Mystery mould

[Akula]

Can anyone identify a mould I picked up with a lot of other reloading stuff from a deceased estate? It is a cast iron single cavity nose-pour with a removable base plug and the only marking is the number "128" on each block. It throws a 285gr (+-) boolit of Linotype with a base diameter of .402" and .960" in length. It has 2 lube grooves, a crimping groove & a flat point of .275" diameter. Fits RCBS handles perfectly. The owner had a .404 Jeffery, but this caliber requires a boolit of .422", so would appreciate any advice as to what caliber this mould was intended for.

[Sasquatch-1]

Could it be a slug for a .410 shotgun? Don't know just hazarding a guess.

[Cowboy_Dan]

285 is a little heavy for .410 slugs. Three inchers only get a 1/4 oz (~110 gr). Now, does the removable base plug form a hollow base? Could also be that he used it for paper patching in his .404 Jeffrey.

[rr2241tx]

Literally a shot in the dark but it sounds about right for .403 groove 40 caliber rifles if cast from 16:1.

[runfiverun]

sounds just like a paper patch mold to me.
oh a black powder paper patch mold.
one with smooth sides.
there is probably some little slips of diagonally cut paper in there somewhere and a template with 45* angles cut in the same direction about the height of 3/4's the boolits length.

[Mk42gunner]

Any possibility of pictures?

My guess is that it is meant for an original Winchester Model 1886 in .40-65.

Sounds like a custom mold; but it does seem strange that it doesn't have a maker's mark on it while it does have block matching numbers.

What type of handles do Hoch molds take?

Robert

[Akula]

Thanks to all who responded. Old Winchester lever actions are extremely rare here in South Africa, as are all the .40 caliber Ballard & Sharps rounds I have just found on pg.123 of my 3rd Edition of COTW.
The mould plug produces a flat base. The mould does not appear to have been used at all prior to the few test boolits I made. All 3 screws are Allen head - if original, suggesting fairly recent manufacture?

[NYBushBro]

What diameter are/were bullets for a .40 Whelan?

[runfiverun]

the block looks lyman.
not putting it past someone to buy a blank block and then cut a mold and do the work.
or flip the mold to make a nose pour and add the base plug.
milling out the grooves for rcbs handles wouldn't be too hard either.

[Mk42gunner]

Possibly one of the .400/.450 or .400 express British rounds? I really have no idea, but the bullet looks good to me.

Robert

[jimofaz]

Guessing by the machining marks that it is a custom lathe-bored with base plug added. I have made many similar, using smaller diameter SC molds as lathe fodder. Ideal/Lyman may have at one time supplied blank block sets, seeing as how your set only has the mating block numbers stamped on them. Like others have said, believe this one to be for one of the British .400 rounds or one of the many original American .40 caliber rounds, with most of the latter taking a .403" diameter.