Just got a gas check tool

[Duckdog]

I just got a .311 gas check making tool off of E-Bay for use with aluminum cans, sheet copper, etc. I must say the guy who is making them has done a good job with them. I am using one aluminum can disc and one copper embossing disc to make one good check.

I'm sure that straight aluminum would be OK, but, the embossing copper will make a wole lot of checks for $7.

The guy is offering a quite a few different calibers and says he may add more. For those interested, search item # 230223735376 and it will get you to a .357 gas check tool. From there you can find out if he has any right now. I see this one went for about $28.00. I paid $31 for the .311.

Kind of neat to mess with. I have lost of 30 cal checks, but I kind of like to be self sufficient when it comes too my casting.

[beagle]

Glad you reported on that. I've been watching those. Looks like an acquisition I need to make.

Thanks./beagle

[Vly]

Duckdog - This is very interesting. I read the Ebay auction and need clarification on what you actually purchase. He talks about "hollow hole punches, forming rams or mandrels, anvil dies ". What do you actually get?

Please post a report on how well these checks fit to your bullets, and most importantly, how they shoot.

Thanks

[Bullshop]

I would like to see a comparison in performance with the same boolit and #1 with conventional checks, #2 homecheck, and #3 w/o check.
Not neccessarily with the same load but also the best of each.
For some reason I just cant get past the feeling that those thin checks just wont offer the hold on the grooves that the thicker copper checks offer.
I have an idea the performance of # 2 and #3 will be nearly the same while the conventional check will be in a class by itself. Just an idea though.
How bout it?
BIC/BS

[Duckdog]

What you're getting, at least with the 30 cal., is a hollow punch, a madrel, and a die. Pretty simple, cut the disk on a piece of soft lead, put the disk in the mandrel, and use the die to form the check. Like I said, I used two thin sheets to make a disk that bit when I ran a bullet through a Lee sizer. If one didn't have a Lee sizer, I would guess a drop of superglue or even bullet lube would work.

I haven't shot one yet because we have a ton of snow, but I'll report when I do. I have a feeling they will work out OK, at least from what I can see.

[Kraschenbirn]

Got one these a couple of weeks ago for 8mm. Seems to work pretty well and, so far, I've blanked and formed a few aluminum hundred checks while planted in front of the idiot box watching college basketball. Haven't actually seated any onto bullets yet...my Lee329-205-1R mould just showed up this afternoon...but plan to cast and size a run over the weekend. After that, it'll be a matter of waiting for decent enough weather to empty some brass for reloading. (A while back, I bought a .50 cal ammo can full of assorted 8x57 ammo on an estate auction...about 1/3 berdan-primed milsurp and 2/3 boxer-primed commercial...but just got my Mauser "project gun" into shootable condition a couple weeks ago.)

Bill

[VTDW]

I cannot find that Item # in ebay and cannot find a gas check tool either. Have a link I can use?

Thanks,

Dave

[Duckdog]

When you open E-Bay's site, search all catagories and type in 230223078254 and it will come up. I would then check his other items and see if he has any right now. From what I can see, he must make them and sell them quickly. The one I bought was on a multiple bid, as he had 5 for sale at once. I just bid a max of $45 and got it for $32, as the lowest bid is what everyone pays. It looks like he offers different calibers and may customize the die and mandrel. He's the link, but I ws able to open it throught the search screen.

http://cgi.ebay.com:80/ws/eBayISAPI....:B:WNA:US:1123

[Nueces]

Codarnall is the seller and is a member on this site, having posted info about these systems. You can search for his posts and PM him for info. Please post what you find out.

Mark

[Kraschenbirn]

"Codarnall is the seller and is a member on this site, having posted info about these systems. You can search for his posts and PM him for info. Please post what you find out."

You can also reach Charlie at his regular e-mail codarnall@yahoo.com. He sent a detailed instruction sheet along with the tool and, when I had a couple of question about use/maintenance, he got back to me with good information within a day or two. He mentioned in recent correspondence that, provided with a sample boolit, he's made tools for up to .375 H&H.

Bill

[VTDW]

THANKS!! I just dropped him an e-mail and the link worked for me also.

Dave

[Junior1942]

I'm bidding on one now. I tried to get him to outright sell me one, and he wouldn't do it.

[mbk]

For some reason I just cant get past the feeling that those thin checks just wont offer the hold on the grooves that the thicker copper checks offer.
BIC/BS

This may have been discussed before, but you can buy copper shim stock (even at the current high copper price) relatively inexpensive. We use a lot of copper shims at work and buy copper shim stock by the roll from McMaster Carr among other places. You can get the shim stock in about whatever thickness you want. I measured several different caliber gas checks that I have here and most were around .007" thick on the sides. I know you can get it for sure in .001" increments to .025" very easily.
I have lurked here quite a while but not posted much, sorry if I am throwing out worthless info.

Mike

[threett1]

Not worthless info at all. Was wondering what you answered. Thanks. Mark T

[Just Duke]

Wouldn't aluminum riding down the bore cause premature wearing?
Is a beer can and a soda pop can the same thickness?
If I was to use copper where would I get it the right thickness to make 500, 460 and 45-70 Gas check's?
TIA

[Duckdog]

From what I've been reading, it should not. As I mentioned , I am putting a layer of emossing copper over one disk of soda can and it seems to be good. I have not shot them yet, so I can not give much of a report.

With the cost of gas checks, I can see this wil pay for itself pretty quick. I will be experimenting with all aluminum gas checks to see if they harm a barrel's rifling.

[Kraschenbirn]

Woudn't aluminum riding down the bore cause premature wearing?
Is a beer can and a soda pop can the same thickness?
If I was to use copper where would I get it the right thickness to make 500, 460 and 45-70 Gas check's?
TIA

I just finished running a couple of hundred Lee 329-205-1Rs with homemade aluminum gas checks through my Lyman 450 and they look pretty good to me. Checks fit a bit loose on the boolit shank but once crimped and lubed them seem fairly snugly set. Like Duckdog, I haven't shot any yet but will post results after I've launched a few downrange.

As for Duke's questions:

1) The nearly pure aluminum used in pop/beer cans is only marginally harder than annealed copper (23-25 BHN vs 18-20 BHN, according to my CS&W handbook) and considerably softer than annealed brass so there shouldn't be any appreciable increase in barrel wear.

2) From what I've measured so far, the thickness of material used in beer/pop cans is the same: .004"-.005".

3) See mbk's earlier post. I haven't got a current McMaster-Carr catalog but have purchased from them in the past. W.W. Grainger might also be a possible source for copper gasket material.

Bill

[1Shirt]

Has anybody shot any of them yet for a test report?
1Shirt!

[Kraschenbirn]

Has anybody shot any of them yet for a test report?
1Shirt!

Nope, not here, anyway. Sun is shining but, with the 20-25 mph winds, chill factor is hovering right around zero. Annual lock change on our range is due on Saturday but the Club Safety Officer says the drive is plowed shut and someone's going to have to get through a couple feet of frozen slush just to reach the gate.

I've got twenty rounds of 8x57 (Lee 329-205-1Rs sized .325) w/aluminum checks packed in my range bag and plan to take the Jeep and head over that way the first day the temp gets over 40 deg. without gale-force winds.

Bill

[bigborefan]

I too, would be interested in hearing if these GCs work as well as factory Lyman or Hornady. My only concern is will they stay on in flight or will some fall off, killing accuracy. It is for that reason that I only use Hornady GCs.