25cal hp casting oops

So, tonight was 25cal night, dug out my NOE 25 cal 4 cavity mold, it casts 3 @ 120gr, 1is a hp, and 1 @ 85gr, smoked up the cavity and the hp pin, was casting really really nicely then……pin comes out of handle, I found the smallest Phillips tip screw drive and tried to tighten it, no joy! I am assuming that it has a tiny grub screw, but to be honest it could also be pressed in? Any one had a similar issue and how did you get around it. Ive a couple HP projectiles cast so I can put them back in the mold and get the appropriate depth , put the pin in and then the handle back on and use a thin nail punch and drive the retaining pin/screw in good and propper or is there a plan B?

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They ought to be fun, but I would like to cast more of them!
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they look like fun alright....wallaby medicine

Do they come out of the mould that clean or have you tidied them up?

That’s as they fell!

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Originally Posted by SkiHunt

Do they come out of the mould that clean or have you tidied them up?

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Good prep, hot mold and well smoked, NOT from a candle, I have a mix that I try to keep to and add a little solder……and a shit ton of luck ;)

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But I need to fix the HP pin!

talk to Robert....he will KNOW,we will just be guessing.

So 6am and I fixed it, small grub screw, I’ll find a small Allan key to really get it in propper, just wondering is there a heat resistant loc tight?

gasket goo????

im going to run the mold today and see how it goes, i will use extremely dry thin macrocarpa to smoke the mold again, ill make sure the pin is hot too, hopefully that ought address the issue, but id like to make up a few HP 120's to start new load development

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

gasket goo????

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im also wondering if i delicately remove a little metal on the pin and make a slot for the grub srew to locate and sit in that might help?

With the generous meplat maybe HP is overkill. Maybe just use them as they turned out?

The tiny bit extra weight up front should also improve stability, and not having the HP means one less potential source of bullet assymmetry.

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Originally Posted by Cordite

With the generous meplat maybe HP is overkill. Maybe just use them as they turned out?

The tiny bit extra weight up front should also improve stability, and not having the HP means one less potential source of bullet assymmetry.

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I had given that some thought, my thinking was that this doesn’t have the same controlled expansion that a jacketed projectile offers? Plus moving the center of balance back just a tad may help what little aerodynamics of the home made lead cast im making, I could and may be well off but I have a 30 cal that I have used in the past that proved, fruitful when I hade used it, it’s a mini trash can, I had used some earlier versions of what we had affectionately named the 6.5 cruise missile for the Carcano, but that punched through (everything) with little deformation, admittedly that could well be my fault in the lead mix, but good comment, well worth me going back to some of my old school reloading books,

This is the trashcan latest iteration

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My NOE moulds have a different setup for the HP I order the RG2 and RG4 style, And I never smoke them I give them a good cleaning in hot soapy water
and heat them to 350 to 400 F and cool a couple of times then cast it takes a couple of casting sessions to cure the mould properly,
Not sure how to fix your pin but Loc Tight do make a heat cured product for engine studs.
Robert.

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Originally Posted by Cordite

With the generous meplat maybe HP is overkill. Maybe just use them as they turned out?

The tiny bit extra weight up front should also improve stability, and not having the HP means one less potential source of bullet assymmetry.

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Nope HP's are more accurate than solids all my HP moulds come with pins for both HP and solid and in every case the HP is more accurate the reason
is the centre of gravity is moved more to the rear enhancing the stability, Jacketed match projectiles are the same if the open jacket is at the rear as in FMJ's
was the more accurate all match projectiles would be FMJ not hollow point.

@shooternz Thanks Rob, these molds have had a similar cure process, I have been exceedingly fortunate to count the CBK as a friend who tolerates my newbie questions, the mold has really come into its own and I do like the NOE molds, adding smoke has been my own addition but given its working I’m not touching it! I found a Allen key that fits and I given it a weeee tweak so I’m hoping it will hold

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Originally Posted by Tertle

@shooternz Thanks Rob, these molds have had a similar cure process, I have been exceedingly fortunate to count the CBK as a friend who tolerates my newbie questions, the mold has really come into its own and I do like the NOE molds, adding smoke has been my own addition but given its working I’m not touching it! I found a Allen key that fits and I given it a weeee tweak so I’m hoping it will hold

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Would still pay to find some way of fixing it permanently in place screws tend to shake loose when casting a lot, You need to watch the block alignment pins as well a couple of my moulds
they have come loose they get very hot and the Alloy expands more than the steel pins, also the grub screws that lock the sprue plate screw fall out need eyeball them fairly often I have a couple
of hundred spares if you need some.