Nickel Bullet Molds ?

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  • Last Post 29 January 2017
mtngun posted this 25 September 2015

I'm cleaning out some old notes and am about to throw this away but thought first I'd scan it and post it in case someone else is interested.  

It appears to be from a 1924 edition of the American Rifleman.   The author, J.R. Mattern, was perhaps the leading American authority on reloading at the time.

I'll be darned if the article ever mentions the name of the company that made the nickel mold.   I've never seen one, in any case.   Nickel is tough to machine so I can't imagine.

Note that in 1924 the American Rifleman correctly spelled it “molds” not “moulds.”    "Moulds” is the British spelling, “mold” is the American spelling.   :cool:

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norm posted this 26 September 2015

J.R. Mattern mentions nickel molds in his book. Don't have my copy handy but believe they were made by Belding & Mull.

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JeffinNZ posted this 26 September 2015

Interesting. Worth noting that on the current market value Ni is over 5 times the price of Al though.

Cheers from New Zealand

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RicinYakima posted this 26 September 2015

Both Modern Bond and Belding and Mull made nickel moulds (correct spelling, molds are types of plants that grow in damp conditions) in the 1920's, but not many. Aluminum prior to WWII was several times more than nickel. Aircraft were still part wood and fabric until the very late 1930's because of the scarcity and cost of electricity used to make refine aluminum from ore.

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delmarskid1 posted this 26 September 2015

I have to wonder how nickel plating of a mold would work out. Rust resistance would be an advantage in of itself.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 27 September 2015

so how about stainless steel mowds ??

would seem to have some good characteristics ..

ken

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Ed Harris posted this 28 September 2015

Free machining types of stainless would not have the rust resistance. Rust resistant stainless alloys tend to machine like frozen bubble gum.......

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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vmwilson posted this 28 September 2015

Mold grows on things from what I've read but certainly can live with either spelling for our use.  What drives me up the wall is when I see “I casted some bullets".  I guess I'll have to readed up on that.

Mike

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RicinYakima posted this 28 September 2015

Mike have not had a rousing stirring controversy here for a couple of weeks! The “mould vs. mold” always gets someone talking. Well, the “I casted some bullets.” is not as bad as “I casted them boolites outs of hard leads."

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mtngun posted this 28 September 2015

"American English has no mould, and British English has no mold. In other words, the word referring to (1) the various funguses that grow on organic matter or (2) a frame for shaping something is spelled the same in both uses, and the spelling depends on the variety of English.”  ~ http://grammarist.com/spelling/mold-mould/>source

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vmwilson posted this 28 September 2015

Just consulted 3 dictionaries and keep in mind English was my poorest subject many years ago.  Both forms seem to be correct for our use though mould seems to be more of a British thing.  Real shock there!

Another peek shows RCBS & Lyman using mould and Lee uses mold.  Hope I don't get too confused next time I want to cast again.  And I enjoy the other web site but I cast bullets not boolits.

Sorry about the coffee on the computer screen.

Mike

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 28 September 2015

416 stainless ( ss barrel material ) is pretty easy to cut and i see few rusted ss barrels even though yep ...it isn't impossible if mistreated enough . must be a reason tho that we don't see 416 molds .

i had some cm and ss 416 barrels in storage that got damp ... the cm were ruined.. flakes and scale ... and the 416 had no detectable oxidation ... lucky me that time, but interesting ...

ken

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ericp posted this 02 October 2015

My grandfather had a B&M nickel mold for some sort of wadcutter design, what exactly I cannot recall. He also had bronze, not brass, copy of the 452191. No idea who the maker was on that one. Those molds went to an Uncle.

Eric

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4570sharps posted this 29 April 2016

Readed?

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vmwilson posted this 29 April 2016

4570sharps wrote: Readed? Makes as much sense as “casted".  Actually did read somewhere recently that there was use of the word casted but it went out of use back in the 1600's sometime. 

Mike

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corerf posted this 30 April 2016

I read the article, found it very interesting. Nickel plating like someone mentioned is of interest. From the potential bullet release and mould protection standpoint. Thanks for posting he article!

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David Reiss posted this 27 January 2017

I received my first B&M mold today. It was purchased from a non-caster who got it at an estate sale. At first I wasn't sure it had nickel mold blocks. The appearance was lighter in color than iron, but still tarnished from age. A magnet stuck with authority, but a quick check confirmed my suspicion that nickel is magnetic. I had my suspicions that it was a very early mold form the single marking, 30-87 on one block and the B&M on the handles. From my research it appears that the nickel molds were made only for a few years of production, possibly between 1924-27. The bullet style is typical of their blunt nosed designs. As soon as I get to the pot I will cast some to see what the actual diameter and weight is. It is in great shape and as they say, built like a tank. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
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RicinYakima posted this 27 January 2017

 Yes it is a real B&M nickel mould and in the 32 pistol caliber. Congratulations!

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norm posted this 27 January 2017

Dave, That is not a B&M sprue plate. B&M sprue plates that I have are full width of the blocks,1/4 inch thick and stick over the far end of the mold.

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David Reiss posted this 27 January 2017

Norm,

I kinda figure that, just because it looks funny. I will look for a parts mold to get one from or make one. The mold was $25, so a replacement sprue plate is not such a big deal. But thanks for confirming my suspicions. The only two references I have are two original B&M handbooks from the early forties. There is just not much info about them, that I can find anyway. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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Maven posted this 27 January 2017

I picked up a B & M single cavity mould for a song on E-Bay years ago.  It has the long, thick sprue plate with a tiny countersunk sprue hole and casts perfectly...even when cold!  It reliably drops ~269gr. .44cal. WC's, which I then size to .431” to suit my Ruger SBH.  Those CB's are, perhaps needless to say, very, very accurate.

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358156hp posted this 29 January 2017

So what is the easiest way to identify a nickel-steel mould? I see the blocks look a little lighter in color than the handles, but I know I can't count on that for certain.

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David Reiss posted this 29 January 2017

If you hold them next to an iron or steel mold, you can definitely see the difference in color. Also as is says in the article (I think that's where I read it), the nickel mold surface is smoother, having a less porous surface. Other than that I don't know just short of chemical testing using the dimethylglyoxime nickel test.  

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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