Gas Checks

[clerkofkirk]

I'm starting up with cast bullets again but can't remeber something... I have some 8mm bullets lubed and ready to load. They are to be loaded "as sized." How do I put the gas checks on without sizing the bullet? Can I just press them on or do I need to by a sizer? Thanks!

[David R]

I guess the only thing would be to get a Lee push through sizer that is the size of the boolit now. Less than $15.00 I think.

David

[44man]

The checks have to be crimped on by running into a sizer.

[slughammer]

You want the installed check to be about the same size as the boolit. I've run into a problem where the check was installed with a size die that was too big; the end result was a check bigger than the boolit. When loaded, the check stretched the brass and I lost case tension. (Not always the case, depends on the hardness of the brass.)

If you have a Lee FCD, you can install the checks by hand and then hold the boolit at the top of the die to crimp the check down to the right diameter. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

[NVcurmudgeon]

A Lyman 45, 450, or 4500 can be used to seat gas checks w/o lubing or sizing the boolit if you use the Lyman gas check seating accessory, or make one from a short piece of copper tubing.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Cast Bullets by Col E.H.Harrison USA (ret). Page 114

"It fits inside the sizing die nut of ordinary tools such as the Lyman and RCBS. Gas checks are set into the recess at the top of the fixture and are seated squarely onto the bullet bases by downward pressure of the top punch on the bullet noses. The fixture is then removed and the bullets are sixed and lubricated in the usual manner.

When gas checks are seated as part of the lubricating - sizing operation, inward pressure of the sizing die can crimp the gas check onto the bullet shank before the gas check is seated firmly and squarely against the bullet base. This is particularly true if the shank is tapered, and most are. Eliminating resulting irregularities is teh principal advantage of seating gas checks in a separate operation.

The gas check seating is easily turned on a lathe from 1" dia. bar stock. The recess at the top is amde about .035" deep and about .005" larger than the gas check. The bottom is turned down to about 5/8" diameter to fit inside the nut which holds the sizing die. No change in the normal tool setup is required to use this fixture. R.N.S."

[Four Fingers of Death]

Bit rough, taken with digital camera. It will give you the idea though.

I give up!