Seating Gas Check's

[HeavyMetal]

Not sure if this is the right section for this or not but here goes.

Getting ready for the yearly trip to do the family Thanksgiving Dinner and shooting week end.

Since last year I have aquirred a few "new" molds and want to have a few people try them in there guns as well as mine.

To that end I have a 429434 single cavity Lyman mold. Kinda neat in a wide flat point kinda way.

This is originally for the 44-40 but casts a huge .433 boolit instead of .428. It is also a Gas Check design so really hasn't hit my list of Favorites as I hate dealing with checks because Lyman molds are all over the place in shank diameter.

This one is pretty typical: the shank is to large for the check to "snap" on as it should and requirres some force to get on.

Thinking about how I can minimize the trouble of getting a check on about a dozen ideas floated through my head on some type of check installer.

Suddenly a Brainfart hit as I was looking at my Machinist's vise next to my mill.

Small, about 6 pounds and a handy size with very smooth and square jaws, I pulled the bolt out of it that tightens the floating jaw and put my boolit and the check inside the jaw area.

Held squarely some pressure was applied to squeeze the two jaws together and the check snaps in place!

Yes I do have a little burr of lead to peel off but the boolit is not mangled in any way and the check is squarely on the base waiting for it's trip through my Star sizer.

I figure a little Imperial Sizng die wax on the check as I start it into the die will take care of any undue strees and it should crimp on and lube just fine!


Posted this for those having the same problem this little vise sure made installing those check painless and easy!

If this boolit performs well it will get shipped to Erik for removal of the check band, he can do this and not shorten the mold! I will also have it HP'd at that time and get a second Pin to give me the same WFP profile when I don't want and HP.

Hope this idea helps someone.

[WHITETAIL]

Good Idea!:redneck:

[Bass Ackward]

This is originally for the 44-40 but casts a huge .433 boolit instead of .428. This one is pretty typical: the shank is to large for the check to "snap" on as it should and requirres some force to get on.

Thinking about how I can minimize the trouble of getting a check on about a dozen ideas floated through my head on some type of check installer.

Yes I do have a little burr of lead to peel off but the boolit is not mangled in any way and the check is squarely on the base waiting for it's trip through my Star sizer.

I figure a little Imperial Sizng die wax on the check as I start it into the die will take care of any undue strees and it should crimp on and lube just fine!


If this boolit performs well it will get shipped to Erik for removal of the check band, he can do this and not shorten the mold! I will also have it HP'd at that time and get a second Pin to give me the same WFP profile when I don't want and HP.

Hope this idea helps someone.


If I get stuck, I use the outside cutter of a case neck trimmer to lightly remove any burr that is likely to occur. This is excellent for diagnosing block half alignment too which is often just enough to cause this.

Understand this is burr removal and not an attempt to create a bevel. Once done, the resistance of the sizing process (regardless of method) for the bullet has been adequate to seat the check and without the lead shaving.

Bottom line is that I would not be swayed from having the bullet mold modified as you mention regardless of the shooting results.

[44man]

If I get stuck, I use the outside cutter of a case neck trimmer to lightly remove any burr that is likely to occur. This is excellent for diagnosing block half alignment too which is often just enough to cause this.

Understand this is burr removal and not an attempt to create a bevel. Once done, the resistance of the sizing process (regardless of method) for the bullet has been adequate to seat the check and without the lead shaving.

Bottom line is that I would not be swayed from having the bullet mold modified as you mention regardless of the shooting results.
That is good but the whole shank on my RD boolits are too tight so I made up a check seater for my press. I prefer a tight check anyway. An extra step that is well worth it.

[wallenba]

Using the right collet in a Hornady bullet puller can swage it down a bit to fit on too.

[runfiverun]

i just flair the check a tad.
it squeezes on when being sized.

[dragonrider]

A ball bearing large enough to rest on the rims of the check but not touch the bottom and then given a tap with a hammer will open the check enough to install.

[Old School Big Bore]

I had the same problem with the same boolit - the shank is not really oversize but out of round. I lay my stamped Lyman wrench across the sizer die nut, place the check on it, set the boolit there and mash it down with a flat WC nose punch til it seats, then remove the wrench & size them.