Lyman 575 213 - Which one?

[Walt-MT]

Hello the board!

I have three Lyman 575213 moulds. One is supposed to be a 575213 Old-Style.
I do not have a box for any one of them; how do I tell by looking at the mold blocks or some other method, which one is the OS?

Thanks for the help.

W Abbot

[Buckshot]

............Welcome to the board Walt! The 575213OS first of all is supposed to weight 460 grains. The tops of the drive bands are very narrow. The HB cavity has a flat up inside the Minie'. Look at your base cavity plug. If it has a flat of about 0.100" width, it's the OS.

The next 575213 is supposed to weigh 510 grs and has a base cavity with a rounded top. It has wider drive bands.

The last 575213 is supposed to weigh 566grs and is suffixed as 575213-PH. It's the above 510 gr slug with a shorter base cavity plug. The cavity plug has a very wide flat nose on it. I think it was aimed more at the faster twist (48") rifled muskets.

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

[Walt-MT]

Thank you sir!

...But dang it! What am I going to do now? I didn't even know there were three types of 575213's. I wonder if the PH is representing the Parker Hale or Enfield style of bullet? (As I recall the 1860's style Enfield bullet was without grooves to carry lubricant which was carried on the cartridge paper instead so this supposition cannot be correct.)
An initial mark one eyeball examination indicates no flats but no way to tell weight.
I will have to cast and weigh each of the molds and go from there.

Again, my thanks for your hospitality and information.
W Abbot

[Buckshot]

.............Walt, some of the European made reproductions of the very common P53 Enfield equiped it with a 48" twist, which it never had. Due to that faster twist it could stabilze a heavier slug. I have a Parker Hale P58 Naval Pattern 2 band, which WAS made originally with a 48" twist, 5 lands and grooves of progressive depth. It will stabilize a 627gr Minie'.

Neither the 510gr or the 566gr modified version is representative of any historical 58 cal slug. They're just different for the sake of being 'Something new'. They're representative of a style of slug.

http://www.fototime.com/5A94DEA526A1BFB/standard.jpg

These are the Pritchit style Minie' boolits you mention. The one standing on the right (and next to it shows it's cavity) is cast from a Raphine mould. It's 580grs, which is a trifle heavy for a 72" twist rifled musket. Off the subject but since we're talking about it, due to it's weight it requires a stouter charge in order for it to 'carry'. But you'll notice the relatively thin skirt?

A a consequence I made a swage die to form a heavier skirt (3 slugs on the left). The thicker skirt is obvious, but not so clear is the step just above the rim of the skirt, to thicken it more, and also that the cavity is shorter with a sharper radious. To make up for the lead moved into the skirt and a shallower HB, I added a 1/4" deep HP to try and keep the same boolit length.

"...But dang it! What am I going to do now?

I don't know. What is it you're WANTING to do? :-)

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

[Morrison Machine Shop]

Welcome,Walt