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Old 05-16-2013, 10:32 PM
Billy Patterson Billy Patterson is offline
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Unhappy Lyman .40 cal bullet mold

Been molding lead (wheelweights) bullets and reloading since '69. Have used Hensley and Gibbs .38 148 gr.(mid-range for Smith M-52) and H&G .45 ACP 200 gr, RCBS for .44 calibers. Have run about 110k rounds with no bullet wrinkle problem, using Saeco, Lyman M-61 and Lyman Mag20 furnaces. I wore out the Saeco and now have 2nd Lyman 61. Just got a Lyman 4-cavity mold #358477 150 gr that throws perfectly uniform bullets after running 2 cycles back into the pot.
Now, here's my problem: Just got a Lyman 4 cavity mold #401638, 175 gr for .40 S&W caliber. Have tried for five consecutive days in a row to get the mold to throw "acceptable" bullets. Tried this with both Lyman furnaces, have varied the temperatures from minimum up to maximum acceptable degrees. No luck...all bullets come out with horrible wrinkles on both edges and the face. Have varied time between bullet throws, different flux approaches, etc, trying everything I have learned over the past 44 years. I DO KNOW how to mold bullets from wheel weights, resulting in match cartidges for my match guns and fellow competitor shooters who reload only my cast bullets. Am about to return this Lyman mold to the store.But, first, has anyone ever encountered such a problem and if so, what resulted?
I normally am not a blogger, or whatever, but then I have never run into any reloading problem I could not solve on my own. But, fellows, this boy needs help. And, thanks a ton.
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