lead, straight WW, or straight range scrap.

I will take a brass mold over an aluminum one any day, just so many good cuts only come in aluminum (Lee) molds. :(

Of course my best molds of all are some Stainless Steel custom ones I both had made and later inherited some more from a local machinist who unfortionatly passed away a few years back. Now those are quality molds !!! That guy never did anything half-a$$. SS blocks and hardware including spruce plate and cut to very close tolerances. I could use them as a hammer if I wanted too and they would still cast good bullets, will last longer than me I figure.