U311241

[singleshotbuff]

Gentlemen,

Anyone know anything about this old Lyman/Ideal mold? I picked up a single cavity version in like new condition, in the box and the box is marked 30/30 150gr. I looked through my old Lyman/Ideal handbooks and found 308241 listed in handbook #40 in 125 & 154grs. I assume my mold is just a later version of this mold in a larger diameter? What does the U stand for in front of the mold #? Any idea how old this mold might be?

Thanks for any help.

SSB

[cast-n-blast]

SSB, the "U" stands for undersize, meaning that mold was cut smaller than regular catalog item.

[45 2.1]

Gentlemen,

Anyone know anything about this old Lyman/Ideal mold? I picked up a single cavity version in like new condition, in the box and the box is marked 30/30 150gr. I looked through my old Lyman/Ideal handbooks and found 308241 listed in handbook #40 in 125 & 154grs. I assume my mold is just a later version of this mold in a larger diameter? What does the U stand for in front of the mold #? Any idea how old this mold might be?

Thanks for any help.

SSB

It is an older plain base mold for plinking in the 30 calibers. I have a couple of versions and a friend has one too. It was offered with a crimping groove in place of the middle lube groove at one point also. It is a good plinker in the 3030. If you want to part with it, I would be interested. If so PM me.

[Char-Gar]

At Ideal/Lyman, over the life of a mold cherry it was sharpened several times. Each time it got a little smaller. Just before the cherry was scraped, it was sharpened one last time and a run of molds made with it and marked "U" for undersized.

[JDL]

I have a standard size double cavity and find it shoots very well when pushed with 6 grains of Unique in my '94 Winchester. Much fun without much noise! :-)-JDL

[floodgate]

SSBuff:

Mould #308241 was introduced in Ideal Handbook #16, a 155-gr. RN plain base with three grease grooves and a crimping groove, for the .30-30 and other cartridges of this caliber; it could also be ordered one groove shorter, to weigh 125 grs. It replaced a number of earlier moulds, cut for specific proprietary nose profiles for Winchester, Marlin, Savage, etc. It continued to be listed under this number - in both weights - and marked for Winchester or Savage (slight difference in diameter or nose profile??) through early 1956 (see HB #40, 1955, and fold-out display chart dated 3/56). It was re-designated #311241 in HB #41 (1957), probably to reflect changing fashions in sizing diameter vs. barrel groove diameter. In the 1958 First Edition Ideal "Handbook of Cast Bullets", the introduction to the bullet tables states that the (approximate - in Ideal No. 2 Alloy) diameter from the standard mould is 0.311", and 0.309" from the undersized ("U-311241") one.; but - as mentioned above - actual as-cast diameter runs all over the lot with variations in alloy, casting temperature and cherry wear. It became a special order mould in 1972, shortly after Lyman was taken over by Leisure Group Inc., and was finally dropped when Lyman "went private" again under J. Mace Thompson in 1978. I have a #311241 2-cavity block set ordered in the '60's, with one cavity cut for each weight: 150 and 125 grs. nominal. (No, it's not for sale!)

A l - o - n - g answer, but you DID ask...

floodgate

[BruceB]

Note too , that it was possible to special-order a "U-for-'U'ndersize" mould directly from Lyman.

In all my greenhorn innocence and purity of over thirty years ago, I did just that with a 4-cavity 356402 mould for my 9mms. Hey, less sizing, right??? Little did I know that undersize boolits were the bane and plague of the cartridge! I don't know where that mould is now, but I sure don't miss it!

At the same time, I ordered a 4-cavity 35863 for our .38 target pistols...thank goodness I did NOT specify Undersize. It worked very well, until some "friend" borrowed it and forgot to bring it home again.

There are quite a few "U" moulds out there, and they often show up on Ebay and other places. Personally, I'd avoid them at all costs unless you have a specific need for one.

[singleshotbuff]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all the information, the knowledge of this group never ceases to amaze me. Rather than specualting how undersized this "U" mold is, I think I'll cast some boolits with it and measure them. If I can't find a use for it then, maybe I'll find it a new home with some one who can use it.

SSB

[C1PNR]

Gentlemen,

I think I'll cast some boolits with it and measure them. If I can't find a use for it then, maybe I'll find it a new home with some one who can use it.

SSB
If you're looking for a way to put this mould to honest work, consider buying a Swiss K31. They're not a lot of money, they shoot VERY well, and they are typically a little smaller in diameter for a .30 caliber (.295 x .307 in my case).

Already having the mould, it's an easy sell (and good reason) to buy a "new to you" rifle.[smilie=1:

[singleshotbuff]

Gentlemen,

I was off work yesterday so I figured I'd give this mold a test drive. I cast 25 boolits from straight wheelweights and water quenched them from the mold. They weighed between 161.6 & 162.0grs, average 161.8. They measure .313" diameter on average and are very consistant. I only had 1 reject from the (small) batch, and that was due to a torn base. I pan lubed the batch last night, using my homemade lube, and I think I may give them a try in my M44 7.62X54R that slugs .312. As cast, no sizing needed.

SSB