Mold for the 56-46 Spencer now available at Accurate Molds on line. also 56-56

[injun john]

Accurate Molds now carries a mold design for 56-46 heeled bullets to fit the Spencer Sporting rifle.
As pictured the mold is set up to fit a bore diameter of .461 to .465 which should fit any Sporting rifle that was build in this caliber by the Spencer factory.
 If however, you have one of the military guns that were rebuilt as Sporting rifles that have a different bore diameter, Tom will gladly alter the diameters to fit your bore.   He makes his fine molds pretty much one at a time so that option is open to him and therefore you.
I have three of his custom molds now and the quality is second to none.  I prefer aluminum but he will make them in brass or iron as well to your order.
His custom 4 cavity mold in aluminum runs a very reasonable $131 + around $8 shipping.  They fit perfectly into Lee 6 cavity mold handles.   The basic mold design is listed as 47-265S.  He also carries mold designs for both 56-56 and 56-50.
I hope this helps anyone who was looking for a mold for their rifle and didn't want to have to sell an arm and a leg to afford it.

[Herbert]

Looks to be a good one but I can not get a price or a order form to cum up

[injun john]

Go to "Products and Prices" then to "configure a mold" in the left bottom of the "molds" block and from there you custom order the mold you want , you will select mold body metal, for a machine or hand casting, the # of cavities, sprue cutter type you want and mold number (write down the mold # you are wanting before you go there so you don't have to go back and find it.).  
There you can also make any mold changes you want like : diameter, bullet length, grove depth, ect... that you think would be better for your gun barrel.

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[Coal Creek Griff]

Remember, these are custom molds.  If you want a different size for the lube grooves, a different ogive shape or different meplat size (or nearly anything else), Tom can make it for you.  I have a number of his molds and I'm a huge fan of his work.  In fact, I rarely use any other maker.  Tom has also helped me develop new designs or modify existing designs to meet my needs.

This is the mold that I use for my reproduction Spencer in the modern 56-50 caliber: http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=51-350S-D.png

See also: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,53097.0.html

This mold makes excellent bullets that are nearly flawless, although if I ordered again, I might have him deepen the lube groove at the sacrifice of a little bullet weight.  On the other hand, they work just fine so far, so that may not be necessary.

CC Griff

[Herbert]

Just ordered one ,a friend has a gunsmith converted 56-46 spencer with a .464 groove diameter and a slow 1 in 52 twist rate barrel.so the short AM bullet may work

[El Supremo]

Hello:
I have Accurate molds and they are first-class.  Accurate is THE place for copies or improved copies of molds for Romano Spencers/Maynards with their faster twists.

Herbert:
Is that 52" twist original to the 56-46, please?

Thanks,
El Supremo/Kevin Tinny

[injun john]

I've got Marcot's Spencer book and according to it, The US armory while developing the 56-46
found that a 1 in 24 twist to be the optimal twist for that caliber using a middle.46 diameter bullet
and 37 to 45 grs of compressed powder.  They wrote that it gave excellent accuracy out to 700 yards.
Unfortunately they do not state the average group size at distances.  
My Spencer Company made 56-46 Sporting Rifle does have a 1 in 24 twist and although my range at home is limited to 385 yards
it "owns" the steel plates out to that distance and most of the time any bold bowling pin daring to stand up at the 385 array.
If it does miss one it's me not doing my part; not the gun.

[El Supremo]

Tx, Injun:

Didn't recall that in Marcot, so thanks.  Marcot was almost silent on twists, but want to remember seeing at least one twist there.
Will dig there.

24" for a 45 caliber bullet tells me that Spencer got smart at some point.  That twist seems far more appropriate for 1000 -1100 fps MV's than the much slower ones used in the 56-50's.

Your results say a LOT.

Regards,
El Supremo/Kevin Tinny

[injun john]

 Letter to Brig. General Ramsay from Major A.B. Dyer in regards to
his testing of the 56-46 prototype ammo & weapons.  He tends to call it the ".44" caliber but later in the letter gives the diameter as .46 with a minimum .52 case diameter.   He does mention testing the .44 straight case but rejects it at clumsy to eject and not preforming to the same level.
Just so you don't have to hunt for it.  Page 203 of Marcot's book, Revised ed. of 1990.

Strangely enough, Dyer once he was promoted to chief of ordinance later rejected the 56-46 as the new Army caliber for Spencer 1865 carbines and rifles for the 56-50.  I believe he was one of those who believed that anything less than a .50 would not stop a man on the battlefield.

[Herbert]

Hello:
I have Accurate molds and they are first-class.  Accurate is THE place for copies or improved copies of molds for Romano Spencers/Maynards with their faster twists.

Herbert:
Is that 52" twist original to the 56-46, please? No the 1 in 52 twist is a gunsmith replacement barrel,my factory Spencer sporter has a 1 in 24 twist and with a 300gr bullet is very accurate out 500 meters

Thanks,
El Supremo/Kevin Tinny

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Perhaps the gunsmith that put on that sporter barrel was used to making mountain rifles and had a few muzzleloader barrels in stock?

[Herbert]

Just finished testing the AA Spencer sporter bullet.Case  CBC 32 ga brass shot shells formed with 56-46CH dies, case 1.1 long ,OAL 1.62. Powder Wanno PP 45grs compresed, fedral LPPs.I Got very good accuracy with the fist 5 shots but accuracy went off as the barrel fouled out,if BP is to be used I would recommend the the mould be ordered with a bigger lube groove,as it is it works vey well with 35grs of Aliant BLACK MZ you can shoot this load all day without accuracy going off it is also a good pig load

[injun john]

I've been using this bullet with a heavy coat of Lee's liquid alox over and in the lube grooves for both Nitro and black powder loads.
I had read in my Lee loading manual that it can be used with BP and frankly am surprised at just how well it works.
I apply it with a "Q" tip after the bullets are loaded to keep it out of my dies.  Being a heeled bullet with exposed lube groves that you can get to, it just makes less of a mess to lube last.
I have been putting quite a bit of it on and then using a thumb nail to scrape off any that happens to drip on to the brass after it dries.   
I am probably using more than I need on each bullet but I'm getting a little mound of the lube circling the bore at the muzzle after 5 to 8 shots and that's what I want to see from any lube. 
Accuracy has been really good and I've experienced no leading so far even with the BP loads. 
For cleaning after BP loads I start with Butch's BP solvent first and end using Pro Shot's Cleaner and Lube solvent.
I've done that with my smoke poles for years anyway so no change there for me and its works well in the GA humidity.

[Jack Wagon]

The first shooting session with my factory sporting rifle.  Accurate mold 47-265S lubed with 45-45-10 , Buffalo Arms 56-46 Brass ( rims thinned a bit ), 30 gr. APP, WWLRP.  This was my starting load with the powder slightly compressed and the bullets cast pretty soft.  Jw

[injun john]

Great shooting JW!  I'm liking this bullet too.

[Bullseye Baldee]

Just starting to cast because of the .56 .56 Spencer.  I was looking at these molds made by Tom...but someone told me that he might have passed away.  I did sent an email but I haven't heard back as of yet.  Is the 45-355H the correct mold for the .56 .56?  Thanks

[Bullseye Baldee]

Never mind....Wrong person. 

[Drydock]

Love Accurate, hes's made 3 molds for me, MAS 1873 11mm French, .440 Argentine, and 8mm Rast & Gasser.  Great design and service.  If its old and odd, I want it, and Accurate can make the mold.

[dusty texian]

I agree Accurate moulds has a great product and great service . I have a few of his moulds and all arrived sooner that expected and cast a bullet just as ordered ! ,,,,DT