Accurate Bullet Mould Question ...

[PJ Hardtack]

The Lee production handles arrived today for my Accurate 351-350S DC aluminum mould. Perfect fit!

How tight should the sprue plate be on one of these moulds. It came quite loose. Will it heat up sufficiently in use to take out some of the looseness or should I tighten it up a little?

Obviously I want to avoid galling the top of the block with the sprue plate.

[Drydock]

While I cannot be sure your mold does not have excessive looseness, between the sprue plate pivot screw and the plate should be a spring washer to maintain just enough tension for true bullet bases while allowing air an easy escape and to avoid galling.  I suspect, but cannot prove, that you are just fine.

They do flop a bit when first out of the box, but seem to tighten with use.

[PJ Hardtack]

Yeah, mine "flopped open" out of the box. I have cranked it down a little.

I've owned a couple of Lee moulds and the sprue plates were not that loose out of the box.

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[PJ Hardtack]

I just finished a casting session in which I cast 250 bullets from my new Accurate mould.

Normally I alternate between 2, sometimes three moulds which allows time for the blocks to cool. That works with steel moulds but did not work with the Accurate aluminum mould.

I had to forget about the steel moulds and focus on the aluminum mould only before I got satisfactory results. Then it started to drop very nice bullets every time!

The aluminum cools too quickly for my normal method.

[Bunk]

all my old iron Lyman molds are in glass baby food jars with a rust preventing powder. VPI is what I think it is.
A couple of dozen aluminum molds are on my shelf, and I would be very unlikely to go back to iron. I won't say never because "never say never" said a wise old friend of mine (now RIP).
Bunk