Flattening a molds meplat

[iammarkjones]

I have a Lyman 457124 which has a fairly rounded nose, a bit to much for my piece of mind in a 45-70 GG. I had considered having the mold hollow pointed, but since I have access to a full machine shop at work I decided to give it a shot myself. My goal here is not to end up with a flying ashtray for a 45-70 I just want to prevent tube ignition in a lever gun. I lined it up and drilled it today so far so good. I now have a 00.253 pin hole I still have to make the pin. I used the drill bit in the picture for an idea of what I am trying. Has anyone here ever tried this?

[Doby45]

Lots of people that get a rather round boolit HPed end up also getting a flat pin so that they can still cast solid boolits but since no one matches the exact roundness that the mold originally cast they often just use a flat pin and do the same thing you are doing. Buckshot HPs molds and even states that in his HPing instructions. So I would say you are good to go and appear to be doing a great job so far.

[Charlie Sometimes]

Good idea!
The Lee 340 and 405 molds have a wide meplat you might look at for an idea of how wide you need to be.
If I were able to do that to mine, I would make the meplat wider than 0.253 inches- somewhere around 0.300 to 0.350 inches.
That would be sure to get you away from the higher potential of impact detonation, and also give you more "thump" down range.
That wider meplat is a "killer" (pun intended) in HV handgun loads, which would be about the same range as LV 45-70 loads. :bigsmyl2:

Lay some loaded rounds down on the bench, end to end, and take a measurement to see what would always clear, then you can be sure.
I'd like to see what you end up with- the drill bit, as it is now, gives you a dimple HP.
Maybe something around size Q to S would be good, too.

[Charlie Sometimes]

Just checked- those Lee's (457-405-F) is 0.275 on the meplat. Their C452-300-RF is 0.355!
Hope this helps.

[Buckshot]

http://www.fototime.com/9430DE957E643DC/standard.jpg

.............Yup, plus you can also make different nose shapes too. Just a variation on what you did.

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