Mold price insanity

[AbitNutz]

So I saw a single cavity Lee 456-220-1R hollow point for an ROA on fleebay. It was listed as "new" old stock. I have a 456-220-1R but not a hollow point. I would really have liked to have had it but when it blew past $63.00 I dropped the idea. I know the HP version of that mold is worth a bit but not three times more...

Would anyone here have paid $65.00 for a single cavity Lee HP mold? Maybe I just don't understand.

 

[Hellgate]

I have bid repeatedly on molds that went WAY beyond what i am willing to pay.

 

[Oyeboten]

Ouch...

Ouch that it went so high...


And, ouch, that I did not get the winning Bid.

Yes, any older Lyman or Ideal Hollow Point 'Iron' Mold will be usually 60 or 80 bucks it seems, regardless of Caliber...though "Lee" I dunno, have not noticed on that brand.

Is it Iron?


I would love to have one for older ( fatter ) .45 LC, or .44 Dragoon, too...either of which, .456 would do fine.

The phrase 'Bite the Bullet' probably applies to buying older Molds, too...


Lol...

 

[madcratebuilder]

That mold is no long made right? Supply and demand. It seems to me everything in the fire arms related area has gone way up in price. Hard on a buyer but as a seller it's exceptable.

 

[sundance44s]

It must have been one of the no longer made molds .
I switched to lyman molds lately , I like them but they can be pickey to cast with .
I guess after so many years with the Lee molds one gets use to the heat requirements of the Lee`s being so much different than the steel lyman molds .
I`ll get use to them because I like lymans bullet choices better than Lee`s .

 

[DrLaw]

Bidding can bring out the idiot in a lot of people. I've been trying to get a model train to repaint and detail. Average price has been about $11.00. However, seems like each time I bid, there is somebody who has wanted to go higher than that, and the funny part is that they have done the automatic bid increase.

So I help them pay more for it! Way More.

So bidding high on something just doesn't surprise me with people.

The Doc is out now.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I read somewhere that Lee stopped production of all hollow base and hollow point bullets about two years ago.

In addition, there are a growing number of folks who collect old reloading equipment such as Ideal nut crackers and molds. (I started collecting them 30 yrs ago.)

If you had an original Ideal 45-70 Collar button mold, it would probably bring over $200.00. I recently saw a 50-70 nut cracker tool go for over $800 on flee bay. An original Harry Pope in line loading tool for 32-40 would probably bring over $1,000.

I was buying nut cracker tools and other reload tools for $3 to $5 back when. Last time I went to a gun show, even old rusty relic crap loading tools had insane prices.

If you want it the mold for use there are only two ways. Pay the price or have a custom mold shop duplicate it.

On one of the British Militaria forums, folks got together and made a group order for some modern design and original bullets for Martini Enfields. Price was still over $60.

The price of custom molds has actually been made a bit more reasonable by the modern CNC machine that can lathe cut a mold from computer designs.

I have picked up a few rare old molds over the years. One is a 456 diameter wad cutter with three grease grooves. It measures out at 205 grains. I shoot that in my Ruger OA. It was developed back in the 1890's by the President of a National pistol assoc for use in pistols to punch cleaner holes in targets. I don't even know what pistol cartridge the bullet ws intended for. Seems a might big for the 45.

 

[MCgunner]

Lee molds are aluminum, one reason I like 'em besides the low price and the fact that you get handles with every set. My HP mold ran me 20 bucks or there abouts, bought it years ago. Nice to know it's doing better than my stocks. I also have the round nose version.

I wouldn't give that much for one if I didn't have one. The hollow point is so small, I don't know if it'd open up any, anyway. Perhaps they'd work at the velocities I'm getting with 777, though. At its normal 900 fps, I wouldn't lay to much money on it opening any at all. Accuracy with 'em isn't any better. I mostly load the conicals because I can pre-lube, don't have to grease the tops with crisco, more convenient.

 

[BHP FAN]

Use your regular mold and get a Forster Hollow Pointer. Looks like a case trimmer,but has a drill bit in it,and puts hollow points in yer regular bullets.

 

[ThomasT]

Not all molds are over priced. I have a Lyman 54 cal 405gr maxi ball mold with Lyman handles on GB for $40 with no reserve. Plus its brand new and I think discontinued.

 

[fireside44]

As far as I know, Lee will manufacture for you any of their molds no longer in production, for a price.