Gas check problem

moose56

April 08, 2013 16:29

I cast some bullets from a Lee 150 grain mold in .30 caliber. When I tried to crimp on an aluminum gas check with a Lee sizer die which sizes them to a .309 diameter, the gas check falls off. Any suggestions from anyone that may help?

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  charliemeyer007

  April 08, 2013 16:35

  I don't like Lee molds as a rule. I suspect that the gas checks are made of too thin aluminum and thus don't grab the edge correctly.
  Perhaps a drop of glue to hold them in place.
  
  Second aluminum oxide is an abrasive, not sure I'd be sending it down a nice bore.

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  MIKE WISKEY

  April 09, 2013 06:09

  THE hORNADY 'CRIMP' TYPE GAS CHECKS WORK WELL, NO ALUM. FOR ME!

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  XXCross

  April 09, 2013 11:24

  Moose,
  To have any chance of clinging to the cast bullet, the aluminum
  from which these gas-checks were made would have to be dead soft.
  Any stress or tension left in the material will cause it to "spring
  back" from the bullet.

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  moose56

  April 09, 2013 15:29

  Well, I appreciate the help but here is what I did. I took a check and twisted it in 2 spots on the rim of the check with a pair of small needle nose pliers ever so slightly. I pushed onto the bullet and then ran it the sizer. It came out and stayed on with none coming off. Now to test fire some!

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  v35

  April 09, 2013 15:35

  I'd try a tiny drop of polyurethane glue like ShoeGoo before sizing.

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  tsr1965

  April 10, 2013 02:18

  You want to be careful, when test firing them. You want to look thru the barrel, after EVERY shot. If one of those comes off in the barrel, you will not like what happens on the subsequent shot.
  
  IMHO, you should think about getting a different mold, and gaschecks, to hopefully eliminate this problem. After a friend of mine, with a Colt Python, was firing some cast/gaschecked 357's, and had one come off in his barrel. The next shot ringed the barrel, destroying it. No more cas checked bullets for this guy.
  
  Best

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  p3skyking

  April 10, 2013 02:43

  I've never used aluminum gas checks, but a real loose fitting copper one always got a tiny dab of epoxy and allowed to set overnight prior to loading.
  I also never found need to size the projectile, preferring to let the barrel do that. Using a weighed and miked bullet from a good quality mold, the cold lead was only worked once.

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