Gas Checks

[StarMetal]

I mentioned in another thread other then Special Projects I made a gascheck maker for 30 caliber. Well I've since made one for 7mm now. I'll have to make one for 22 cal as I think that might be the harder one. I'm punching them out of .092 thick aluminum gutter flashing. The beauty of my tool is that if they cup hole is the wrong size or if you change material thicknesses, you're screwed, but not with mine. I made mine to have an insert cup bushing. In fact I did screw up the first bushing on my 7mm. No problem, whacked another one out on the lathe.

I got tired of paying that crazy price they ask for the darn things, hell primers are cheaper and they are alot more involved to manufacture. My wife checked my project out and just gave that woman head shake thing. Then she said, yup, buying that mini lathe is the best thing you've done, now I never see you anymore. Did I miss something in what she said???? har har har.

Joe

[beagle]

Joe...Long as you can show them you're saving money, you got 'em by the short hairs./beagle

[MGySgt]

How about some pictures of this?

Drew

[waksupi]

Drew, et al, I doubt a picture of the checks would do you much good. I n appearance, they are much like the run of the mill check. I'm not sure if they are slightly thicker material, or just stamped out differently. All I can tell you is, they seem to stay on my bullet from launch to landing.

[StarMetal]

Yeah, they just are silvery aluminum gaschecks. Oh, I know, you fellows want to see how I made them. Hey nobody showed me how to make them. Maybe I'll post some pics of the tools tomr.

Joe

[PatMarlin]

Please- by all means post em'... :wink:

[MGySgt]

Yeah, they just are silvery aluminum gaschecks. Oh, I know, you fellows want to see how I made them. Hey nobody showed me how to make them. Maybe I'll post some pics of the tools tomr.

Joe

That's what I was asking for - Pics of the tool. Maybe a start of a home business/project and show the little lady you can make some money on the side from your mini lathe!

waksupi - I know it is getting cold up there but????? Or were you just pulling mu leg from long distance?

Drew

[StarMetal]

Okay a quickie pic post. The fatter tool is the 30 cal checkmaker and the narrower one the 7mm cal checkmaker. There are two aluminum disks cut out for the 7mm cal check and that little removeable bushing I was telling you about. Right now they are tap with a brass hammer to make a check and I was thinking about setting them up for use in my press, but to tell you the truth because there are so many motions involved it's faster just to tap them out.

Joe

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=500/7385Gascheck-Tools.JPG

[PatMarlin]

Lookin' good- So you drop the bushing down, then a disk, then hammer out a check with the punch?

How do you punch put disks?

Did you run this by Master BA?... Har!

[StarMetal]

Pat,

Just about, first you have to make tooling to stamp out the disks. The bushing doesn't just drop down in, it's a tight press fit. Remember, everything has to be in perfect alignment or you get a check that isn't concentric. Then there's the little tool that is bottom of the check hole, to stamp against. I found on the 30 checker I didn't need that, but the 7mm one does..go figure.

At first I thought it was slow, but upon experimenting to get the dimensions right, I found I had gaschecks all over my workbench.

That fellow that posted quite alot photos of his gas check setup over on Accurate forums is WAY too involved and unecessary. Like I said to he's only tooled up for one material thickness, that's where my replaceable bushing comes into play.

Buckshot said I would need a lubricate, well he's wrong in my case. I can punch them right out dry. That may be true about other gaschecker maker, but fortunately not mine.

Joe

[felix]

I'll ask one question for BA, if he won't mind (in advance). How do you raise a crimp-on lip on the rim of the check? ... felix

[StarMetal]

Felix

Well if they are male gaschecks you show them a hot looking female gascheck. Seriously though I don't see it possible on home made ones.

Joe

[StarMetal]

Well I shot some of those 30 cal and 7mm cal gaschecks bullets. The 30's out of my Finn 39, they seems ok out of that rifle. For a more serious test of the 7mm's I shot them out of my scoped 7mm-08 Sako. I cobbled up a quick load of 25 grs of surplus 4895 and the Lee 135 with Kapok filler. Distance was 100 yards. Well the darn groups was large and all over the place. So to make sure I loaded five with Hornady checks and they went into an inch group.

So let's hear some brainstorming on the difference between the groups. Being the aluminum ones aren't crimp on, maybe some came off. I'm waiting for your suggestions.

Joe

[waksupi]

Joe, I wonder if the aluminum is tough enough for the task?

[Junior1942]

Put a daub of Super Glue on the checks and try again.

[StarMetal]

Well I think I figured it out. Thanks for the ideas. I miked the checks after sizing and lubing and they are smaller then factory ones. That means I need thicker stock. I tried the stock I have with two disks cut from a coke can and viola, the right size sized and lubed check on the bullet. Loaded up some test rounds for tomr will let you know. By the way, undersized or not, there was no leading in the barrel.

Joe

[castalott]

I'm that guy 'that's way too involved' from the accurate thread...

I dreamed all that up in an afternnoon maybe 10 years ago. There is a crimper made from a hornady bullet puller that makes the check fit 'tight'. I have never known of one coming off. I couldn't tell any difference in accuracy between these homemade checks and the factory ones. But I never shot anything but FULL power loads with them. I wanted to make sure the base deformed to expand the check to groove diameter. Everything I recovered indicated this.

I actually think the 'freecheck' system 45-2.1 talks about is the way to go. I would like to 'draw' a 3/4 jacket and 'size' it to the bullet. A good example of this would be the Lee 'soupcan' with a 3/4 or so jacket. That jacket would need to be 'crimped' into a groove at the top. That slug then might be shot at FULL power and have very good expansion. That would be my goal anyway......

Dale

[45 2.1]

Dale-

I use the 311241 160 gr. PB bullet cast 1/2 pure lead and 1/2 wheelweights (about 8 BHN) with a Freecheck and soft lube sized .311 in the 30-30 loaded to about 1650 fps. It has expanded out to 200 yards very well. Cheaper and much easier to put together with all the benefits of jacketed except the cost.

[StarMetal]

Dale,

If you're going to draw 3/4 jackets why not just go all the way the Corbin route and make you're own jacketed, you're 3/4 s the way there with what you're talking about.

Joe

[castalott]

Hi All!

What 45 2.1 has in mind is close to what I need....a performance bullet to kill some vermin around here...and I really can't imagine shooting more than 200 yards in a practical sense where I live. I actually thought a very soft 311410 with a freecheck...It would have a (almost) decent bc and maybe some expansion too...

Corbin was an interest years ago....but I so rarely shoot full power loads anymore. and I can't hardly stand to shoot at paper (groups). Jacketed bullets seem such a waste....cast does my 'playing' very well....

I wish you success with your check maker....I would like to find the design for one that makes a completed check in 1 pass...

[Lloyd Smale]

If you ever get around to making them to sell id take one in a .512 .476 .452 and .429

[Buckshot]

Hi All!
I wish you success with your check maker....I would like to find the design for one that makes a completed check in 1 pass...

...........To blank and cup a check all at once you'd need a blanking punch with a form punch inside it. These would set over a draw die with it's uppermost edge radiused into the hole, with the blanking shoulder (shear edge) above it. The outer blanking punch would just fit inside the shear shoulder so as to punch out the disc as it decended.

The outer blanking punch is now stationary and sitting atop the punched disc inside the die shoulder. At the same time, the cup punch decends through the center of the blanking punch and pushes the disc down into the draw die. The radiused edge allows the soft brass-copper to follow the punch and swage down into the die body forming the cup, as the cup punch has clearance around it, and the draw die.

The draw die is open on the bottom and the cupping punch pushes the formed check past the bottom edge. The work hardened GC expands a bit as it clears the edge, so when the cup punch retracts, the GC is stripped off it's nose.

See, piece a cake :D

..............Buckshot

[StarMetal]

Here's an easier way I think Buckshot. You have the die and the punch, or
you could think of the die as the female end and the die the male. Ok the punch has the cup forming hole in it and the outer edge is 90 degree square. Now my die has those replaceable bushing I mentioned. Instead of having a cup bushing you merely make a punch bushing. Lot easier then what you said.

Joe

[StarMetal]

Okay fellows I've been fooling with this tool I made and tried thicker stock. That did it, the 7mm-08 Sako shot my checks the same as it does Hornady checks.

To FELIX

You asked about crimping the check on. Well check (no pun intended) out these pictures. As you can see the gascheck has a rim or ledge on it's outside diameter near the mouth. The inside diameter is straight meaning when you size this check in your luber/sizer the outside diameter becomes straight and the inside gets the rim or ledge and digs into the bullet base. Don't ask me how I achieved this.

Joe

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=500/7385GasC1.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=500/7385GasC2.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/watermark.php?file=500/7385GasC3.JPG

[PatMarlin]

You are my hero Star- [smilie=w:

[Buckshot]

.............Joe, that's very cool. Pretty amazing looking with that wide rim dealie on it. Looks like a tiny pipe cap!

............Buckshot