Suitable alloy for use as a hollow point pin for bullet mould

Have you tried stainless to see if it sticks to lead? With its layer of chromium oxide, I would guess not.

High-alloy drill rod may not, either. Stainless may be cheaper.

Teeny bit bigger than 0.096"/2.44mm sounds like it's an either an even

Molten lead does stick to aluminum. A mild release agent is all that is required however. Candle smoke was one of the popular ones, but a lot of the jig and spinnerbait guys are using Franklin mold release. Looks like a spray on graphite powder.

I'd try 303 stainless. I made a wedding band out of it. It polishes up very nice.

Do you mean "Frankford Arsenal"? Good stuff, but used in a mold you as get slightly undersized boolits. I use a tiny smidge of Kroil as a mold release.

I think I recall you're using Lee molds (aluminum). When you say a smidge, how do you apply it? Q-tip??? Does it have to "burn out" over a few bullets before they stop being wrinkled like oil does, or does it work from the get go? Do you have to reapply it during a casting session?

RWL

Carbide rod.

Gunner

Whenever a Liberal utters the term "Common Sense approach"....grab your wallet, your ass, and your guns because the sombitch is about to do something damned nasty to all three of them.

Sorry, Yes. Frankford Arsenal.

My hollow point molds have mild steel pins, takes a good enough polish. Either smoke or cold blue them before use. Any polishing marks should go lengthwise. You don't need an exotic alloy, there's no strength involved here, the pin just takes up space and needs to come out easily. Just make sure you allow enough draft when you make the thing. I've made enough of them from hardware store hot-rolled shafting. If I were doing it now, wooden knobs would be a problem since my major supplier went out of business a few years ago. Factory jobbies have a hole drilled in knob+pin and a drive pin shot in from the side to hold the works together. Most of the time it works. Have had a few loosen up.

Stan

In the grand tradition of starting out the most complex and rapidly working to the simplest method, the idea is to buy a #41 HSS drill blank, round the point, then mill a slight flat on one side. Then turn a collar that extends up into the wooden handle, this collar will have a set screw so I can lock in the pin.

After seeing the old style locking pin (uses pin on collar against pin in block, under the screw head), it looks like it will be a positive stop. The new system uses an e-clip where its difficult to see the opening when re-inserting the pin.