Barlow sold the Ideal company to Marlin on May 16, 1910. The original collar button mold was still listed in the 1920's Ideal/Marlin catelogue that I have. Only the following were listed for 456 and 457 diameters.
456122 (330 gr) (known as the Gould express, a hollow point designed by old man Barlow himself)
456123 (145 round ball)
456191 (300 grains) I have this one
456192 (350 gr)
457124 (405 gr) got his one
457125 (500 gr) got this one, doesn't everyone, it is still made
457127 (210 gr) got this one
457129 (146 gr) round ball
457130 (144 gr per catelogue) wish I had it the collar button
457131 (285 gr)
457193 (405 gr (flat point)
The mystery mold I have is starts with a 456 and is marked Ideal, it has a different profile from the collar button. If anyone has an old ideal catelogue to reference, it has the same general appearance as the old 429220 bullet which was 175 grains. the 429220 was designed as a pistol bullet for the National Revolver Association so it would cut clean full size holes in the targets.. I try to find the mold tonight to get the last three numbers.
Incidentally, there was also a 429239 44 cal collar button mold.
for the 457 127, Ideal says they have supplied mold to many marine barracks for light charge, small game, short range and gallery practice.
for the 457129 (round ball) is says for very short range, armory or gallery practice
for the 457130 This bullet is the same weight as the round ball. It is preferred by some for light work on account of having groove (sic) for lubrication and two bands to hold the rifling.
Ideal furnished finished bullets, 457130 $6.09 per thousand plus shipping.
457125 were $9.65 a thousand
To find a collar button mold today may be like hens teeth. Lyman is still selling some of the old style 457 molds with the same designation numbers. Whether they still have the old tooling (cherry) to do the original collar button is another story.. They probably would do one on a custom basis, but then again, so would some others. There's a fellow that has his mold machinery set up for CNC and is reasonable to lathe cut any bullet design you can dream up. I just don't remember the name but he was about 30% less than the big guys want for custom molds.
The collar button is sort of a holy grail for collectors of original reloading equipment, that along with an Ideal No.3 tool for 11mm Spanish, with the double adjustable chamber.
Have you chacked some of the other mold makers. There some guys out there who have copied just about every popular mold of the golden days. Rapine maybe?
