GC not seating correctly

[DeadWoodDan]

Rcbs LAM II
LARS 2500 lube
Lyman die
Gator GC
Mihec 65gr mold

Started sizing process tonight and having a real hard time getting the GC to seat on this boolit. It seats crooked half the time? another thing I noticed was the base of GC almost seems dented and not flat.
Any suggestions?

[kungfustyle]

Two things:
if you have a round head screw you can flair out the rim of the gc. or If you have any push through Lee dies use those to seat the gc. put some lube on the top of your top punch and stick it into the base of the push through sizer. use the base to squrely seat the gc on your press. Works great. Two steps but beats messing up a lot of gc's. NOE sells a good set up, but this will get you through the night.

[Rick459]

Try sizing the bullet first then seat the gas check. after sizing you just need to go down on the sizing just enough to seat the gas check not all the way.you will feel the check seat. HTH
Rick

[bdicki]

I use an NOE check seater.

[Ole Joe Clarke]

Try a different brand of GC. I've use Hornady for 40 years, no problems.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

[Yodogsandman]

I have a blister and minor bruising on my index finger from trying to seat Hornady gas checks on NOE boolits right now (NOE 314-160). That's just trying to get them to start on without falling off. I finish seating them with my RCBS LAM II using a cut off flat bolt head set in the sizing die and use the regular nose punch.

[MT Chambers]

Noe sells the excellent equip. pictured, for seating checks, they also sell a small die to put a small bevel on the edge of the boolit so that the check will fit on good.

[DeadWoodDan]

yea, been making my list for NOE, figured if I have to put in an order may as well purhcase another mold?
But seriously this is the first GC boolit that has given me issues. Only other time was with some alum. checks and have since decided not to use them again. I just wish I knew if it was this particular boolit, the GC or a combination of both? I dont' mind when things dont work, just like to know the root cause to prevent future headaches.
thanks
DWD

[bdicki]

yea, been making my list for NOE, figured if I have to put in an order may as well purhcase another mold?
But seriously this is the first GC boolit that has given me issues. Only other time was with some alum. checks and have since decided not to use them again. I just wish I knew if it was this particular boolit, the GC or a combination of both? I dont' mind when things dont work, just like to know the root cause to prevent future headaches.
thanks
DWD

Measure some of the gas check shanks and the gas checks that you have. I have an NOE mold that the shank is too small, I powder coat them first then seat the checks.

[Mk42gunner]

65 gr mold-- .25 caliber?

I have only used Hornady and Lyman (probably made by Hornady) gas checks. The few times I had problems seating checks, annealing them took care of the problem.

My way of annealing gas checks is pretty low tech. I put some in the old table spoon I use for skimming dross from my casting pot, then float it on top of the hot lead while I am casting. Once the checks get hot, (doesn't take long) I dump them on the bench to cool and start another spoonful.

Robert

[Char-Gar]

It is long known that flaring the gas checks will aid in getting them on square. There are several way to add the little flare. It also helps to anneal the gas checks to take the fight out of them.

If has been years since I have seen to subject of annealing and flaring gas checks on this board, but that is the way to do it.

[Wayne Smith]

I have a small wooden mallet that I keep near. Put the boolit on the bench and tap with the mallet. That usually does it for me.

[MakeMineLead]

It is long known that flaring the gas checks will aid in getting them on square. There are several way to add the little flare.

i took one of the little, aluminum, Lee C Presses and turned it into a GC seating tool.

[robg]

I've used gator and hornaday checks ,gators are harder but go on fine in Lee sizers .if I don't want to size I use the sizer die with the push rod in the die and use another push rod in my press to push GC on nice and square in my press,hope this helps

[Yodogsandman]

Opened up my Hornady GC's with the Lee Universal Expander Die's large size case mouth expander. I took this out to use the Lee Universal for use with the NOE expanders. So, with a little tap-tap with a hammer, the GC's go on easily now.

[pjh421]

I use a log splitter for the really tough ones.

[DeadWoodDan]

boolit is Mihec 65gr NATO group buy. Didn't find any other posts with related problems to this mold, and a lot were purchased/made, so I assumed it was the GC. Tooling ordered last night and will report back with results. I may take the advice to anneal as that won't be to big of a chore.

Thanks
friends

[ghh3rd]

I told Lee that the gas check shank was too big on my 460.310 gr boolits -- rather than offering to take a look, they sent me a blank die that they had drilled out about 1/8" that I use to press the GC's on flat -- has worked well.

[dot6]

I have a .30-150 Lee mould that is kind of hard to get Gator checks on. As others have suggested, I have long used a little horse-shoeing hammer to gently tap them on before crimping. A little tap doesn't hurt a thing.

[masscaster]

I use the top Punch and Sizing Die to prep the GC for seating.
Place the GC in the Die, then gently bring the Top Punch down until it touches. A small amount of pressure and you'll feel a small pop. Now place the boolit on the GC and slowly bring the Punch down to square it.
Turning the boolit slightly as you increase pressure. Pull down adding firm pressure at the end of the stroke as normal.
If you place the GC and lightly seat it and the boolit falls in with no resistance it means the Shank is too small. If it's not too bad this method will still work.
I've seated millions of GC's over the years this way with no ill effects. The only problems occur when the Shank is way too large.
Give it a try. ; )
Jeff