What can you tell me about this Shiloh .575 mold?

[St. Hogustine]

This 4 cavity mold followed me home this morning- part of a package deal of casting supplies owned by the seller's deceased uncle. The sprue plate is marked "Shiloh IV," the blocks are marked B18, and the sides of the blocks are marked 575A.
What can you tell me about the bullet that this mold casts? I'm generally a roundball guy, but I have been interested in shooting minies for awhile- interested enough that I would consider buying a 58 caliber rifle to pair with this mold. As always, I appreciate all the recommendations/guidance that you can give.

[Mk42gunner]

There was a thread within the last year asking about one of those molds. Just where it was I'm not sure, but I don't think it was in the mold section.

I for one think that design would be a bear to cast with. I can't see how it be easily heated up to casting temp, nor emptied after filling.

Good luck with it.

Robert

[St. Hogustine]

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to keep searching the archives. It's frustrating because the Shiloh company apparently made a handful of molds, and I can't find a resource that lists them or gives any specifications.
I have heard that Val Forgett of Navy Arms used a 610 grain minie cast from a Shiloh mold in his Hawken Hunter and Buffalo Hunter rifles. It would be nice/encouraging to know that this mold casts those minies.
The mold comes apart, well, not easily, but a little easier than I thought it would at first glance. But I have no idea how to pre-heat the thing without using a propane torch.

[gwpercle]

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to keep searching the archives. It's frustrating because the Shiloh company apparently made a handful of molds, and I can't find a resource that lists them or gives any specifications.
I have heard that Val Forgett of Navy Arms used a 610 grain minie cast from a Shiloh mold in his Hawken Hunter and Buffalo Hunter rifles. It would be nice/encouraging to know that this mold casts those minies.
The mold comes apart, well, not easily, but a little easier than I thought it would at first glance. But I have no idea how to pre-heat the thing without using a propane torch.

Back in those old timey days ... you didn't "pre-heat " you just cast fast untill the mould came up to casting temperature ... usually took at least 12 casts before boolits came close to being good ... you just kept putting the wrinkled ones back in the pot ...

Just about the time the metal was hot , the mould was hot and boolits were dropping out near perfect ... my pot would be empty ...
Gary

[Bent Ramrod]

Shiloh Products Of Farmingdale NY started out making accessories for Civil War buffs and re-enactors. These included boolit moulds. I have a Shiloh IV round ball mould, which is two-cavity size, with two cavities each on top and bottom. You fill the top, turn mould over, fill the bottom, knock off sprues, shake out balls, and repeat.The company caster could turn out enough round balls for the cap&ball revolvers the officers carried.

The larger Shiloh IVs for rifle boolits were more of a crew-served thing, maybe as an evening event at the re-enactor camps. One guy would ladle the lead, one would operate the mould and another might hang around culling boolits, gathering sprues for remelting, or whatever other activity was indicated.

I think somebody has a couple Shiloh Products single-cavity molds in the S&S Section now.

Then, one fateful day, somebody came to Mr. Droege, the owner, with the proposal that he make replicas of the percussion Sharps rifle and carbine. Once this started, the 74 model followed, and once established, the rifle replicating business drove all other operations to the wall. Shiloh Products became the Shiloh Sharps Rifle Co., and soon afterward, moved to Big Timber, MT.

The story was spelled out a few years ago in one of the Shiloh Sharps catalogs.