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This is actually heavier than needed for the 9.5x57 MS, but it should be interesting to play with. I now have a Lyman 36 peepsight clone on it, but have not been able to try it yet.

I've got a picture of one of those bullets somewhere. I think it may be in one of the articles in the Lyman #46 manual.

Very interesting. I had seen the big fifty cal verison of that mold. Be sure to check the barrel after each shot to make sure the jacket did not get left behind. wrg-inc

Paco Kelly described such a mold in one of his articles posted on sixgunner.com. In fact he made his own for the .375 Win by boring out a standard mold. He used 3/8" soft copper tubing and cut it with a tubing cutter. He said the compressed and burred ends left by the cutter held the tubing in place.

You got a deal on that mould.

The shortlived P&C mould company made something of a specialty of those moulds.

I think I would clean and flux the inside of the jacket before casting, though. Seems to me that was recommended when they were made.

I think I will try it first with straight wheelweights. That should make it simple, if nothing else. This should be a GREAT mould to answer the question I see from time to time. Does a gascheck protect the base of a bullet from the heat and pressure, OR, does a gascheck just scrape out the leading?

This one does not have a gascheck. But it does have copper to scrape out any leading that might occur. I have a Lyman 375167 plain-base that I am casting out of harder metal than wheelweights (approx Bhn 14-15). It does not have a gascheck and it is limited to 1,800fps max. Actually, it might shoot better at even lower velocities. I just haven't tried it below 1,800fps yet. But in bringing it down from 2,000fps to 1,800fps, it got more accurate the more I reduced the load.

I would have preferred the old NEI #124A, which is the same as this one, except lighter at 280gr. They are not making it now. So, I take what I can get.

re: gascheck function - a short summary:

They grip and seal.
The base doesn't need much protection from heat - the temperature is high but there for such a brief period of time it has little effect (friction against the rifling has a tremendous effect though). When you review the literature, you will find observations of indentations caused by the impact of powder granules. Some use a thin wax or cardboard that also helps sealing. Dacron or Kapok used as filler will reduce the impacts. Dacron found down range is only slightly scorched - not melted. A filler close to the powder and far from the bullet will impact and spread - to the point of causing 'ringing' of the chamber.

I'll put in my vote for the gas check scraping out leading, as opposed to preventing melting of lead.

Veral Smith agrees with both of the last two posters. However, someone must disagree with it because I frequently seeing it discussed -- usually with some cyber-yelling involved. I don't have enough experience with gaschecks to form an opinion.

What we are looking at is reeeeeally long Wilke check.

Melting ain't the problem as I understand it, flame cutting is. Keep the gas from scooting by the lead and you have most of the problem licked no matter where you have the gas seal.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

These will work great, no need to check the bore after each shot these bullets will not come apart. What I use is a conventional .375 mould with wide driving bands, the NEI .375-280-gc, and rings of copper cut off with a pipe cutter. I've used all the variations, gas check or not and one or two rings, and I cannot detect a difference; they all shoot into 1.5 moa at 2600 fps. Cast from hard alloy the bullets disintegrate on impact, as in reduced to powder!

For best results get the mould dropping perfect bullets without the copper jacket to get the mould up to temp. and then insert a jacket, wait 3 or 4 seconds for the jacket to heat up and pour. Don't worry if the bullets come out looking less than perfect they will still shoot well. If you do decide to scrap a bullet just drop it back in the pot and recover the bit of tubing.

Nice looking mould .If you ever want to get rid of it let me know

RR

I received it a few days ago. Looks great. There were approximately 600 sleeves with it. That should last me forever. They looked to have been cut off with a tubing cutter. The ends were pinched inward. That means that the outer surface blends in with the lead part smoothly and there is a sharp edge on the inner surface to grip the lead. However, the tolerances were tighter than I would have believed possible with a tubing cutter. There were about a dozen sleeves that fell out of their bags and laying in the bottom of the box. I tried them and every one fit into the mould perfectly. It has never been used.