adjustable Paper patch .45 mold anyone still make them?

[Windshadow]

I saw a mold at a gunshow said to be made by Sharps that cast paper patch slugs of different lengths via a screw adjustment.. the seller said that he wanted $600 for it and that in use it leaked badly and that was why no one made them anymore but that Sharps collectors that wanted the full kit of Sharps accessories would pay a lot for them.

So does anyone still make them? do they work? Do they leak a lot? anyone have sets of photos or drawings of them for those that might want to have a go at making one? What is the range of weights they produce?

I have been having very good results with Montana Precision Swaging .45 540 grain cup base paper patch in my .45-90 1885 with 85 grains of Swiss 1 1/2 F a milk carton wad a SPG grease cookie and another milk carton wad Starline brass and CCI bench rest large rifle primers (oh yes the paper is some very old Crane linen rag based paper from my grandfathers factory that he used for executive correspondence in the 1930s watermarked and very tough. I hope to have enough to see me out for the rest of my shooting days I am getting 3 to 4 inch groups (10 shot blow tube and then clean the bore) after the fowling shot. at 300 yards when I do my part ( I still have problems doping the wind)

Cheers

Windy

[Don McDowell]

Old West, Brooks, Leeth, and Kal out of Canada all make good adjustable molds.

[Windshadow]

Thanks for the tips
I went to http://www.oldwestbulletmoulds.com/ and found nothing on Adjustable molds of this sort.
I then went to http://www.brooksmoulds.com/bullets2.html and again found nothing on this type
for Leeth I could not find a web page

But KAL came up trumps! at http://kal.castpics.net/
at either $165 for “Tangential Ogive” S/C Adj. P/P Mould
or $190 for 45 & .50 Caliber “Tapered Gibbs” / “TGBS”

I am not familiar with those descriptions but am I right that first is a straight side and the Gibbs is the tapered? I tried a box ofthe Montana PS tapered but I had bad luck getting them to group as well as the straight... I assume they will make them to the diameter I need and that is why no weight range is provided for either of them.

Using 20 to 1 lead/tin does anyone know the rough weight range that these molds toss?

Are there any 'gotchas I need to be aware of in using adjustable molds?

Thanks again

Windy

[powderburnerr]

kals will do from 300 to almost 600 in the gibbs design and the long blocks , The tapered gibbs design is a copyy of an origional gibbs design used for long range .......Dean
I can send you samples of short and long if you would like , e-mail me your # ,,, this is for 45or 50

[montana_charlie]

I am not familiar with those descriptions but am I right that first is a straight side and the Gibbs is the tapered?
If Red River Rick drops in, he will give it to you from the horse's mouth, but...

The 'Gibbs' bullet is intended for the Gibbs rifle...which is a muzzle loader.
The 'tapered' part is the shape of the nose...not a general taper to the entire body of the bullet.

It leaves a lot of bullet unpatched...therefore unsupported..., but that is no problem since the bullet is fully inserted in the bore of a Gibbs rifle.

It is not a 'fixed ammunition' design, but it may work well, anyway.
CM

[waksupi]

Tom Ballard used to make a real nice one, but I don't even know if he is still alive. I haven't seen him for years, and he would be getting fairly old by now.

[Red River Rick]

Windshadow:

Welcome....................you'll like it here. Lot's of good information here............you just have to go thru the achieves.


As MC said...........the original "Gibbs" design was intended to be used in muzzle loading rifles.

But.........thanks to Powderburnerr..................we've taken it one step further. It's now being used as a BPC P/P bullet with excellent results. Check out FPMIII's thread, "An afternoon with The BASTARD" (I thought he was referring to me at first, but then I read on), he's using a slightly modified version of my 50 - TGBS design.

Both the "TGBS" & the "TSHS" have straight bodies, not tapered. The only taper is on the "Nose" portion, because of the "Ogive" style.

If your wanting to try a few sample, without buying a mould, I'd take up Powderburnerr's offer, he has a number of my moulds (more than me) and I'm sure he'll fix you up.



RRR

[Don McDowell]

Old West Mould you'll need to call or email Bernie and ask him about is adjustable moulds, but he most certainly does make them in 45 caliber..... I own one...
Brooks also does, but there again you'ld need to talk with them, FPMlll owns one and it makes very nice bullets.
Leeth also makes one, but unless there's a web page now, you'ld need to contact him thru Pioneer Products and obtain a catalog, or visit with them on the phone. JohnBoy owns one of those molds and it makes very fine bullets.

[303Guy]

Hi there, Windshadow. You are actually way ahead of me. I'm just starting out with paper patching and having a heap of fun doing so! I'm doing 303 Brit.

Longbow should be along soon. I made a mold along his lines - my first attempt. Yes it works and no it does not leak. It's actually pretty marvelous! I am goint to switch to an adjustable nose pour design. The disadvantage there is that the base shank needs to be of a fixed length while the bore-rider section can vary as desired. My solution there is a two-diameter sizer die that fits in my loading press. That sorts out the bore-ride and base shank length just fine!


( I still have problems doping the wind)Mmm... I haven't even started there yet!:mrgreen:

[no34570]

Hey Windshadow
CBE here in Australia make an adjustable,well did you might have to contact him,for I got one made for my 45/70 from 350gr - 525gr PP,has a screw down the bottom of the mould,cost me about $220 aussie dollars.
here is his website http://www.castbulletengineering.com/default.htm
He is a good bloke,hope it helps

[Windshadow]

Thanks for the Welcome Guys,

I was shooting aTCFN gas check (I think SARCO I will look up the mold number if anyone is interested) of about 540 grain lubed with and old (1950 alox lube I got from an estate sale Loade very stiff +P in as saiamise mauser 45-70 for bear when I still hunted and I used a 20 to 1 lead tin and had a MV of about 2200 case life was poor though I got what I deserver trying to make a 45-70 into poor mans .458 magnum LOL ;-) oh well I was young back then

Thanks for the Offer Dean, I think I will give some thought over which the 3 TG Nose shapes from KAL I want to try first and order it I has been a while since I did any casting though in 70s I was doing a great deal of it. I note that KAL is offering a range of .45 adjustables from .440 to .448 and all my load development has been with the .450 MPS slugs... do I ignore that and just order in .448?


then I tried the same slug in my Japanese BPCR Winchester 1885 45-90 and did not get the accuracy at 300 yards I wanted (the 45-70 was a hunting gun and I never took shots over 150 yards where the 5" group from the sholder was acceptable) SO I read the cool wepage from Brent and started out with the slugs from Montana Precision Swaging to learn to paper patch and now I am hooked and want to do more of it!

Windy
NRA Life
SASS BPCR
Mid Coast Maine