Ideal 2 cavity 2 profile mould

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
I today picked up some moulds to sell for a deceased friend's wife. Among them is a Ideal branded 357446, 358311. First of this style I've seen. Rare item I guess. How would I value it?
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
It is going to be one of those....." You got to be looking for something like that. "

I'd say about $50 - $55 shipped. I have Lyman moulds that are mis - identified, etc.
I don't see that they are worth any more ( or less ) than other moulds.

Just my opinion..........

Ben
 
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RBHarter

West Central AR
I have a 375 RB and 37583 as marked .
My notebook slash inventory says it's 90-120 to replace and 75 for sale , that's probably about what I paid for the mould in it's original packaging and by appearance unused .
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I have one in 358250 & 358156 (of course). There a lot of Lyman/Ideal oddities that seem like they should be especially valuable, but really don't seem to be. I think Ben summed it up really well.

It doesn't help that all of the Ideal/Lyman production records were disposed of decades ago. The values are pretty much what somebodys willing to pay for it. To be honest, some of the so-called high value moulds I've seen at auction leave me saying "meh".
 

S Mac

Sept. 10, 2021 Steve left us. You are missed.
I realize it's only worth what the buyer will pay. Honestly, I would consider it equal to a single, value wise.
 

Ben

Moderator
Staff member
I have one in 358250 & 358156 (of course). There a lot of Lyman/Ideal oddities that seem like they should be especially valuable, but really don't seem to be. I think Ben summed it up really well.

There was a day ( a very long time ago ) when you could write IDEAL and describe what you wanted and they would cut it for you. Some really odd combinations out there that someone wanted and paid for 75 yrs. ago. and more.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I realize it's only worth what the buyer will pay. Honestly, I would consider it equal to a single, value wise.
Antique tool collectors want these, but they are actually pretty common. As Ben said, until Lyman sold the company in the early '70's they would make what every would fit into the blocks. $50 is a fair price. The expensive ones are for like a 22 hornet bullet and a 45/70 bullet. Ones in the same caliber are much more common.
 
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KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
Remember that until Lee molds came around the price of buying two or three Lyman molds could be prohibitive for someone on a limited budget. Getting a wadcutter for target loads and a semi-wadcutter or RN for service loads in one mold might be attractive to someone that just bought their first .38 and wanted to reload for it. I've seen round balls and conicals in the same mold for BP revolvers.

Some folks do the same things now but it's more likely to be the same bullet with and w/o gascheck shanks.

A few years ago while I was still a full time teacher we made multiple ball molds in two different sizes, don't remember the exact diameters but it was the proper size to stack properly in a 12 and a 20 gauge. Came out like grapes on a vine, we cut them off with electronic type side cutters, the type that are beveld so they cut flush.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I have a few of the combo moulds. If they are 2 styles I'd use, I'd pay a bit of a premium. If one was a 30 for instance and the other cav a 9mm or 270, I'd pay less. It's a beauty in the eye of the beholder thing.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
i have seen 4 cavity molds in combinations that kind of don't make sense [now... back then I bet someone was just making do with what he had] and many where you could clearly see the guy had a 30-06 and a 45 acp.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
There's a 4 cav Lyman on Gun auction right now that is cut for all four 45 ACP designs that Lyman offered at the time. I bid on it at one point, offering up to $100.00 for it. I still didn't hit the reserve for it and called it a night. It was still listed there the last time I looked.

Collectability is in the eye of the beholder. Like the damn single cavity unvented Ideals I'm so unfortunately addicted to. Now I'm collecting accumulating an entirely different sub-species of SC Ideals. It's a secret, I already have three of them, and I don't even know why they were made this way! Anyone who knows the exact story of these moulds is likely long gone now.
 

Walks

Well-Known Member
It might be odd, but not for someone that loaded both .38spl and. 357mag.
#358311 is still made in 2cav, std RN, maybe 4cav too.
#358446 is/was the std .357mag bullet until the #359156 pushed it out. It's discontinued.
I'd buy it, but I've already got a 2cav & 4cav in #358311 and a 2cav in #358446.

If you are a member of the Cast Boolit Forum, I'd put it up for sale there first. Before fleabay, better access to the Collector crowd.