bullet molds

C

chevy_boy

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is it possible to get a mold to make bullets for 45 acp? if so where can one find such a beastie, and what mods would have to be done to my 1911a1 hi cap. for them to run smooth?
 
none likely........may have to polish the feed ramp if it's a little rough......bullet shape is most important for reliable feeding.............Harold
 
I bought 2 45acp - 6 cavity bullet molds, one is 200 grain SWC and the other is a 230 grain RN. Both are lee. The 200 SWC has cast 13000 bullets and they are very accurate out of my STI 45. They sell for $52 for the block and then you buy $15 handles. Then you need candle wax for the hinges, sawdust for a flux, a lead melting pot, wheelweights, welding gloves, safety glasses and a well ventilated area to do the casting.
There are sponsors on here that sell Lee bullet molds.
 
There are a couple board sponsors that deal in Lee reloading equipment. Any of them can get you a mold from the Lee product lines. Very likely reloaders.ca can provide the mold too. Have you asked them?

Lyman still makes a couple molds suitable for the ACP.

There are a half dozen or so smaller mold makers out of the US of A that will quite happily sell molds to Canadians. No restrictions on tools coming across the border, which is what a mold is.

Been to Castboolits yet? Check out the Castpics page as well. Look for the "Mold References" link. There are files there that show shapes sizes and general info on several mold makers' products.
A fella in Winnipeg that posts as Red River Rick, on the Castboolits site, sells mold handles that are reportedly better than the Lyman ones.

There is a LOT of reloading info there, too.

Cheers
Trev
 
I never did any modifications to my STI when I switched to my own cast bullets. The 2 things I have found is you have to clean the loading ramp of bullet lube every 200 - 300 rounds. Rag on finger wiggle, wiggle and good to go for another 300. Then every 1000 rounds through the bullet seating die, you have to take it apart and clean out the alox lube.
45acp cast and reloaded for $2.92 a box of 50 when you cast your own bullets!!
And people wonder why I do it.
 
As in a lot of things, you get what you pay for, and Lee molds are the bottom of the barrel, Lyman, RCBS, and Saeco make very good molds that will last forever. Aluminum molds are okay as well but most makers(except Lee) use a harder(better) grade of aluminum ie: LBT, Mountain Molds, NEI. I've used brass molds as well and they all work great. My favorite mold for the .45 Auto is the 200gr.SWC from Lyman#452460.
 
Ben is 100% right on. Don't buy anything Lee unless you really like frustration in your life. The Lyman 200gr SWC is a great bullet for 45's.
 
Actually, I`d normally be the first one to jump on the "Lee is junk" band wagon but not this time. I have around a dozen of their molds, and I haven't had a problem with any of them. They're easy to use, and seem to be holding up just fine. I also have Lyman, so it's not like I haven't compared the two.

Higginsons sells them, as does Wholesale Sports. Several of our site sponsors have them too...MSG.drew has them......

HEY DREW !!!! HOW MUCH AND HOW LONG FOR A MOLD ??? :D
 
The molds that I use get alot of use and I'm here to tell you that they just don't stand up to much use at all, I do all the recommended fixes before i start to the Lees. I add a flat head screw to the side for something more solid for the screw plate cutter to pivot on, i change the pivot screw from alum. to stainless steel and add a ss set screw to retain that screw. Then i start on the inside, lap all the cavities, and Leement where required, as most lees are smaller then advertised, remove all the burrs, etc. After all that and you're up and running and something else breaks, usually the sprue plate handle, either the wood breaks or the metal spud. Then you pick up a Saeco and it's pure casting joy!!!!!
 
ben hunchak said:
The molds that I use get alot of use and I'm here to tell you that they just don't stand up to much use at all, I do all the recommended fixes before i start to the Lees. I add a flat head screw to the side for something more solid for the screw plate cutter to pivot on, i change the pivot screw from alum. to stainless steel and add a ss set screw to retain that screw. Then i start on the inside, lap all the cavities, and Leement where required, as most lees are smaller then advertised, remove all the burrs, etc. After all that and you're up and running and something else breaks, usually the sprue plate handle, either the wood breaks or the metal spud. Then you pick up a Saeco and it's pure casting joy!!!!!
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X2

So I am not the only one. Had a new 6 cav. mold after the first pre-heat, have the locator pins fall out:bangHead:. Some engineering, Aluminium expanding more than steel this is prone to fail. And no, did not pre-heat to 1000-F. I don't think you could get them that hot without it melting into the lead. My bullets are harder than the molds when they are cold. I could go on but there's no point.
The only thing this equipment has going for it is the price, it makes starting out cheap while going through the learning curves.
 
Bummer, I am thinking bullet casting in the next 3-4 months, and was all set on getting Lee molds. Besides, I think Lee's the only one still making 6-bullet molds.

So which ones do you guys recommend? I need something that works without TLC like SS screws, lapping etc. - my tech.skills are fairly limited. So if Lee molds require babysitting that's not for me.

Also, where do you get these premium molds in Canada, or do you just order from the US? TIA.
 
If you are just starting up to cast I would still buy the Lee stuff. There lead pots are OK for the price but they will drip without changing the tip shape on the valve plug. Start out with there 1 or 2 cav. molds, they are cheap and come with handles and go for around $30 (comparable steel molds of any brand will run close to $100 with taxes new) so you can screw them up a couple of times and still be ahead while learning the ins and outs of casting and mold care.
NEI still make 6 cav. molds (they are in El paso, Texas) but they run $140 USD plus the shipping, exchange and taxes. Although I am huge fan of there molds, the machinists there can't be shooters for the alignment pins are sometimes loose in the female portion of the pin socket and for the life of me, why do they bevel the top face of the mold??? Just try and put a gas check on that style of bullet when you have those whiskers to deal with. When Walt was running the shop in Oregon, These molds were top notch and had no issues. Sorry Patty:p
 
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