Finding good, used mould blocks...etc.

[WV_Hillbilly]

Just tossing around these thoughts to see if anyone else has had similar experiences.

Where do most of you find old or discontinued USED mould blocks that you REALLY need to get an odd caliber muzzle loader belching fire and smoke again?

I recently found one I've needed for a long time at a gun shop, but that had to be dumb luck. If it's still a useful mould, most people don't get rid of them, at least in my area.

I'm curious as to whether there's better alternatives to getting a custom mould built, which can get expensive. But buying swaged or cast round balls at $8.00 for 20 can add up to where it's almost worth it to get the custom mould built.

Most of the odd calibers/sizes I've ever needed were just round balls--but unusual enough that it's taken me about 12 yrs to find this last mould. Still... I suppose if I had got a custom mould built 12 yrs ago, I wouldn't have wasted the time looking for one, or had to pay those high prices for so few of those odd sized round balls.

In the long run, would I have been better off...? But what about the other stuff that I wouldn't have found on those search missions to gun shows and gun shops? I may have missed out on more things... who knows?

But really, I figure most people do NOT have a local muzzleloading specialty shop. Where do you get your guns from? your powder? do you cast your own projectiles? do you mail order your extra or replacment parts? do most of you do your own repairs?

I just can't imagine a gun shop that deals exclusively in muzzle loading can survive against the high volume low markup mailorder places. Kinda sad. 20 yrs ago, I could've went to 3 muzzle loading shops and I knew 4 gun builders. Now there are ZERO shops, 2 builders have passed away, and the other 2 just don't bother anymore with it at all! Seems like a lot of wasted talent there. If I could build a rifle like those guys, I'd be doing it 'til I died (or it killed me). I mean really fantastic work these guys did too!

I guess I'm just getting too old... but I sure miss having those shops and guys around. Anyone else have any special place they can get their stuff from? I'd love to hear about them... if you don't want to post it... just PM me.

Shoot Safely!
wV_Hillbilly

 

[2172]

There's nothing worse than not needin' or wantin' anything...Hank

 

[bob1961]

.50 and .54 balls from hornady are 100 fer bout 8.00....thats what i use in my T/C hawken and till i git going casting fer my .54 rifle i'm building now i'll go with them in .54 also...............bob

 

I keep searching ebay every couple of days, under reloading, bullet molds, that's where I found a Lee .595 RB mold for my .62 tulle, that I miked out at .609. The weird part is the guy selling it lives less than two miles away, and does'nt shoot, he got it in a box of stuff at a garage sale get this, less than a half mile from my house. Go figure. :haha: Bill

 

[CrackStock]

HB,

I have found several gun shops that were going out of business and bought boxes of ML related items cheap. Sort of sad to see any gun shop go out of business, but I did acquire a good collection of moulds. I have found a few ML items at estate sales and other sales, but these are rare.

I once asked a sutler to sell me a mould and he asked me if I was nuts. He asked why he should sell moulds when he made a living out of selling balls. I replied that I was going to have a mould and he could get that business or none. He quietly sold me some used moulds a few hours later. We are good friends still.

CS

 

[dlemaster]

Doesn't Dixie Gun Works offer their mould in .001 increments? If they still do that would be a pretty cheap option for an oddball size round ball.

Regards, Dave