uncle jimbo
Well-Known Member
Any of the members here use a Lyman 358665 mold (358-158 gr-RF) and if so how do you like it. And will the lee handles work on it.
thanks
paul
thanks
paul
Lyman molds
- Thread starter uncle jimbo
- Start date
I have some Lyman moulds that cast exactly the size they say they are. My 429421 made a nice .429 bullet. None of my rifles or handguns want anything that small and it taught me a ton about removal of leading.
My issue isn’t so much that Lyman moulds cast small but rather that they hold onto some odd notion that they cut them the right size. Who wants a .309 for most 30 cal rifles? A .356 for a 9 mm? A .429 for 44 special/mag?
I haven’t shot anything from a Lyman mould in many, many years. My guns are much happier that way.
My issue isn’t so much that Lyman moulds cast small but rather that they hold onto some odd notion that they cut them the right size. Who wants a .309 for most 30 cal rifles? A .356 for a 9 mm? A .429 for 44 special/mag?
I haven’t shot anything from a Lyman mould in many, many years. My guns are much happier that way.
Add enough tin and they cast fine. I have 2 44 moulds of recent manufacture that cast 430 to 431 with an alloy of 2 to 4 percent tin. Remember that they are specked out with # 2 alloy. Smith and Wesson’s 44smade in the last 25 years or so have 429 throats and are tack drivers in my experience . My new model 69 with two piece barrel and 429 throats outshoots my old 70s and 80s n frame with431 to 432 throats. I size Lyman 429421 .429 for my newer guns. In short my recent Lyman moulds have been fine. You may have to tweek them some such as polishing the sprue plate or something but they are iron and I think iron cast the beat for me not to mention the durability.
358156 hp
At large, whereabouts unknown.
Paul, the RFN design is a step in the right direction, but Lyman as a company really needs to step up their quality if they want to remain relevant in todays market. I think they now "proof" their bullet designs with lino, rather than #2. I've seen lino listed as their alloy of choice on some of their designs over the years, and bullet diameter complaints are very common. You can find decent 158 gr. RFN moulds from any of the usual mould makers, NOE, Accurate, LEE, Arsenal, and others. Also consider the WFN designs, as they are similar in profile. BRP, sadly now out of the mould business, pioneered adapting Lymans 429640 profile to other calibers as well. This design variation has been picked up by others and is very effective, and casts well.
Normally I would simply suggest trying to find an older "Ideal" mould to fill your needs, but this design wasn't available during the old Ideal days. It may be possible to locate an older used 358665 thats in spec, but trial and error can get costly. At one point I had purchased up to six different 357446 Lyman moulds looking for the version that had the oversized front driving band. I did finally find one a couple of months ago, but now I may have an example of this design from every cherry that Lyman and Ideal ever had. Now to find a four cavity version of it. I'm into "Double Jeopardy" now, where the scores can really change!
Normally I would simply suggest trying to find an older "Ideal" mould to fill your needs, but this design wasn't available during the old Ideal days. It may be possible to locate an older used 358665 thats in spec, but trial and error can get costly. At one point I had purchased up to six different 357446 Lyman moulds looking for the version that had the oversized front driving band. I did finally find one a couple of months ago, but now I may have an example of this design from every cherry that Lyman and Ideal ever had. Now to find a four cavity version of it. I'm into "Double Jeopardy" now, where the scores can really change!
Ian
Notorious member
Many of Lyman's abortions won't make their marked size with Linotype, much less #2 or wheelweights. Somewhere around 2007 the 4-6 thousandths undersized thing became epidemic. We've been hearing the alloy excuse thing for quite some time and for many of the recent moulds an excuse is all it is. I had a 358665 cowboy mould, circa 2009, that cast .354x.356 with ww alloy. I lapped it to .357x.358 and sold it with full disclosure and bought an Accurate mould that cast exactly the size I asked. As far as I'm concerned it is a low-odds gamble to buy a new Lyman mould.
uncle jimbo
Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone. This is what I was seeking. I will move on from the thoughts of obtaining a Lyman mold.
fiver
Well-Known Member
I finally get to be contrary HA!.
I love the 665 it's like slickery stuff through the lever gun.
the 452664,429667,and 358665 are the three main bucket filler bullets around here.
when I bought the 429 mold i bought a tub of lapping compound and was using it for almost a week to get the mold to pour 430+.
had powder coat been a thing back then I would have not bothered and went that route with them.
anyway the design of the 665 is proper, the execution of manufacturing it is where the fault lies.
I love the 665 it's like slickery stuff through the lever gun.
the 452664,429667,and 358665 are the three main bucket filler bullets around here.
when I bought the 429 mold i bought a tub of lapping compound and was using it for almost a week to get the mold to pour 430+.
had powder coat been a thing back then I would have not bothered and went that route with them.
anyway the design of the 665 is proper, the execution of manufacturing it is where the fault lies.
Adding some tin sure makes them cast better in my opinion . I use closer to 2 percent to hold price down and use pewter as my source. Usually about 12.00 bucks a pound . I usually buy range scrap already cleaned and in ingots because I have become too lazy to scrounge and not to mention time as I still work full time. One reason I still use Lyman is all the data out there for their designs. I guess I have lucky with them . I also have a lot of old Lyman moulds. You can get moulds too large if you are sizing 4 or 5 thousandths. I like to size 1 or 2 thousandths
Brad,
I'm so glad that you said that !!!!!
Another fellow on another forum " some time ago " always told people that had Lyman moulds casting small to add tin to their alloy. At current tin prices, that is an expensive solution to a casting problem.
Ben
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