Removing gas check shank on mold

[HDS]

I got this surplus Mihec 75gr 223 mold that drops bullets with an undrsize front driving band. Now we're all getting replacements so I now got this mold I got no use for. But I think it can still be made usable since the front band is .225> and I would size to that diameter anyway.

I am very interested in building a coating setup for my 223 bullets, been leaning towards the electrostatic gun method for some time now. Part of the reason I want to do this is to get away from gas checks (and lead gas from the AR) and now that I got a surplus mold I am thinking, what if I have someone mill away the gas check shank on this mold? Make a flat base bullet that is meant to be used with a coating to protect it rather than a gas check.

Or maybe I should turn the gas check shank into a bevel base rather than a flat base? I got a 6 cavity so maybe 3 cavities of each type?

And if someone wants to do this with their surplus mold (there are a bunch of us now) go ahead and please report how it went I'm too busy with house building and kids to do this in 2014. It's far off in the future... If am lucky I will have the chance to test the new mold and unmodified bullets this summer.

[shredder]

I found a thread here by BEN who used a drill press and a carefully selected bit to gently drill out the gas check section of a mould. I did likewise and converted my lee .30 cal 160 RN to a plain base. It was pretty easy and the new boolit shoots well at about 1150 fps. It really spins the gophers around!

Not for the timid, but with a surplus mould if you want to experiment other have been there successfully.

[Baja_Traveler]

Or - alternatively, take the sprue plate off and bring it to a local machine shop. They can indicate the cavity centers on a mill and remove the GC shank for probably a 6 pack of beer...

[HDS]

I would probably have someone with a mill to do it when it'll happen yes. Don't know any machine shops in the area though. I know some gunsmiths however.

[Echo]

I've done this on an 8mm mold, with a 21/64 drill in my drill press. Worked fine - now I cast one GC and one PB per pour. For the 22 mold, it's a little iffy. A Number 1 drill is .228, and a Number 2 drill is only .221. The #1 would work, probably, with the difference being sized down in the loob/sizer. But maybe not...

[yondering]

Part of the reason I want to do this is to get away from gas checks (and lead gas from the AR) and now that I got a surplus mold I am thinking, what if I have someone mill away the gas check shank on this mold? Make a flat base bullet that is meant to be used with a coating to protect it rather than a gas check.

Assuming you're planning to use this for full power 223 loads, do not expect the thin plastic powder coating layer to do the job of a .020+" thick copper gas check. Powder coating is great, but you will get gas cutting in the bullet base without a gas check, both as the bullet passes the gas port, and as it leaves the muzzle. In a high-powered handgun round, you can get away with just powder coating without a gas check, but I've found gas checks are still necessary in rifles.

[HDS]

That's too bad, if that is really true then coating, and casting might not be the answer for me in this caliber. I want to get away from gas checks or I can't use my suppressor in my AR15 with my cast bullets. I might as well sell these molds now then and save up for swaging equipment if that is so.

EDIT: The velocity I would like to reach is 2100-2400fps with these 70gr pills.