.51 Maxi

[nkbj]

I have a ".51 caliber maxi" mold. High quality aluminum blocks. The base band in the blocks measure .515". Top band is .52 and change.
Anybody ever heard of such? What gun it might have been made for?
For a freshed out TC .50 maybe?

 

[ppg1949]

I seemed to remember one of the unmentionables was a .52 caliber, maybe a Knight.

 

[mooman76]

Someone may have enlarged if they thought they needed it. Is it marked 51 or 52?

 

[nkbj]

It says ".51 MAXI", manufactured by NEI, likely before going to El Paso.
With the base being that diameter it's a .51 sure as shootin'.

I don't remember a .51 bore rifle being marketed.

 

[Maven]

It says ".51 MAXI", manufactured by NEI, likely before going to El Paso.
With the base being that diameter it's a .51 sure as shootin'.

I don't remember a .51 bore rifle being marketed.

That may have been a custom made mould in the days when Walt Melander owned NEI.

 

[nkbj]

Yeah, NEI built up that beautiful catalog of designs one customer's request at a time.
Think I'll fire up the melter, check the castings' dimensions and see if can be lapped out to use in my TC's rebored to .52.

 

[Maven]

Before you alter that mould, I have 2 suggestions for you: First, see if the "as cast" MB's are large enough for your gun's bore. Second, if not, beagle the mould to improve the fit, which I'm guessing it will. (The beauty of beagling is that it is reversible.) If all else fails, you'll have to lap it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Not every one may know what the process for "beagling" a mold is. A few words to explain how the use of a sheet of paper or aluminum foil can be used to add a couple of thousandths of an inch in diameter to a cast object in a mold. Cut a U shaped piece if paper or aluminum foil to be sandwiched in the mold blocks around the ball. Cast with the paper or foil in place. Your as cast ball or in this case, the as cast Maxi-ball will be a little larger. The paper will char and need to be replaced after several maxi-balls have been cast. Aluminum foil lasts a little longer. You can get a little larger diameter increase with paper.

 

[Maven]

Here's a description from John Goins himself (aka beagle): http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/MoldMods/BDE.pdf