Just got a gas check tool

[rayg]

Here's an email I sent to Charlie and thought I'd put it on this thread as it might be of interest to others and I'm sure he won't mind.

Here's what I wrote:
I just checked some Hornady and Sierra gas checks I have and
both have metal thickness of about .010-.011, or about the same as I'm using
with yours, the inside ID's on the bottm end are about the same as your's, maybe a few
thousands smaller. but the outside high end dia's on the mouth for the
Hornady's is .317 and the Seirra's is .312 with the bottom OD dia still the
same as yours. It looks like those cups are flared out to the larger dia. by
a forming mandrel with the bottom OD remaining the same.
I did notice that when running the cast bullets with the commerical checks
on. The only area of the check touched/crimped by the sizing die. is at the
mouth/top of the check.
This is interesting as instead of opening up the anvil as I was thinking
about doing, I experimented and used the rounded head of a machine screw
just to flare the OD to a larger .312-314 dia. which should work/seal in the
Enfield bore, .314.
The only problem that I could invision is the copper/brass checks of the
commerical ones would maintain that larger form better when fired then the
alum. ones. Don't know if that would make any difference or affect the
firing any though.
I won't be able to try them at the range for a week or two. But if they work
well, you might include the info that the checks could be enlarged/altered
for folks that need a larger OD for their checks. Ray End email.

Charlies 30 cal checks mike out at about .309 OD, bottom of cup to top, which work well as made for 30 cal but are undersize for 7.7. or .303 bullets that need bullets and checks that can be sized to .312-.314 OD in order to better gas seal. Flaring Charlies checks to those OD dia's like the commerical ones are would do it. Most of these .312-14 moulds have the same dia gas check shanks as the 30 cal bullets and are designed to use 30 cal gas checks and as I found out, the commerical GC's are just flared out so that can be used with larger dia bullets also. Ray

[JeffinNZ]

David: Yes, I have been using the FC II and they are wonderful. Much faster and more precise.

Rayg: Charlie now makes a .303 FC II to my specs producing GC's of at least .315 O/D.

[rayg]

That's great Jeff. Is the .315 check a straight .315 OD up and down, lip to bottom, or is it one of the 30 cal ones that Charlie has flared out to .315? If it's not a flared one won't you need a special bullet mould were the GC shank on the bullet is large enough for the larger gc to stay on. I only ask because most standard bullet moulds, even though they are .303 or .7.7. dia that cast to .312-14, they still have standard gc shanks dia that use the 30 cal size checks. And as I mentioned the commerical gc's are made flared out for that reason so the bottom still is the same as a 30 cal bullet shank.
I think by flaring Charlies 30 checks, it's the same thing as is done to the commerical ones and you really wouldn't need a special .315 gc one, Just my opinion, Ray

[jimb16]

My experience with Charlie was very good. I got the old style in .30 and the FCII in .357. Both worked fine althought the .30 did need a touch of sharpening. The checks work as well as the factory one sand I haven't had any significant problem with them staying on. If I do run across a bullet that has a slightly undersized base, I just put a speck of lube on the bottom and run it through the press a second time. Works like glue to seal the check in place. He was plenty polite with me and I ordered directly from him rather than go through ePay/Paypal. I wouldn't hesitate to order from him again.

[JeffinNZ]

That's great Jeff. Is the .315 check a straight .315 OD up and down, lip to bottom, or is it one of the 30 cal ones that Charlie has flared out to .315? If it's not a flared one won't you need a special bullet mould were the GC shank on the bullet is large enough for the larger gc to stay on. I only ask because most standard bullet moulds, even though they are .303 or .7.7. dia that cast to .312-14, they still have standard gc shanks dia that use the 30 cal size checks. And as I mentioned the commerical gc's are made flared out for that reason so the bottom still is the same as a 30 cal bullet shank.
I think by flaring Charlies 30 checks, it's the same thing as is done to the commerical ones and you really wouldn't need a special .315 gc one, Just my opinion, Ray

.315 straight(ish). If you require larger and can 1) ask Charlie to open up the forming mandrel or 2) do it yourself using some 600 grit and a .30cal cleaning rod.

[rayg]

.315 straight(ish). If you require larger and can 1) ask Charlie to open up the forming mandrel or 2) do it yourself using some 600 grit and a .30cal cleaning rod.

Jeff, I thought about opening it up but when I checked the commerical checks and saw they were just flared out to enlarge the dia there seemed to be no need to open up the mandrel as long as you can just flare out Charlies 30 cal checks to open them up to .315, Ray

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

You guys get me all worked up and jealous when I see videos and hear you tell about using the new Freechex II tool. The old model tool sets I have work just fine for the four calibers I have, but I have to find an excuse to buy one of the new ones.

Like I said earlier, I would like to make my own 10MM bullets and checks, but I have not seen any 10MM moulds that use gas checks. Does anyone know of a 10 mould that is designed to use a gas check?

From the time I bought my MegaStar 10MM about 15 years ago, I have mostly used commerciall cast bullets. They are OK, but I would always prefer my own cast bullets if I had a choice. I know I can buy a 10MM mould without a gas check, but I really cannot bring myself to spend the bucks on a mould I really do not want. If anyone has any suggestions, please tell me. I really want to get one of those new Freechex II sets and an arbor press from Harbor Freight.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

[Tom W.]

After I e-mailed Charlie about my checks being WAAAYY to big and staying in the lubrisizer, he sent me a different mandrel. and a sample of 0.014 aluminum. I punched out a few checks and ran the bullets through the sizer and you couldn't ask for a better fit. They even fit better than my Store boughten checks in the red box!

[rayg]

I finally had a chance to try out the home made gas checks I made at the range the other day to see how flaring out the 30 cal checks would work in my .303 Enfield. They were made with the 30 cal die set and using .010-.011 thick aluminum from a 3 liter olive oil can and flared out to about .315 at the opening/mouth.
I took my 10 yr old grandson shooting so I only loaded 5 rds of light loads of 10 grs unique to see how they would work and as you can see they did quite well, in fact this group is better then any I ever shot with the commerical checks I've been using.
It seems that Just flaring out the 30 cal. checks to work in the larger caliber as I had suggested, does work. Ray