Need ID of round ball bullet mold

[Bigcypresshunter]

I found this very small old iron round ball bullet mold in an abandoned building many years ago in S. Florida. It cleaned up nicely, only very minor pitting. It is approximately .30 something caliber, I think. A .44 round ball is to big. It has a very crude screw with a square head that I cannot remove. Has a square piece on the end of one of the handles. I can find no markings. I dont know if its Spanish, English, or American. Can anybody date or ID?

 

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[trk5capt]

I Would Say Mid 1700's - Mid 1800's As They Did Not Change All That Much Before The CW, I Also Think That It Is Most Likley English Or American Made. trk5capt...

 

[Montana Jim]

Maybe I'm a damned idiot for even suggesting this, but why not drop some lead in that thing and see what you get?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Maybe I'm a damned idiot for even suggesting this, but why not drop some lead in that thing and see what you get?

I never melted lead before. How do I do it? I guess I need a ladle? What temp?

 

[Montana Jim]

Dang... Um, never done it myself. BUT, I stand there and watch my buddy make 45-70 bullets all day long while I drink beer and hang out.

He has a small kit that heats with a little electrical base and a small pot he melts old wheel weights in. Then, pours in the mold and waits a bit. Then, he dumps them out and thats it. It dosnt take long!

Your local outdoorstore prolly sells kits and stuff...

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks. I may check into it. Then I would know the exact dimension. I believe it to be a .30 something caliber pistol.

 

[flip]

Lead melts at a little over 600 degrees. You can do it on the stove in an old pan or something. Hold the mold cavity over the flame of a candle to coat it with soot, that keeps the lead from sticking when you open it up.

 

[stoney56]

If you have a good heavy ladle or spoon, you can melt lead with a Coleman cookstove or you can try taking shavings of lead and putting it in the bullet mold. Add as needed till full but you have to keep it close to the flame as you add to the molten lead. If you do it this way you'll get an idea of diameter.
To do it properly, a bullet ladle is filled and melted then poured through the sprue hole. When full and cooled, the sprue cutter is knocked out of the way leaving just the ball in the mold.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It seems hard to pour in that little hole, but i will try. I also need to clean the corrosion from the inside halves. Thanks.

 

[stoney56]

Once you've cleaned the corrosion, it should work pretty well. You'll find that it takes a few moldings to get the mold hot enough to make a smooth casting of the ball. If a .44 cal ball is too big, you may have possibly a .36 cal mold. It was used mainly for small game and squirrels. Some molds had a sprue cutter that swiveled when hit to knock the sprue or extra lead off the ball before removing from the mold.
Yours is different in that the sprue cutter is part of the handle. It would be used in a similar way you'd use wire dikes or pliers. See the adjusted pic below.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I figured that was a cutter. I dont know what the square end of the handle was for.

 

[stoney56]

Not sure what it's for offhand unless it's used as a hammer along with a knife or bayonet to cut off small pieces of bullet sized lead from a larger piece. All the ones I've seen have regular handles like on the other side.

 

[Montana Jim]

I knew someone would help you bigcypress! Sounds like you might be experimenting!

 

[Tourezrick]

Do me one big favor - melt your lead outside if at all possible! Lead is still toxic, and even a little bit of fumes isn't good for you, and spilling lead in the kitchen is a sure way to get shot by the lady of the house. You could melt wheel weights, but black powder shooters usually don't use them because they are a harder alloy, dont take to the lands and grooves well. Just to try the mold, it won't hurt. Hardware and home stores still carry ladles. Have fun!

Tourezrick

 

[Montana Jim]

Do me one big favor - melt your lead outside if at all possible! Lead is still toxic, and even a little bit of fumes isn't good for you, and spilling lead in the kitchen is a sure way to get shot by the lady of the house. Tourezrick

Yikes... Yes! Great advise!

 

[stoney56]

Tourezrick, very good advise. When I mentioned the Coleman stove, I've never fired it up in the house and so the possibility of lead vapors along with the carbon monoxide in enclosed areas means no MDing ever again.

 

[EDDE]

you guys are nuts just use some warm candle wax

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Found a very similar mold on e-Bay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Bullet-...3QQihZ020QQcategoryZ71118QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Eu_citzen]

Or tenn could work? It melt easier then lead I think..