Why aren’t handles included with some bullet moulds?

[Widows Son]

Whenever I check out bullet moulds, quite often only the block is sold, with handles extra. Why in the world wouldn’t handles be included? It’s kind of like selling a car without tires.

 

[theoldredneck]

Some of us have been doing this for decades and have multiple sets of molds and handles. Saving the cost of another set of handles when buying another mold is nice. Also a mold with handles takes up more space than just mold. Especially with multiple cavity molds. Buying with or without handles is a good option for some of us.

 

[FishDFly]

That sums things up nicely.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Some of us have been doing this for decades and have multiple sets of molds and handles. Saving the cost of another set of handles when buying another mold is nice. Also a mold with handles takes up more space than just mold. Especially with multiple cavity molds. Buying with or without handles is a good option for some of us.

YES and you will find with the more pricey, steel molds, that the handles are often a good deal longer...., which for the guys using a pouring-pot it's not that bad, but for us using charcoal on the forge, even with gloves, distance from the heat source is your friend.

LD

 

[Flinter 2]

Some molds do come with handles attached, Lee Aluminum molds come with handles, with care they last a long time and turn out decent bullets or round balls.
I have Lyman steel machined molds and some Lee molds, both types do a good job of casting, but the Lee molds with handles generally cost than the Lyman molds or the handles separately.

 

[springfield art]

Whenever I check out bullet moulds, quite often only the block is sold, with handles extra. Why in the world wouldn’t handles be included? It’s kind of like selling a car without tires.

Even the handles are pricey now. It's the idea that you've got the handles, and just buy the molds as needed. Kind of like you've got the hand drill, and buy size drill bits as needs.

 

[hanshi]

I've got scads of steel molds and several sets of handles. The only steel molds I ever bought with handles included were three (excellent) Saeco molds. I like that the Lee comes with them.

 

[mooman76]

The Lee 6 cavity moulds do Not come with handles. The Lee 6 cavity handles are made well and cheaper than they Lyman but they fit the Lyman moulds. Some of the old Ideal moulds (before they became Lyman) came with handles. It's kind of a pain removing handles to put on other moulds that do not have them but really not that much and well worth the savings.

 

[leadhoarder]

Same reason that files do Not or used to not come with handles. Also like a ratchet handle works with multiple sockets so you do not have to have a ratchet for each size. No sense in having the expense and bulk of multiple handles. If you find it is more convenient to have dedicated handles for each mold then by all means buy them.

 

[Blitz]

Same reason that files do Not or used to not come with handles. Also like a ratchet handle works with multiple sockets so you do not have to have a ratchet for each size. No sense in having the expense and bulk of multiple handles. If you find it is more convenient to have dedicated handles for each mold then by all means buy them.

 

[TNGhost]

Back in the day when steel (actually a cast iron alloy, meehanite) were the only molds from outfits like Ideal (later Lyman), RCBS, Rapine, etc., the molds were sold separately so they could be had less expensively and you could have more molds to choose from and only needed a couple of pairs of handles to go around. It was a cost saving measure really for the consumer and the manufacturer.

Enter the less expensive but fully serviceable Lee molds into the picture, and as with including a shell holder with their die sets, they had handles on all of their molds partly as a marketing ploy and partly because removing and replacing handles on aluminum molds was more problematic when they first appeared.

As someone mentioned above, Lee six gang molds come without the handles, and the handles they sell for them fit all of the other brands' "steel" molds as well, and they are cheaper than the other brands handles to boot.

 

[Widows Son]

Thank you, gentlemen, for that succinct and clear explanation. It makes sense when explained that way

 

[toot]

as stated LEE MOLDS work great & all of them come with free handles from day one! so they are who I go with.

 

[rrebuck]

I've never bought new molds, but I'm surprised that they don't all now come with permanently attached handles, just so they can make more money and force us to pay for something that is unnecessary.

 

[dave951]

as stated LEE MOLDS work great & all of them come with free handles from day one! so they are who I go with.

I'd qualify that statement with "most" Lee molds work until they don't. I'm not a fan of Lee generally but some of their stuff is ok. It's built to a price point. Their molds for minies are only adequate at best. The only Lee minie I've gotten to shoot well is the "wadcutter" target minie which they discontinued in 58cal. I bought 2 more of them New Old Stock on fleebay as backups.

Use a quality mold from NOE, Moose, Lyman or RCBS and you'll see the difference. I'm ok with the handle thing for Lyman and other steel molds as I have a couple handles and swap them around as needed. NOE and Moose provide handles with their molds and they work very very well.

 

[Widows Son]

I’ve never cast anything except round balls with a Lee mould, and a Dixie gun works mould that looked like an old fashioned hair iron. And they came with handles.

I’m getting into long range muzzleloader shooting and checking out cylindrical moulds, most of which don’t include handles. That’s why I asked

 

[toot]

I have also used the DIXIE, HAIR MOLDS for over 50 yrs and they are still going strong! I cut the sprus with dikes and roll the sprue off. LEE fills a void. remember you get what you pay for.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Personally, I think it's so the consumer has to spend more money so the company wins out when you have to buy the handles too. Understand that one set of handles can be used for multiple molds, but IMO it's a ******** move on the part of some companies to require you to purchase the handles sperately. This is why all but one of my molds are from Lee. Its a PIA to have to attach handles to a mold before using it. I'd rather just grab the set of handles with mold attached already, and get to pouring lead..

If Lee made a maxi ball mold I've bought it from them too.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Whenever I check out bullet moulds, quite often only the block is sold, with handles extra. Why in the world wouldn’t handles be included? It’s kind of like selling a car without tires.

Last modern rifle I bought didn't come with ammo either , in answer to the car & tire thing . Ideal figured out a long time ago that if they made the mold separate from the handles they would sell the same number of molds for the same price but would also get to sell lots of handles to guys like me who think they need a set for each mold . Money, it's always the answer .

 

[sheriff john]

So, back in the day, I tried casting some projectiles using old-timey original bullet molds and mold/loading tool combinations - all original. One was marked "Colt", a 2-cavity ball/conical, another a nickel-plated combo, the third a small round ball mold perhaps 5-6" long like a pair of pliars which tapered into bent points on the handles.

'tho I forget what caliber the combo tool is, it not only did a decent job but also has a hole to swage the bullet. That was no problem, just a bit builky. The little "Colt " mold for it's age didn't do bad but required really heavy gloves to hold onto. BUT - that riginal round ball mold - burned the heck out of my paw. Friend advised old-timers used corn cobs or sticks to drive the handles into to avoid burns. Was he right?