Has Gas Check Size Changed Last 20 Yrs????anyone

[44 WCF]

Last week I used for the first time a Lyman 452490 SWC gas check mould that I actually purchased years ago. Today when I went to size and lube, Hornady gas check will not fit at all. Bullet check shank is .430, ID of the gas checks is around .422. NO wonder they wouldn't fit. I'm suspecting that gas checks sold (Lyman) at the time mould was made were off a larger or different style. Any help would be appreciated.

I debate about using the mold, it was still new in the brown wrapper, but thought I would give it a try. Was going to sell, glad I didn't as someone would have been very upset.

Happy Halloween to all

44 WCF

[Bullshop]

Are you shure you have 45 cal checks and not 44's?
BIC/BS

[w30wcf]

44 WCF,

I just checked some .45 Lyman g.c.'s that are about 30 years old and they measure .425" on the I.D. Some later Hornady Crimp on's are about .428".

I have run into some older .30 Caliber molds that had g.c. shanks that were on the large side as well.

I made a flaring tool to open the gas check starting diameter which works well as does annealing the gas checks. Only one more step in the casting and loading process ...........

w30wcf

[44 WCF]

Bullshop, I thought that too was possible, went back and checked against 44 checks and all is correct just large base on this mould for some reason apparently. Sized to .452 lube just coats the shank where the check would fit. Will call Lyman tomorrow and see what they have to say. The base is so big I thought for a minute the mould was not a gas check type, but confirmed in the catalog. Lyman still offers the mould will ask them what the ID of the mould should be at the gas check. It is right on .430.
Have a machinist friend who might be able to make a tapered punch that will open up the cup with a slight flare, but not sure the bullet will seat to the bottom of the cup.
Oh well, just one of those things about casting you run into from time to time. I would be upset with Lyman but this mould was probably made in the 60's or 70's and some dimensions with the mould or checks could have changed. Lyman has been very good to me about service and parts so no use screaming before I know what is what.

Thanks all for the notes and PM's

44 WCF

[26Charlie]

A Lyman mould and a Cramer mould cast 7mm bullets with too-large GC shanks. The Cramer bullet is casting really large anyway, about .292, which is a squeeze and a half to get to .284. I made a taper punch as described to open up the cups - both Lyman and Hornady are too small for these bullets. If you have a bolt big enough and one of those neat 1" belt/disk sanders, you can make it yourself without any trouble, just sand the taper onto the end of the bolt (obliterating the threads) which I did OK with a 3/8" bolt. If you get too much taper, just cut the end back a little on the sander.
I think the GC's are not to blame, but the problem arises in the making of the cherry.