Modern Bond 180

[KCSO]

In a trade with Floodgate i got a Modern Bond mold in a 311 1145. This is a nominal 180 grain bullet with a flat base and a sharp spire point. Imho this is just about the worst design for a practical bullet, but the mold drops bullets so nice at 312 dialmeter that i am going to try and work up a mid range target load. I started with 16.0 of 2400 and will shoot some later this week. I am guesing that w/o a gas check I am going to have to stay at or below 1600 as I have never personally had much luck pushing a plain base bulet faster than that. I'm open for input on this as these are sure some pretty bullets.

[floodgate]

This was one of those trades where each party went home happy! I got a nice, boxed early Ideal tong tool in .38 S&W (eat your heart out Deputy Al! Or, come on up with a couple of your Saddidy Night Specials and we'll load up some BP loads for them) and a lot of early Ideal "paper".

For those of you who came in late, Modern-Bond had a WEIRD bullet ID scheme. The mould was marked D-311-1.145, meaning their 4th (A...B...C...D...; get it?) .30 caliber design, casting a bullet 1.145" long. They are nice, well-made 2-cavity moulds, comfortable handles, and a sprue-plate design that was later copied by Hensley & Gibbs - made for about 30 years from 1922 to around 1951 or so. This is sure a great bunch of folks!

floodgate

[9.3X62AL]

Oh, yeah--at the rate Buckshot and I consume 38 S&W rounds, a Dillon makes more sense than a tong tool!

[KCSO]

Some quick observations on the mold...
I started by cleaning the mold with detergent and pre heating it. I then cast up 4 bullets and by the 5th pour the mold was dropping perfect slugs. The bullets from W/W alloy ran 190 grains and measured 312 on the bands and 301 just ahead of the bands at the start of the taper. Since the mold is marked 311 I thught that this was right on spec. Both bullets from the 2 cavity mold were identical in measurements and weight. The handles of the mold are humped and they squeeze directly on the blocks and put no pressure on the pins when casting. This is definatly a high quality mold.

[floodgate]

Oh, yeah--at the rate Buckshot and I consume 38 S&W rounds, a Dillon makes more sense than a tong tool!

Al:

Note that I carefully said "BP" loads; what with cleaning up after each cylinder-full, one COULD prolly keep up with a tong tool. BTW, these early (ca. 1895) tools had no provision for resizing, so fired cases really can only go back into the same arm they were fired in; and THAT assumes the revolaver chambers are closely matched.

Doug