What does the top of the blocks look like?
Your upper alignment pin and hole looks unusually close to the top edge of the blocks. I’ve seen this situation before in moulds that have had some of the rear of the cavities milled off, due perhaps to damage (galling on the top of the mould), experimentation with a shortened and lightened boolit, or “free expression.”
Yours could originally have been a 358311 with the bottom groove gone, or a 358502 with the tit that holds the Harvey zinc washer against the base taken off.
Welcome to the forum!
Interesting old mould, thank you for sharing.
Definitely not a 358502, as that's a nose-pour design.
Last edited by Bazoo; 05-08-2024 at 01:49 PM.
I agree with Bent Ramrod in that the alignment pins, both upper and lower look to be crazy close to the outer edges. Maybe just the photo.
I really enjoy some of these old ideal molds and their designs from back in the day. I have one or two worth posting too.
Chill Wills
What is stamped on the other block?
S&W .38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator
The 444 is to ID the mould block pair. There should be another one like it on the other block. The other block should have a 4 to 6 digit number that will tell you what the blocks started out as.
Froggie
"It aint easy being green!"
No other numbers on the blocks other than the 444
I thought the shape of the bullet was unusual not quite a full round nose but has an edge kinda l I ke a semiwadcutter
I added a couple more pictures
It's similar to the 358311 but with a more defined front driving band, like the Himmelwright wadcutter.
Without other numbers, I'd say it was homemade by someone that purchased blocks from Ideal.
Without more information to the contrary Bazoo has given as close to a definitive answer as you’re likely to get.
Froggie
"It aint easy being green!"
That was my initial thoughts that it was a custom job I have 358 311 I'll to compare them thanks to all responses I knew I came to the right place
Ideal/Lyman, along with RCBS, and others used to sell blank mould block sets for people to cut their own cavities. These blocks were only marked with the blocks "matching" number. This could be one of those block sets.
Maybe a Harvey Prot-X mould
NRA Benefactor 2004 USAF RET 1971-95
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |