New Arsenal 9MM mold

[waco]

So I bought one of the Ruger PC 9 Carbines. I couldn’t help it. It’s ugly as sin but looks like so much fun!

I have never tried an Arsenal mold before. I went ahead and ordered a five cavity smooth sided PC only mold to feed this little rifle.

It’s a PB RNFP weighing 130gr. I should be able to cast a pile in short order with this thing. Once I use it I’ll post some pics of the bullets and range results with the rifle. Here is the mold.

 

[Brad]

Will be interested to hear how the smooth sided bullet does with PC. Should be easy to cast a bunch with few flaws.

 

[waco]

Will be interested to hear how the smooth sided bullet does with PC. Should be easy to cast a bunch with few flaws.

That is my hope. All the videos I watch when people are using smooth sided molds, the bullets just seem to jump from the mold.
I hope mine is the same.

 

[Ian]

That's a really good looking mould. Nice, deep vent lines and a good pattern, too. Looks like the alignment pins have some taper to the ends. I'd be interested in a report about binding when trying to open the mould at casting temperature compared to a 4c NOE mould. The NOE blocks always would bind up for me by popping apart at one end and locking up on the dowel pin on the other, requiring cupping the blocks with a gloved hand each time it was opened so that they could be squeezed together some on the open end and fiddled apart.

 

[Winelover]

I own several NOE moulds, both brass and aluminum. The only time I had issues with blocks not opening readily were handle related. Some of NOE's mould will work with RCBS handles, others won't. Solved the problem just by using Lee's multi-cavity handles. The Lee's are a bit thinner where they fit into the grooves of the mould blocks, providing a bit more wiggle room.

 

[Rick]

I also have several of Al's molds and also never had a problem with them opening. I use either LEE handles or Miha's version of LEE handles.

 

[fiver]

I have a Brass Miha 9mm mold that's slick sided.
the bullets do just fall out of it.
it's similar shaped to this one only with a more FMJ shaped nose at the point.

 

[Ian]

I've used Lee and NOE handles, same problem with several moulds. If you try to "open" the mould by just spreading the handles, the blocks pop apart on one end and bind up on the opposite pin. It's a worse problem with the 2c than 4c, but all of the six or so moulds I've cast with have the issue.

 

[Rick]

I've used Lee and NOE handles, same problem with several moulds. If you try to "open" the mould by just spreading the handles, the blocks pop apart on one end and bind up on the opposite pin. It's a worse problem with the 2c than 4c, but all of the six or so moulds I've cast with have the issue.

I dunno Ian . . . Perhaps

It's not how you do it, it's the way you do it. ​

​

 

[Winelover]

Or maybe he's not holding his mouth just right.

 

[Ian]

I'm just happy there are alternatives.