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I have not noticed, but are there brass molds?
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Yes, there sure are. They ARE special order, or group buys over at castboolits.com. They make some real nice looking bullets, and they can be made with hollow point pins of straight tapered HP's or the hex type. OR, a gas check in one cavity and a plain base in the next.
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=97566
As for the finish on aluminum molds, it's how much time the mold maker puts into the final finish that will result in a smooth finish on the bullet.
Lee molds are cut with a lathe boring type of cavity. Most molds are cut using a "cherry" that looks somewhat like a wood router. The cherry looks just like what the bullet looks like, but with cutters. If just the cherry is used, it'll leave some cutter marks. Then the mold cavity must be carefully polished to make the bullet smooth.
Alum. molds treated with care, last a very long time. Most are made of 2024 aircraft aluminum. They will last as long as a brass mold. Any mold can be damaged by careless handling.
Nice thing about brass and alum, it doesn't rust! Steel and iron molds rust quickly after cooling down. Makes it imperative to keep them oiled to prevent rust.