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View Full Version : Gaschecks can be frustrating in .44 caliber



Swagerman
03-25-2006, 12:36 AM
I'm casting Lyman #429244 supposedly 250 grain bullets with gaschecks.

They are filling the mould at 263 grains before a gascheck or lube is applied.

Now here is the rub, slipping on a gascheck and pre-seating it dry in a .430 Lyman die and using a 450 lube press -- they are then put through the Star lube press with a supposedly .430 lube die to be lubed. (the Star doesn't do gaschecks worth a damn)

They come out of the star lube-sizer looking like .4295 or even less after passing through that device. Yet, putting the calipers on the upper lead body of the bullet gives me a reading of .430, but the dang gascheck is still smaller at around .4295...what gives here?

This Star lube die is very used but seems OK, maybe there is some wear factor in top entry port that it don't want to get shrunk.

Lyman gaschecks don't want to do a stretch to .430?


Jim

454PB
03-25-2006, 01:52 AM
Are the gas checks falling off after their trip through the Star? I have that same mould, and a Star sizer, but haven't combined the two yet. I did size a batch of the Lee 310 gr. FNGC in it yesterday, and it worked fine. I prefer the Hornady crimp on gas checks, mostly for the reasons you stated. On my Lee mould, the Hornady GC fit very tightly.

I also have found the Star works fine for seating the gas checks, as long as they are fully seated squarely before entry into the die. I learned a trick for this, I place the gas check on the base, place the boolit in the die, then "bump" the gas check with the punch before pushing it through. If they are not seated in this way, the end result is a cocked gas check, and lube all over the base and nose.

In the past, I've had trouble with Lyman gas checks when using the Lyman 450 sizer. when I remove the boolit after sizing, the gas check is laying on the die ejector punch. The Hornady crimp on GC eliminates that problem.

My guess is that you are over working the Lyman checks, too many trips through sizing dies. I'd suggest you try using the Star to seat the checks and size.

Dale53
03-25-2006, 02:50 AM
Lyman used to have a "gas check seater" which was really just a piece similar to a washer that had a depressed area in the center. You would seat the washer on top of the Lyman seater die (the depression positioned it) seat the gas check with the sizer (when you brought the nose punch down it seated the gas check properly). I would run all of my gas check bullets through then would, in a second trip, lube them. It was an extra step but worked perfectly. The "new" Lyman gas check seater, while completely different, effectively works about the same way.

I would set the Lyman up with the gas check seater (but do NOT run the bullets completely thru the die), then run every thing thru the Star for lubing.

Dale53

Swagerman
03-25-2006, 03:07 AM
Here's the scoop, the reason I had to run them through the Lyman 450 press was to really press on the gascheck. That is something I cannot do with the Star press.

And when I first tried to punch on the gaschecks with the Star press before using the 450 Lyman, it was a mess of lube goo that pushed itself under the gascheck instead of being seated firmly...even though the gascheck was pressed on by thumb snuggly but not real tight.

That's why I elected to use the old 450 press that the bullet had something to push against in the die body to seat the gascheck firmly. Perhaps I would have been better off using a larger lube die dry in the 450 press...then run them through the Star at smaller diameter of .430.

Oh well, it'll get settled one way or another in due time.

Jim

bobthenailer
03-26-2006, 05:22 PM
i have lubed at least 25,000 gas checked bullets through my star from 284 / 30 / 356/ 358 / 44 / 45 / cal rifle & pistol with at least 2 gc molds in each caliber with only hornday gas checks with out any problem except in the case of 45 cal as they use the same gas ck for each from 451 through 460 dia at times but all you have to do is anneal the gas checks and problem solved! i usually anneal all gas checks reguardless of caliber . good luck bob

bobthenailer
03-26-2006, 05:29 PM
forgot to add i lube nose first ! let the bullet fall in to sizing die and usually the base is sticking just far enough out of the die to have the belved part of the sizer die help line up the gas ck on the base and push the bullet through the sizer. bob

454PB
03-26-2006, 06:14 PM
When I use my Lyman 450 to seat tight gas checks, I just lay the flat wrench supplied for removing the lock ring on top of the lock ring. Place the boolit base on that flat wrench with gas check positioned on the bottom and use the nose punch to push it on. There's no reason the boolit has to go into the die to seat the gas check, except to crimp the Hornady style. Some of the Hornady ones require the same treatment because they fit so tightly, but I do it in two steps: push the check on, then size and crimp.

Swagerman
03-26-2006, 09:22 PM
Hey, some good ideas here, will give them a try. Will let you know how I make out.

However, the #429244 bullets don't go on real tight by hand, they are not snugged on the bullet until run through the 450 sizer. Before that happens they are almost loose on the bullet...sometimes barely hanging on.

Thanks, Jim :)

NVcurmudgeon
03-27-2006, 09:04 PM
Hey, some good ideas here, will give them a try. Will let you know how I make out.

However, the #429244 bullets don't go on real tight by hand, they are not snugged on the bullet until run through the 450 sizer. Before that happens they are almost loose on the bullet...sometimes barely hanging on.

Thanks, Jim :)


With GC that "are barely hanging on," annealing may help because it eliminates springback of the GC.

Bucks Owin
04-05-2006, 12:34 PM
I'm casting Lyman #429244 supposedly 250 grain bullets with gaschecks.

They are filling the mould at 263 grains before a gascheck or lube is applied.

Jim

I get the same thing with my RCBS .44 "250 K" mould, average weight is around 262 gr but this was with a soft alloy which I think is heavier than say a straight lino mix. Lino ends up around 255 grs or less....

FWIW,

Dennis

BTW, are moulds checked with straight linotype metal as the alloy of "advertised" average weight?

Swagerman
04-05-2006, 04:31 PM
Dennis, these 263 to 265 grain bullets in .44 special are a bit trickey to load. The only reloading manual I've got that list for 265 grain bullet is a Hodgden No. 22 manual. Its around 7.0 grains of HS6 which gives 832 fps velocity.

I think I can get away with using 255 grain weight tables in that caliber if I cut the powder 2 or 3 tenths of a grain.

My revolvers are old timers so don't want to abuse them beauties.

Jim