RD, make a Mak bullet mold!!!

[Uniquedot]

If you have to you can take the auto stuff off the melter and plug the hole and use a dipper. A dipper will work with a six cavity mold as long as the mold/alloy is kept very hot. As of this moment my parcel has shown no movement in a couple of days so it looks like it may be at least a couple more days before i get to play. If your melter is less than two years old Lee will send you a free valve/valve rod.

[Uniquedot]

Here is a actual size image of what the bullets are supposed to look like.

That is exactly what i was expecting or hoping for.

[Maximumbob54]

Once I went to a bottom pour pot, I don't know if I could ever go back to a dipper again. It would be like going from cable or DSL back to dial up service. For the interest of this project though, I may have to find a machine screw that won't bugger up the spout too bad since I don't want this being on hold for days on end.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I will just break out the dipper tonight. I don't want to keep RD waiting since I won't be able to get to the range until Friday earliest. The alox needs time to dry over night anyways so I need to get pouring or I'm going to feel like a heel. I wanted to poor Friday and slide in line to the range Sunday afternoon and that didn't happen. Time to suck it up.

Second edit: Plugged in and waiting on glorious silver melty goodness...

Last edit:

Sneak peak:

[Uniquedot]

Well it arrived and i went to work! it looks good and I'm looking forward to getting to the range. I loaded a dummy and tried to get a clear enough pic to show what it looks like. I chose to use wheel weight metal for these bullets, but i had a small amount of metal left in the pot (a pound or two) which i thought was isotope, but now I'm thinking that slugs were the last thing i cast which would mean i put wheel weight metal on top of sheet lead. The bullets weighed an average of 107.2 grains with this alloy and dropped at .368 and was air cooled.

[Ranch Dog]

Looking forward to any reports fellows. Accuracy on target is always important but the over-bore diameter of the cast bullet and its function through the firearm is an important measure of the success of the design.

I will be real interested in cartridge feed:

• Any issues with magazine stack.
• Travel across feed ramp.
• Chambering with the slide fully returning to battery.
• Once in battery, can you perform a chamber check or is the bullet stuck in the chamber?
• Does ejecting a loaded cartridge clear the ejection port?

[Maximumbob54]

I'm going to drag my girl friend kicking and screaming to the range with me. I plan on having her film the shoot. OK, she won't be kicking and screaming but she likes to sleep in on the weekend waaaaaay too much... So she will be surly at least...

[Uniquedot]

I loaded almost every case i had empty with Acc #5 anticipating great results, but accuracy was not good with the load. When i realized i didn't save enough cases for unique i was left with only enough to load a magazine full. I think the unique had good potential and i am going to go up to 4.2 grains with it and see what happens. The main reason my preference was with no.5 was because i mainly use a loadmaster press for handgun ammo and no.5 meters so well.

I didn't chrono any loads because the accuracy was unacceptable, but intend to do so Friday or Saturday evening. All rounds were loaded with mixed brass some were starline 9x18 and others were trimmed and formed 9x19. All rounds would drop in and out of the chamber and when the magazine was loaded and the slide was operated by hand the rounds would chamber and eject easily. During actual firing the rounds fed and ejected with 100% reliability.

The unique load had 3.9 grains and was loaded to an col of .915 and the no.5 had 4.2 grains and was loaded to the same col. Both had tula spp's. The unique is the first target and the acc #5 is the second target and it was all over the paper. The first four shots with the acc was touching with one bullet almost exactly in the same hole as the preceding shot. This was exciting, but the 5th and 6th shot was closer to poa and the last was toward the bottom of the target. I shot three more targets with even worse results with the #5. Range was only ten yards which is why they are not acceptable. I tumble lubed the bullets using recluse lube (45 LLA/45 JPW/10MS) and there was no leading.

[Ranch Dog]

Thanks for the report Unique. In that I'm not shooting the bullet, the recommendation to continue with the mold will come down to what you and Max recommend.

[Uniquedot]

I didn't get to chrono any rounds today as it's been raining all day here! hopefully i can get it done tomorrow.

[lwb92af]

What has happend with the bullet testing, I would be interested in this mold because I have one 9x18 and plan on getting more.