A SHOUT OUT of THANKS to Miha Prevec - MP Molds

[Land Owner]

The update (below) got its start on the forums (for context) here:
Trouble Reaching Mihec Molds
This is also written there (and no apology for the double post).

A SHOUT OUT of THANKS to Miha Prevec for the plethora of HP pin sets, alignment posts, and lock washers sent to me - gratis. Miha sent each of 4 different HP pin styles, incl. a solid. Doing the math that’s 32 alignment posts, 16 HP pin sets, and 10 lock washers. Maybe to Miha that’s a “drop in the bucket” compared to the thousands he ships, but it is A LOT to me and I am grateful for his Customer Service.

My APOLOGY for the ½ dozen emails I sent to sales@mp-molds.com (same one over and over) as I received error message after error message in its transmission. It was not my intent to be an annoyance.

How this thread started: I purchased a pair of new and unused brass MP molds from a Castboolit Member. One, a 4-cavity MP 360-156, HP and the other a 2-cavity MP 358-429R & 360 PB. I heat treated the four mold halves while waiting for handles.

For personal reasons, it was 54-months(!) before I poured lead into ANY mold – finding then that the 2-cavity MP mold would not accept its “as purchased” HP pins & posts. I perplexed and procrastinated a while before contacting MP Molds (shifted instead to a 22 Bator and an RCBS 22 mold in the meantime).

A pair of MP alignment posts are required per HP pin, that when these three parts (a "pin set") are screwed together form a “U”. Pin sets are inserted into the drilled mold half and are supposed to slide smoothly into and out of the mold for boolit release.

The pin sets purchased bind into a (theoretical) “V” in the 2-cavity brass mold. Post alignment holes in the 2-cav. mold were drilled farther apart than the holes in the 4-cav. mold.

Comparing the molds for alignment posts and holes:
1.) The 2-cavity mold was drilled ~0.490", out-to-out.
2.) The 4-cavity mold was drilled ~0.450", out-to-out.

“Common” HP pin sets (as purchased) will not fit. All purchased pin sets are ~0.450” out to out. Force fitting mold halves together, seeing a lot of daylight, binding the pin sets, and potentially galling the brass, because the as purchased HP pin sets do not align, is NOT the way these molds are intended to operate for the swift release of boolits.

Miha believed (correctly) that I may have received the wrong pins for the 2-cav mold, so he sent a 4-pack (3 YEARS after my 2nd hand purchase) – and they WORK GREAT. Now, with new posts and HP pins, the 2-cavity mold is ready to pour and I am ready to use it!

MP Molds - Superior product! Superior Customer Service!

I approve this message - Land Owner

[Targa]

MP is the first place I go when I am looking for a new mold. Top notch manufacturer.

[mainiac]

Just purchased a np 275 clone mold,8 cavity,,simply the best running mold ive ever used,,open and shake,,all 8 fall out,no pounding or swearing,,awesome!!!

[Mal Paso]

One of the members here told about a rifle mold he ordered in both gas check and plain base. One time after casting a few he noticed something wrong. The boolits were half gas check but the mold halves from 2 different runs fit so well there was no part line and you had to look close. He posted pictures.

[dhain]

I had a similar experience with him. Good guy. Great molds.

[tomme boy]

I got a bunch of pins that came with the threaded portion bent. Then if they were not bent they were over sized and would not slide in the holes.

I ended up having to find all the pins that were not bent, then putting them in my lathe and take a few thousands off of them till they would not lock solid in the holes. One cavity I still have problems with. It has to have its own pins to work. The holes are just way to small compared to the other 3 cavities. The other 3 cavities I can swap the pins around no problem. But they will bind up solid in the last hole.

[Land Owner]

In what way is a pin hole diameter measured? I have no calibrated "pins".

I do have additional HP pin sets from Miha (2 of each of four HP types). I will gladly ship some to you provided we can pre-determine the fit for your mold. If mine are already too small in diameter it would be of little use to you.

I'll "share the wealth" with you if they are "too large" for your pin hole(s). You can machine them while I cannot. I have no use for the additional pin sets.

[tomme boy]

I had 4 sets to pick through. Not needed but thanks.

[Forrest r]

I've had nothing but excellent results with the 15+ Mihec molds I've owned. Every one of them has worked as it should and produces quality bullets that have given me countless hours of range time that has ranged from playing/blammo ammo to competitions.

Sold a heck of a lot of molds off, lyman/h&g/saeco/cramer after getting a mp mold. The quality of the cast bullets was good enough with the mp molds that I just didn't need the others anymore. The ability to cast solid nosed and different style hp bullets is just icing on the cake.

[hermans]

Once you have your first MP mold......it will most probably will not be your last....please be warned

[tomme boy]

I have had more problems with MP molds than Lee molds. Out of round. Cavity cut to one side more than the other. Too large. Pins too large,bent.

But the 9mm up was the best mold I have had.

Waited 1.5 years for the 30sil that was cut to one side. I was so mad I sold it on eBay for a $10 buy it now with what was wrong with it.

I now order them knowing they will probably need work or they will be wrong. When they are good they are really good. But I seem to be able to get the ones that are duds

[Land Owner]

Given the chance in Customer Service, Miha did right by me, even, in my case, as a 2nd Gen purchaser. A month or two (incl. communication errors), inception to completion spent in describing the problem to the mold maker, awaiting his response and time to consider options, and together working through a solution produced satisfaction. I was completely committed to returning my mold to Slovenia, if that became necessary.

When I put the new pin sets into the mold they bound up (again), even though the distance, out to out, of pins was correct. Miha asked me to send him pictures of the new "interference" created by the "correct" pins, which caused me to look really close at the way in which I was putting the pin sets together.

I looked at the very close tolerance of the alignment pins and HP insert (no daylight) in the mold holes, the side of the HP insert into which the alignment pins are screwed (there are 2 ways, one is wrong, the other is countersunk), etc., and with a very tiny bit of judicious "hammering" on my part (with a 2 oz. ball pein) to the pin set in the mold holes, causing the pin set to "spread and seat" correctly before tightening the pins, I found complete satisfaction in the pin size and insert configurations across ALL 4 HP types that were provided to smoothly operate without binding.

Throwing "good money after bad"? I think not. If a Mihec mold was "ruined" and off-center before you got it (new and not abused), I like to think that Miha would send another one, after he had had the opportunity to "see it for himself".

[tomme boy]

Wasn't only me. About 1/4 of the molds were like that on that buy. After waiting that long and still not right, I was mad and sold it.

Then went to accurate and designed my own design for that rifle and had it in my hands in a week. I was able to take that 165gr bullet up to 2600fps and hold 2 MOA out to 400 yds with it.

But I also said, when they are inspec they are awesome molds.

[daengmei]

Using the customer service email I got a response within hours. What I needed on the way 1 day.

[Iowa Fox]

I realize everyone in this industry is totally swamped right now so I have been patient and forgiving. Myself and at least two others received molds on a group buy that are so out of spec they are unusable to us. After months its total radio silence on a resolution. I'm ready to file a claim back through pay pal.

tomme boy is correct "wasn't only me"

[Land Owner]

Sad to hear and would hope that the Mfg. would take responsibility to fix his mistakes, even to the point of making new work wait (so you lose a few who are impatient). Word of Mouth can make or break any enterprise. Failing in Customer Service and Satisfaction is one sure way to the Poor House.