6 Attachment(s)
AUCTION (100% to site): vintage Ideal 360271 mold
I think this mold might interest a collector, or history buff, and of course you could use it to feed your .38 S&W. :)
I understand from web search that 360271 was the first bullet design intended to cut a clean hole in a paper target. ("First of the wadctters", although the terminology has changed.) That doesn't mean this mold was from Day 1, but you'll see it's pretty old:
Attachment 302786
The screw head on the right is the "set" screw for the sprue plate screw. I've seen this on a couple of other old molds. Guessing that it's original, 10-36, and predated the use of what we now call set screws. This shows up more clearly in other pics below. (Also, it appears that somebody has replaced one of the handle pin screws, tsk.)
The cavity looks good:
Attachment 302787
(There's quite a lot of dried oil on this mold, but no rust.) Note also that there are no factory vent lines, but it appears that a previous user has added some by hand. So this mold is from before vent lines were a regular thing by the mold makers.
The alignment pins have been hammered some (and the mold block alignment is tight), but take a good look at the alignment pin hole on the upper right: it's countersunk! :cool: So the alignment pins engage a little below the surface, where there's more meat, and we don't get peening on the edges of the alignment pin hole as seen so often on newer molds. I think this is an area where a bit of quality has been lost over time.
Top view:
Attachment 302788
Note more homemade vent lines. Also, the sprue plate screw head is in reasonable shape. It appears that the blocks have warped a bit over time, leaving a little daylight around the outer edges, but the cavities engage clean & tight.
Another view of the non-setscrew setscrew:
Attachment 302789
Note also that the edges of the sprue plate have been rounded some, another bit of quality lost to the ages. :(
And looks like another user mod, tapering the sprue plate to prevent scratching on re-engagement:
Attachment 302790Attachment 302791
(Also, the sprue plate hole is clean and sharp, and the handle pin screw heads are pretty good.)
Some of the history mentions that this mold was made in both .362" and .358" versions. I haven't actually cast any, and casting weather here is horrid at the moment, so I tested this by inserting a cast .38 bullet into the opening of the closed cavities, and it wobbled a bit. I conclude that this is a .362" version, suitable for .38 S&W, I believe it's 150 grains.
I would like to sell this mold as a "100% to site" auction, which means that the high bidder donates 100% of their bid amount to Castboolits (per the donation link above), after which I will send them the mold. I will pay shipping.
This auction will run through the weekend, until 9:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, August 8th.
Do I hear $1.00? :)
