Hello to the group. I joined in hopes of getting input identifying old black powder items I come across from time to time. I feed my obsession...err...hobby... by purchasing lots of grubby stuff at auctions in hopes of finding nuggets in the grub. I keep a piece or 2 or 3 and sell off the rest to feed the cycle. Slowly building a nice collection. Most of my focus is on post-Civil War to 1900. Early cartridge weapons mostly, but I certainly don't walk away from nice cap & ball items when they show up.
I am asking for help identifying some bullet molds. I attached photos with some markups. I've never been able to find a good source of info to identify these older ball/bullet molds.
1. 2nd time I've seen this type of mold. Iron, similar to the early Colt molds pre-Civil War. No marks, numbers or any indication of manufacture. Look at the mold, not the bullet. Photo angle didn't catch the bullet shape. Look like a suppository (don't ask how I know). The .31 ball is typical but the .34 suppository is just weird. I have no idea what pistol (assuming it is for a pistol) this mold is made for.
2. I run across this style of mold on a regular basis. Some with, some without sprue cutters. Many ball sizes, usually with no marks. When they do have marks it usually a 2 digit number stamped in using single number stamps, resulting in an irregular looking number. In this case the number is 28. Not a clue about the numbering on theses molds. The sprue cutter would seem to place it closer to the Civil War than 1800, but that is guesswork on my part. If there is a web source or specific books covering the period between the Revolution and the Civil War please point me at them.
3. Never seen this before. Looks like a square hammer but that would be too easy. Or maybe it is. Iron mold. The mark on it is No. 40 or possibly No. 42. the second digit looks like 0 or 2 was overstruck. Can't tell which was 1st. The lower case "o" is elevated or susperscripted to be level with the top of the N. I would love to know where this came from, what the design is all about.
4. Another oddball. I've seen the basic mold design as early as the Revolution. Nuemann & Kravic have a similar mold on page 192 but it doesn't have the ring on the end. It seems unlikely the mold is that old, but I can hope. It has no marks that I can find. I am hesitant to clean it further than the light copper wool/oil scrub already done. It appears to have a thick smooth coating that has partially flaked away. It might simply be the original iron flaking away but I am reluctant to pry a sample off to examine.
Any and all input is welcome. These early molds are a mystery to me. I don't want to make the mistake of selling off a special piece just because I can't identify it as such.
Thanks in advance
I am asking for help identifying some bullet molds. I attached photos with some markups. I've never been able to find a good source of info to identify these older ball/bullet molds.
1. 2nd time I've seen this type of mold. Iron, similar to the early Colt molds pre-Civil War. No marks, numbers or any indication of manufacture. Look at the mold, not the bullet. Photo angle didn't catch the bullet shape. Look like a suppository (don't ask how I know). The .31 ball is typical but the .34 suppository is just weird. I have no idea what pistol (assuming it is for a pistol) this mold is made for.
2. I run across this style of mold on a regular basis. Some with, some without sprue cutters. Many ball sizes, usually with no marks. When they do have marks it usually a 2 digit number stamped in using single number stamps, resulting in an irregular looking number. In this case the number is 28. Not a clue about the numbering on theses molds. The sprue cutter would seem to place it closer to the Civil War than 1800, but that is guesswork on my part. If there is a web source or specific books covering the period between the Revolution and the Civil War please point me at them.
3. Never seen this before. Looks like a square hammer but that would be too easy. Or maybe it is. Iron mold. The mark on it is No. 40 or possibly No. 42. the second digit looks like 0 or 2 was overstruck. Can't tell which was 1st. The lower case "o" is elevated or susperscripted to be level with the top of the N. I would love to know where this came from, what the design is all about.
4. Another oddball. I've seen the basic mold design as early as the Revolution. Nuemann & Kravic have a similar mold on page 192 but it doesn't have the ring on the end. It seems unlikely the mold is that old, but I can hope. It has no marks that I can find. I am hesitant to clean it further than the light copper wool/oil scrub already done. It appears to have a thick smooth coating that has partially flaked away. It might simply be the original iron flaking away but I am reluctant to pry a sample off to examine.
Any and all input is welcome. These early molds are a mystery to me. I don't want to make the mistake of selling off a special piece just because I can't identify it as such.
Thanks in advance
