I was putting things away from my failed trip to our gun show Sunday and opened up my cased Ballard in it's Hereford hide case. I had tools in the case that came with the Schoyen Ballard, but had also added an old mold I had in my collection too. The mold is a .32-40 mold in it's original Marlin Firearms Co. marked box. I happened to glance at the end flap of the box and saw the part number Ideal and Marlin used written in pencil as they did in the early years. It read 319273, which caught my eye and made me grab my old Ideal loading manual. The 319273 was the mold designed by one of the finest shooters around in the late 1800's; Doc Hudson!
Dr. Walter Hudson was one of the finest all around shooters in the late 1800's and well into the early 1900's! He shot everything from Scheutzen to long range Palma matches, to the Wimbledom, and shotgun matches with glass balls and live pigeons. Hudson also made huge contributions in bullet design, and ammunition; working with manufacturers.
Doc Hudson developed two bullet designs for Ideal Mfg. Co., one for the .32-40 and another for the .38-55 #375272, with both being very similar designs to each other, and both being heavier than the usual .32-40 or .38-55 designs. The .32-40 is a 188 grain, and the .38-55 is a 310 grain.
This Marlin-Ideal Hudson mold is one of the earliest with integral handles. Later when Ideal sold to Lyman the molds used separate handles so one handle could be used with many Lyman molds. I own one each of the .32-40 and .38-55 Lyman molds, but didn't realize until today that the Marlin-Ideal boxed mold I had is the great old Doc Hudson design! My .38-55 mold was given to me by a late friend who lost all his old 1800's scheutzen rifles in a home flood. The mold was stored high enough to survive flooding. The .32-40 Lyman was purchased just a couple months ago when a friend offered it to me at a great price. The Marlin-Ideal boxed mold I can't even recall where or who I got it from? I remember buying it simply because it was a Marlin marked box, but never really noticed which design it was until today!
The Hudson Ideal and Lyman molds are highly desirable, but this is the only Hudson Marlin-Ideal mold I've ever come across in all my collecting days, and I didn't even realize what I had until today. Think I've owned this mold for 40 years so far too!
Neat old Marlin-Ideal mold
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- marlinman93
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Neat old Marlin-Ideal mold
Marlin lever actions 1870's-WWI, Ballards, and single shot rifles!
Re: Neat old Marlin-Ideal mold
Great information. Now I will have to check what is written on my boxed molds. Thanks for sharing Vall.
Road King
" More guns then I need, but not as many as I want."
" More guns then I need, but not as many as I want."
- marlinman93
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Re: Neat old Marlin-Ideal mold
The Hudson mold by Ideal was made specifically for single shots like the Ballard rifles. It is a stepped band design where the bottom two bands are the same size, and forward bands are reduced size. This was intended to be breech seated, and a case of powder seated behind.
I have a couple other Ideal boxed molds that aren't from the Marlin ownership era, and need to check those against my old Ideal manuals too.
Marlin lever actions 1870's-WWI, Ballards, and single shot rifles!
Re: Neat old Marlin-Ideal mold
Hi Vall interesting reference. I am in Arizona and away from my collection so I will check in the Spring. I got a lot of loading tools of various manufactures including Marlin Ideal and Marlin 1881 combo tools. Just last week found an early Winchester mold and spoon handle loading tool for the .50-70 cal. Rare one that has eluded me for years.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Road King
" More guns then I need, but not as many as I want."
" More guns then I need, but not as many as I want."
- marlinman93
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- Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 1:22 pm
- Location: Portland, Oregon
Re: Neat old Marlin-Ideal mold
I began chasing 1881 tools decades ago, and then ran across Marlin marked Ideal tools and started chasing those. I only found four 1881 tools I bought and they are .45-70, .40-60, .38-55, and .32-40 tools. I had a dozen or so 1881's then, and that covered the calibers I had.
I've got probably a dozen Marlin Ideal tools plus some Marlin molds made early on by BGI, with MFACo. markings. Accumulated a small collection of Marlin Ballard loading tools in bullet seating tools, and re-decapping tools, but the Ballard tools are very tough to find, and usually expensive. Still looking, and occasionally adding more as I find them.
I've got probably a dozen Marlin Ideal tools plus some Marlin molds made early on by BGI, with MFACo. markings. Accumulated a small collection of Marlin Ballard loading tools in bullet seating tools, and re-decapping tools, but the Ballard tools are very tough to find, and usually expensive. Still looking, and occasionally adding more as I find them.
Marlin lever actions 1870's-WWI, Ballards, and single shot rifles!