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Anybody ever cast a bullet with the gas check already in the mold? I have a boolit I want to shoot but would like it in gas check form. It is not. I know this was done sort of with that zinc washer thingy that Lyman made. Just wonder if anyone had ever tried it and how it went.
I’ve not tried it. I’ve read through about experiments where they used a copper ring that was placed where one of the driving bands is. They found that it didn’t have to be the rear driving band for the gas check ring to be effective. I believe it was in the Art of Bullet Casting book where I read that.
Why not just use plain bass gas checks?
I always wondered how a "driving band" would work on a cast bullet. Works well enough on Artie shells.
what do you mean plain base?Quote:
Originally Posted by poppy42
I havre that book somewhere. I have to find it and look for that info --have not reread in yearsQuote:
Originally Posted by Bazoo
https://www.sagesoutdoors.com/358-9m...um-gas-checks/
They are made of a thinner material like a soda or beer can aluminum and get pressed on during the sizing process. They just fit over the base of a non gas checked boolit.
That method has been called the Wilks gas check, first reported in Handloader Magazine, I think. That version had a hole centered in the flat part, so it could be placed in any bore diameter cavity groove. A search turns up a thread on CB from 2008.
1st problem i see it Would need to be a nose pour mold...unless you know somethin I dont...
Difficult placing a check in an hot mold. Boolitz need to be sized anyhow
Many years ago I read about using regular base pour PB moulds and regular gas checks with a hole drilled through then placed in the closed mould. The lead was poured into the mould through the hole. Seems like a lot of fiddley work to me!
A quick search turned up that idea and the zinc washer idea:
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_10_GCkorPB.htm
Scroll down about 1/3 to find the Harvey zinc washer system, the Prot-X Bore and perforated gas checks.
I'd think PB gas checks would be much easier and seem to work for people.
Longbow
Aside from neededing a bottom pour mould as stated, you would also have to perfectly mill out the ring in the mold that is profiled for the gas check itself. Unless you got one of the molds that are plain base with no lube grooves
The Wilkes checks were formed by punching the hole in the center of the check to allow the free flow of hot alloy being poured into the bullet mold. This is when the check is intended to be applied to the base of the bullet and the fit can be adjusted by slightly sizing the skirt of the gas check in the bullet size die.
If one intends to cast the bullet so the check is located at another location on the body of the bullet, preheating the checks is suggested and the use of tweezers with notches on the outside of the ends and spread apart so the tension holding the check in place is relieved when the tweezers are squeezed.
Is it fiddle intensive? Yes. If the hole in the check is too small does that impair the flow of the alloy? Yes. Does this actually weaken the body of the bullet? Probably does as there is less alloy actually connecting the base and the nose. If it was a good idea, it would probably be in common use these days?
Have Tom at accurate make you a mold that has a regular crimp on gas check. I'll bet in the long run you will much happier.
Good Call Bazoo... That was an old article ... They punched a hole in the gas check base with a small punch so the lead could flow through and placed the heated gas check in the heated mould with tweezers on the first driving band ... the base of the check (with hole) facing up on the rifle boolet ... closed the mould and poured it .Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazoo
When done the gas check formed the first driving band ...the band appeared to be "copper" it looked real nice .
If I remember correctly ... it worked ... but the consensus was it was easier to place the gas check on the base and run it through the lyman 450 lube/sizer .
It wasn't worth all the extra trouble . Punching out the center of the gas checks , heating them and tweezering them into place was a bit of song and dance to do .
I notice it didn't revolutionize the gas check industry .
Gary
I have had good results doing this. Best molds are the nose pour like the Hoch, or the Leeth (pioneer products), As these have a flat plate or shelf on base of mould that the check can be positioned on. Sometimes the checks need to be sized slightly to reduce flair to alloy mould to close fully. Checks are placed around top of furnace to pre-heat prior to casting. I could find no difference in accuracy between the cast- on checks and the crimped varity. The mould was a Hoch .25-100 p.b. and I have an identical Hoch mould cut for gas checks. Once in a while a check will be found cocked on bullet but not very often.
GONRA as similar memories (?) to the various "Wilkes holy gas check stories" above.
Believe ready-to-go "holy gas checks" were sold.....
May have seen some ata Gun Show (remember those?) or got mailed samples? ??
(Been a LOOONG TIME!!)