modifying molds

[Traffer]

Hi Folks,
I have a couple of molds. One is a .223 mold, 55 grain Lee round flat nose two cavity. I had a machine shop mill it down on the sprue side to make it drop 40 grain bullets for loading in 22lr. The other is a single cavity mold .358" round nose 117 grain. I plan on only making 9mm powder coated bullets with it. Is it feasible to cut the grease groove rings out of the mold? I don't need them since I am powder coating and more bearing surface would serve me better. Also it is possible make the mold deeper? I would also like it to make a heavier bullet, 140+grains so I wouldn't have to use as much powder in my loads. Is this a fools errand? Will I most likely just ruin the mold? The 223 mold came out correctly but the shape of the bullet isn't the greatest for reloading 22lr so I am swaging them now. Thanks for your consideration here.

[country gent]

That can be done in the mill lathe or with the appropriate decimil reamer. Measure the mould at the back band dia and order a reamer - .001, remeber measure the mould cold since you will be cutting it cold and any expansion or shrinkiage built into it will be taken into account this way. Shoud be an easy enough profect. Also you may gain a few grains weight loosing the groove.

[475AR]

Hi Folks,
I have a couple of molds. One is a .223 mold, 55 grain Lee round flat nose two cavity. I had a machine shop mill it down on the sprue side to make it drop 40 grain bullets for loading in 22lr. The other is a single cavity mold .358" round nose 117 grain. I plan on only making 9mm powder coated bullets with it. Is it feasible to cut the grease groove rings out of the mold? I don't need them since I am powder coating and more bearing surface would serve me better. Also it is possible make the mold deeper? I would also like it to make a heavier bullet, 140+grains so I wouldn't have to use as much powder in my loads. Is this a fools errand? Will I most likely just ruin the mold? The 223 mold came out correctly but the shape of the bullet isn't the greatest for reloading 22lr so I am swaging them now. Thanks for your consideration here.

Contact Erik @ hollow point molds, I have had him remove grease groves and gas check shanks and he does great work @ a good price and his turn around is fast. I just received a NOE spire point mold back from him and it is 100% still cast great and he did exactly what I wanted, I will post some pics when I get home tonight. (Sorry, got busy and almost forgot)
erik@hollowpointmold.com

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It can be done in the lathe or mill, but alignment is the tricky bit. The cheapest way is to true it up on a piece of drill rod which fits the grease-groove ribs in the mould. But the kind of dial gauge which uses a little oscillating lever instead of a plunger ought to do it. I'd rather use a micrometer boring head than a reamer, especially a reamer for which I couldn't get a Morse taper collet, since a drill chuck is seldom accurate enough for this work. For a .223 mould you would probably have to modify a boring tool to clear the diameter, but that isn't difficult.

[country gent]

With the reamer I would simply put a center popint the spindle and the center in the reamer and turn by hand. The center in the reamer was used to grind the reamer so it should be accurate. In the lathe a small boring bar can be ground from a broken or dull end mill, or on the end of a 3/8" square HSS square lathe bit. The finger indicator will doe a great job here indicating the cavity itself in. Ive used them in lathes, mills, jig bores, jig grinders, and other equipment.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

With the reamer I would simply put a center popint the spindle and the center in the reamer and turn by hand. The center in the reamer was used to grind the reamer so it should be accurate. In the lathe a small boring bar can be ground from a broken or dull end mill, or on the end of a 3/8" square HSS square lathe bit. The finger indicator will doe a great job here indicating the cavity itself in. Ive used them in lathes, mills, jig bores, jig grinders, and other equipment.

Yes, that should be fine. The only snag about the finger-type dial indicator is the old conflict between the interests of the professional whom it will pay to spend money on getting everything just right, and the amateur or near-amateur who will get little use from the equipment. The finger indicator is usually expensive.

A T letter size machine reamer is .358in., and might be cheaper than one in the decimal .001in. series.

[Traffer]

Good tip. I am going to check eBay for a size "T" reamer. Maybe I will get lucky.

Yes, that should be fine. The only snag about the finger-type dial indicator is the old conflict between the interests of the professional whom it will pay to spend money on getting everything just right, and the amateur or near-amateur who will get little use from the equipment. The finger indicator is usually expensive.

A T letter size machine reamer is .358in., and might be cheaper than one in the decimal .001in. series.

[K.O.]

Hi Folks,
I have a couple of molds. One is a .223 mold, 55 grain Lee round flat nose two cavity. I had a machine shop mill it down on the sprue side to make it drop 40 grain bullets for loading in 22lr. The other is a single cavity mold .358" round nose 117 grain. I plan on only making 9mm powder coated bullets with it. Is it feasible to cut the grease groove rings out of the mold? I don't need them since I am powder coating and more bearing surface would serve me better. Also it is possible make the mold deeper? I would also like it to make a heavier bullet, 140+grains so I wouldn't have to use as much powder in my loads. Is this a fools errand? Will I most likely just ruin the mold? The 223 mold came out correctly but the shape of the bullet isn't the greatest for reloading 22lr so I am swaging them now. Thanks for your consideration here.

Hi was the Lee that you decked the bator because if so I would be interested in it... I have one Bator and three of the 225-55-rf... that I have been thinking of having decked... It looks like the Bator is not in production anymore... ordered two from Midsouth and they sent me the new mold not the Bator... had to argue to return them... their customer service Knew enough to know about molds changing at times... so they said it is the bator.... I said no I have three of the new 55 grainers and with that much change its a completely different round and the should change their site to reflect what they are selling...

Anyways back on point my use is for an 60+ fpe Benji Marauder air rifle so no reloading... I cut some rounds down by hand just to see how they would look and to get an aprox weight... come to think of it it has to be the Bator... the new 225-55 can only be decked to about 45gr... and the Bator to 40... it would look like the 2nd from the right...

I need to post some questions in the decking molds thread also... like is it possible to get sprue plates for them that have smaller than the .140 holes in mine..?

[K.O.]

oops messed up...

looked at my notes 2nd on right is about 35 grains and next left to it is 40gr (milled to the rear band)... so the 40 grainer made from the current 225-55-rf would be the heeled round 3rd from the left ( the standing rounds)...