Abstract: This specification discloses an improved apparatus and method for making bi-axially oriented containers in an injection blow molding machine. The parison is brought to the blow mold at orientation temperature, and the end of a reciprocating element is brought into contact with the end of the parison and is shaped to prevent the end of the parison from shifting off center as the parison is blown and stretched axially while it expands circumferentially to obtain bi-axial orientation. The reciprocating element prevents the parison from shifting laterally in the blowing mold so that the stretching and the wall thickness of the blown article is uniform.