A face only a mother could love....

I bought this mold off E-bay for $40, shipped. At the time I couldn't find a mold for .40 caliber. I don't even shoot .40 S&W, i'm doin it for a buddy. Well, I knew it was a "Custom" mold when I got it. Some machinist made this from hot rolled steel. It's VERY solid and accurately made, though, it's ugly as homemade sin. It also makes an ugly boolit. LOL

Funny thing, it casts so easy. NO need to warm up, it'll make a good (as good as it gets) boolit when it's stone cold. The boolits fall .4025-.403 and weigh around 170g. They're round within a half thousandth and heck, I got high end molds that are outta round by a thousandth.

The boolit looks terrible. The tooling marks are clearly visible. The lube grooves are so shallow it lends itself only to tumble lube (meh, fine by me) so they get 45/45/10.

Toss them in a Federal case with a Tula primer over 4.5g of Titegroup and Yowssa!!! My buddy has an XD and a Ruger Pwhatever and they cycle perfect. Hit point of aim and after a hundred, no visible leading.

Sometimes fellas, the dog may be ugly, but if he can hunt a bird, you gotta rub his head!

Are the tooling marks "sharp and crisp or rounded and fuzzy" this cavity may have been burned in an cnc edm machine with very little Polish cycle added on the end. Burning the cavity on a good machine would only take 45 mins to an hour finish another 20-25 mins. Full polish 4-6 hours. I ran a charmay plunger for several years electrode could be 060 under size it woud rough to depth then go into a flat circle mode to with in a .001 or .002 then start finishing. Any tooling markes in the carbon or copper tungsten electrode were transfered to the piece/ A finish electrode and polish cyce would make a wonderfully smooth cavity but took alot of time. The plus to doing one ofs like this in the shop is The electrodes and blocks can be made on a lunch hour or come in early. The machine set up and started left to run unattended while company jobs are being done. These machines can have tool changers and run unattended over night or for days on a big job. I worked with a die caster when we first got our machines and we made a electrode to cut the casting pocket for half an alternator housing. Machine ran non stop for 4-5 days. When finished it was complete no hand polish needed.
You could lao the blocks to allieveate the tool marks but if the boolits are good and work Why fix what aint broke?

IF it ain't broke, don't fix it. Country Gent, you are exactly right. They make nice groups, no leading and cycle 100%.

As for the tooling marks, they come through sharp. Even the flycutter marks on the spru plate come through in the base. ALTHOUGH, you can run your fingernail across them and barely make them out by feel.
I thought of lapping it smoother but in the end, they ain't even goin in my guns. My buddy is happier than a hog in mud. I just thought it might be an interesting thing to share.

Cool beans Dean! Besides no one can see them on the way down range.

Wonder if Leementing the mold with smooth it out? Although gotta agree with Dean, if it ain't broke........

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Abbreviations used in Reloading
Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt"

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