Lyman 452374

[hornady]

I cast bullets for three different guns in 45ACP, Ruger P-90, Sig, 220, and a Colt 1911, before the Sig, the Ruger and colt shot and feed the Lyman 225 Grain LRN Bullets great, But the Sig, I have to play with the OAL a little, Would I be better off switching to the RCBS or another 230 Grain LRN Mold. It’s not a major problem,  but With the Lyman 452374 in 225 Grain bullet, you just don’t have much room to play with the OAL.

[pourboy]

I never did like that mould. RCBS makes a really good roundnose mould. I've never understood the longevity of 452374.

[Steel13]

I could be wrong but I think that the 374 was developed initially for the 1917revolverwhich could handle the longer OAL
I agree, I love the RCBS 230 RN, feed like a champ in every 45 I ever tried them in.
Justin

[hornady]

Talk about sticker shock, I went out to a couple on-line sights, I think I will live with this mould, it’s a 4 banger, to replace it, just the blocks you are talking close to $100.00. Over the years I have tried the Aluminum moulds, nothing against them, personally I just don’t like them.

[Steel13]

You can still buy that mold for just over $70 from Mid South .I have this profile in a 2 profile mold 374 and 423.

[mdi]

If I remember correctly, doesn't the RCBS have a sholder on their round nose bullet? I have to seat this bullet deeper to drop in the chamber smoothly in my RIA (sholder bottoms out on the chamber mouth).  BTW, they are sized to .452".

[Steel13]

I guess you could call it a shoulder, but I think of it a s a lengthened shank. Which is .330 in length and 452 diam. (on my Boolit) then begins the oglive at .438 diam. down to the tip which.320 in length. for an overall Boolit length of .650 The 374's shank is .260 and its long sweeping tip is 405 in length for a total of .655. Not much of a difference looking at them side by side, atleast with total Boolit length.
Justin

[rbwillnj]

I use the Lyman 452374's all the time, never had a problem.  I'm not sure what the book calls for, but I load them to an OAL of 1.265.  Now I only shoot them in 1911's, so I can't speak to whether they will work in the other guns mentioned.

The 1917 revolvers (colt and S&W) were designed to use standard military 45 ACP Ball ammo, so it doesn't make sense to me that the 452374 would have been designed specifically for those guns, but who knows.

[Hank08]

I have a 4 cav. 374 and have shot a zillion of them in various guns, never had a problem.  As I recall Lyman designed it for casters to have a lead bullet to replace the 230 jacketed bullet for use in whatever gun you might need it for (mostly 1911s).  I hardly ever shoot it now
mostly use H&G 68 which was designed by cutting off the nose of a 374 then cutting a wadcutter shoulder but leaving the part that touches the ramp the same so it feeds just like a 374 and weights 200 gr. and is very accurate.  If your going to buy another mould get the H&G 68.
H08

[Steel13]

Isnt the H&G 68 the same as the Lyman 452460?  I dont have the the H&G but have the Lyman 460 in a 2 cav.
Justin

[pourboy]

452460 is very different from the H&G 68. Not even close.

[hornady]

Thanks for all the replies, I think I will stay with the mould, it’s a 4 cavity,  in the RCBS I saw only two cavity molds, and the bullets shoots well in all three guns, The Sig is the only issue, I just need to work with it, it may only be a new gun issue or I may need to tweak the load some,