Pistolero
Well-Known Member
I got a .44 RN mold a couple of years ago, from the pix on eBay it looked like it might be a H&G, but
couldn't tell, but cavities looked good, price was reasonable so I got it. I recently posted here asking
about what it was, since when it came it was not a H&G. Found out it was a Modern Bond. It needed
a new screw, which was an oddball, a 10-24 with a 7/8" long snout at 0.125". So, I got one from the hardware
store and cut the snout down on the lathe.
Once I made the new screw for the mold, the stop screw side, and it fits SAECO mold handles like a glove.
I wonder, is there some connection with SAECO. like did they buy out M-B's tooling or anything, might
explain the perfect fit.
In any case - decided to make up some bullets that I have never tried before, but have read many
reports that they are accurate ones. Lots of sources over the years have reported that 240 RN lead
bullets shoot very well in .44 Spl, so, I have a 1920s vintage S&W .44 Spl, so time to see if it likes this
M-B RN design. It shoots well with Elmer's 250 SWC, too.
And, I have read many times that the 454190 shoots well in .45 Colt, but never tried it. I got a double
cavity mold last year, Lyman, used in good shape, so decided to cast up some RN or RNFP bullets of
designs which I had never used before.
The M-B did well, but the sprue plate design is a nuisance, wanting to flip back over the base of one or
the other bullets, keeping it from dropping when set to my preferred, "free and loose" setup. So, I tensioned
it so it would stay where it was put, which worked fine. The bullets were pretty sticky in the mold and
never really got much better - and after a while, I noticed why. The big, Keith type lube groove has absolutely
square sides. Hard for the bullet to get out. And, I discovered on inspection after casting a bit over 100 of
them.....it can crack the base if you dump them out too early. The mold cast well, and filled out nicely,
came up to temp quickly with the help of a propane torch, generally a good old mold, but that straight sided
lube groove does nobody any favors, IMO. The bullets are perfectly round and .431 diam, about perfect,
except for the little hitch with the lube groove design.
I then fired up the old Lyman 454190 and that old gal was just waiting to show off. Bullets just fall out as soon as the mold
is opened, and I had put it on the hot plate and it was almost ready to go, maybe four pairs of bad bullets before
they started raining out in perfect shape. Clearly perfectly cut on center and they look good. They mike out at .456 or
so two places, but there is one direction that drops down to .452, so not super round, slightly disappointing. We'll see
how the shoot. I wonder if a bit of lapping would round them out a touch? Anyone have experience trying that?
Take a look at that left bullet. THAT is why you want a 10 degree or so angle on the "straight" sides of
a flat bottomed lube groove.
So, now will lube and size and load some up. All I will need is some decent weather to shoot them.
That RN looks a lot like a Keith with a RN grafted on.
Bill
couldn't tell, but cavities looked good, price was reasonable so I got it. I recently posted here asking
about what it was, since when it came it was not a H&G. Found out it was a Modern Bond. It needed
a new screw, which was an oddball, a 10-24 with a 7/8" long snout at 0.125". So, I got one from the hardware
store and cut the snout down on the lathe.
Once I made the new screw for the mold, the stop screw side, and it fits SAECO mold handles like a glove.
I wonder, is there some connection with SAECO. like did they buy out M-B's tooling or anything, might
explain the perfect fit.
In any case - decided to make up some bullets that I have never tried before, but have read many
reports that they are accurate ones. Lots of sources over the years have reported that 240 RN lead
bullets shoot very well in .44 Spl, so, I have a 1920s vintage S&W .44 Spl, so time to see if it likes this
M-B RN design. It shoots well with Elmer's 250 SWC, too.
And, I have read many times that the 454190 shoots well in .45 Colt, but never tried it. I got a double
cavity mold last year, Lyman, used in good shape, so decided to cast up some RN or RNFP bullets of
designs which I had never used before.
The M-B did well, but the sprue plate design is a nuisance, wanting to flip back over the base of one or
the other bullets, keeping it from dropping when set to my preferred, "free and loose" setup. So, I tensioned
it so it would stay where it was put, which worked fine. The bullets were pretty sticky in the mold and
never really got much better - and after a while, I noticed why. The big, Keith type lube groove has absolutely
square sides. Hard for the bullet to get out. And, I discovered on inspection after casting a bit over 100 of
them.....it can crack the base if you dump them out too early. The mold cast well, and filled out nicely,
came up to temp quickly with the help of a propane torch, generally a good old mold, but that straight sided
lube groove does nobody any favors, IMO. The bullets are perfectly round and .431 diam, about perfect,
except for the little hitch with the lube groove design.
I then fired up the old Lyman 454190 and that old gal was just waiting to show off. Bullets just fall out as soon as the mold
is opened, and I had put it on the hot plate and it was almost ready to go, maybe four pairs of bad bullets before
they started raining out in perfect shape. Clearly perfectly cut on center and they look good. They mike out at .456 or
so two places, but there is one direction that drops down to .452, so not super round, slightly disappointing. We'll see
how the shoot. I wonder if a bit of lapping would round them out a touch? Anyone have experience trying that?
Take a look at that left bullet. THAT is why you want a 10 degree or so angle on the "straight" sides of
a flat bottomed lube groove.
So, now will lube and size and load some up. All I will need is some decent weather to shoot them.
That RN looks a lot like a Keith with a RN grafted on.
Bill
Last edited: