Appreciation for Hensley & Gibbs moulds

I tend to cast and reload in manic sessions - once I get set up for casting and/or reloading, I hate to stop.
So, I might start at 5:00 after work (I work from home so the commute is great!) and go till 9 or so.
I can sometimes do this for 3 or so nights in the week.
Right now I am casting from a 4 cavity H&G #51. I expect to have about 1500 or so done this week, then run them through the Star sizer, then load my annual lot of 38's.
Our hobby has many benefits - not to mention the Zen like rhythm of pouring, whacking, emptying, repositioning, pouring, etc. Very relaxing and we make things of usefulness and value.
I have to say I really appreciate the workmanship of the H&G moulds. These were done in the days of the machinist's art. They were done on Bridgeport lathes, and not some CNC machine.
Once that mould comes up to temperature, you can produce a lot of bullets. When the pour hardens, and I whack the sprue, the bullets just drop out with a tap on the side.
The quality is something that you just don't see any more.
I can easily see these going to my kids, and my grandkids when I am in that big casting room in the sky.
Maybe it isn't a good idea to derive pleasures from material things, but I really LIKE my H&G collection!

Depending on the bullet you are pouring, many times they will just fall out by themselves when the mold is opened.

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Originally Posted by pworley1

Depending on the bullet you are pouring, many times they will just fall out by themselves when the mold is opened.

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I have had bullets that you can't get out of the mould without explosives. I think it is more the quality of the mould and cavities than anything.

Very happy to have the few that I have. Also BallistiCast hand molds were made to HG specs. . Maybe even a couple of improvements Unfortunately Pete went out of business shortly after I bought mine. GW

My very old (probably made in 1935, judging by markings) "Geo. Hensley 38-150" long nose WC mold in the photo, a mold that doesn't need a Whacker, or even a tapper, yet a previous owner (not THEE previous owner), seemingly beat the Heck out of it, judging by the Peening on the sprue plate tab. I open the sprue plate with a gloved hand and the boolits fall right out without a tap. It's likely the best functioning mold I own...although the boolits noses get a some flashing "nipples" due to nicks in the mold cavity.


Attachment 310268

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Originally Posted by G W Wade

Very happy to have the few that I have. Also BallistiCast hand molds were made to HG specs. . Maybe even a couple of improvements Unfortunately Pete went out of business shortly after I bought mine. GW

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I think that H&G used an alloy called Meehanite.
From what I understand, that is not found much any more or at all in bullet moulds.
Plus they were master machinists.

I have a few of the H&G molds. And I'll be the first to say that if you've never cast with one you're missing out. They are a creature unparalleled. I have a 4-Cav #50 that I use any time I need 38cal Wadcutters. I wish I had a few more of their molds - especially one of them 8-10 cavity 150gr RN molds. They are truly special.

The #51 is hard to find in a 4 hole. I had to settle on a Lyman 358477 <close>but it drops .361 and 150 grain. 12 grains of 2400 is a good target 357 load and I have a Star also.

During a cleanout of a long-ignored storage container, one of my detectives found some of the stuff from WAY before our time when we reloaded our training ammo. I ended up with TWO ten-cavity H&G's - the 148 grain .38 wadcutter, and a 122-125 grain conical 9mm. That they came to me with about 100 pounds of old wheel weights didn't break my heart either. I need to revisit the right alloy for the 9mm as it was throwing small when I tried it, but the .38 mold is a mass-production joy. Truly an example of how to do it RIGHT as opposed to "cheaper and sort of OK".

The big eight and ten cavity Hensley & Gibbs gang molds work best if heated to the point where the bullets dropping are uniformly frosted. In other words, hotter than they need to be. Once you get the mold this hot, then drop the temperature down to a better working temp. In my experience, they tend to work better this way. What I do is used a modified hot plate than can get very hot. I let the mold get as hot as the hot plate can get it. Then I start casting and dumping the bullets as rejects until I get uniform frosted bullets and the sprue breaks with hardly any effort. Once the sprue is breaking easy, be careful not to smear the sprue plate with lead. Once the mold is hot, I rest it on a large white terry cloth towel that is soaking wet. I rest the bottom, sides, and sprue plate for just a few seconds and then try a test pour. As soon as I see perfectly formed bullets with perfect fillout on driving bands I know the mold is in the correct zone for casting. As I cast, the mold heats up and I control the heat by resting it again every few pours on the wet terry cloth towel.

My casting can be a real pain but never with the H+G ~6C. Probably why I have a couple mayonnaise jars full of wadcutters and coated WCs. The gunstore has $20/100 bags of WC R+P brass to get me ahead a little. Too bad I can't sell em. grr

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Originally Posted by Texasflyboy

The big eight and ten cavity Hensley & Gibbs gang molds work best if heated to the point where the bullets dropping are uniformly frosted. In other words, hotter than they need to be. Once you get the mold this hot, then drop the temperature down to a better working temp. In my experience, they tend to work better this way. What I do is used a modified hot plate than can get very hot. I let the mold get as hot as the hot plate can get it. Then I start casting and dumping the bullets as rejects until I get uniform frosted bullets and the sprue breaks with hardly any effort. Once the sprue is breaking easy, be careful not to smear the sprue plate with lead. Once the mold is hot, I rest it on a large white terry cloth towel that is soaking wet. I rest the bottom, sides, and sprue plate for just a few seconds and then try a test pour. As soon as I see perfectly formed bullets with perfect fillout on driving bands I know the mold is in the correct zone for casting. As I cast, the mold heats up and I control the heat by resting it again every few pours on the wet terry cloth towel.

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As I recall, that was known as the "Bruce B Speedcasting method". I do the same when I want to pump out a LOT of bullets!

All of my H&G molds are 4 cavity and cast like a dream. Open the mold, tap the hinge bolt with a 4 oz plastic mallet and the bullets fall out. Get it up to casting temp and you can run until the pots empty.

Attachment 311181Attachment 311182
I was able to add these to my meager H&G collection, 503 and a 68 4 cav. both like new.
What are these worth to you guys? They were worth 400. for the pair to me but I average them out lol. The last one I bought was a nice San Diego 6 cav. 130 for 50.

IMHO, the 503 is worth $175 = $200+ all day long (my favorite 44 mould), the 68 not so much. The 503 may even bring a bit more because of condition. There are thousands of 68's out there so they are worth a bit less.
But, in an auction setting I have seen stupid money paid for some of these moulds, including the 503's and 51's. Some of the more uncommon moulds have gone for crazy money.
I know......I have done it.....I paid $200 for a pristine 10 cavity S55 some 30 years ago
I paid near $300 for a pristine 2 cavity FACTORY #51 dual hollow point. I was told by an H&G expert that is only the 2nd one he has ever seen, and he owns the other one. :)
Unless you vastly overpay for a pristine H&G (yes, I have done it), you will forget what you paid for it over time. In fact, you will have these moulds for the rest of your days, and hand them down to your kids.
Pay once, cry once, and use them in good health!

I have used spray graphite on difficult moulds. The boolits will fall out with a gentile tap-tap. ZEP spray graphite is my choice.

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Originally Posted by FISH4BUGS

IMHO, the 503 is worth $175 = $200+ all day long (my favorite 44 mould), the 68 not so much. The 503 may even bring a bit more because of condition. There are thousands of 68's out there so they are worth a bit less.
But, in an auction setting I have seen stupid money paid for some of these moulds, including the 503's and 51's. Some of the more uncommon moulds have gone for crazy money.
I know......I have done it.....I paid $200 for a pristine 10 cavity S55 some 30 years ago
I paid near $300 for a pristine 2 cavity FACTORY #51 dual hollow point. I was told by an H&G expert that is only the 2nd one he has ever seen, and he owns the other one. :)
Unless you vastly overpay for a pristine H&G (yes, I have done it), you will forget what you paid for it over time. In fact, you will have these moulds for the rest of your days, and hand them down to your kids.
Pay once, cry once, and use them in good health!

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Thats how I feel, I have copy's of most of these from M&p and NOE and while they are nice molds, there's nothing like a nice H&G, all of mine rain bullets, no tapping or beating, plus 6 or 8 cav.
I hardly ever come across them in my part of the country though.
Now my problem is these last two are so nice Im hesitant to use them, lol.

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Originally Posted by danmat

Now my problem is these last two are so nice Im hesitant to use them, lol.

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They are not like a flat new unfired 1930's Colt or Smith and Wesson handgun. Shoot them and you lose value immediately.
They are tools to be used.
Use them and don't look back. Just take care of them.
I have had some of mine for 30+ years and they pretty much look like they did when I bought them - and they have cast THOUSANDS (if not TEN thousand) bullets over the years.