Freechex - where to buy?

[JeffinNZ]

Thanks to Zeek for some clarification on the "FreeChec" and "Freechex" situations.

I know in the past Charlie has copped some rather uncharitable comments that he stole his "Freechex" principle from Paco which is quite obviously incorrect. "Freechex" creates gas checks to fit to gas bullets, "FreeChec" creates gas checked cast bullets. While the names are similar the principle is not.

[Piedmont]

JeffinNZ, Your last post doesn't make any sense. Could you clarify?

Zeek, I have your Coaxisizer die, Freecheck tools, and nexpander. All top quality. I wish I had bought every Coaxisizer you ever made since I have gotten into milsurps since you made these twenty some years ago.

[Piedmont]

In reference to Jeff's mention of confusion between tools and uncharitable comments brought on Charlie, one thing Charlie did was make a big deal of how he was the inventor of the concept and anyone else doing free checks was copying him and an imposter. Well this is tough to swallow when I'm sitting here with tools made by Ed Wosika from the '86-'88 time period that are basically the same as Cordanall's Freechex I except the punch on Ed's looks more refined.

Now nothing is new under the sun and I remember an article in an old Handloader magazine that preceded the Wosika tools where a home hobiest had done a variation of the same thing, but Paco and Ed marketed theirs.

[dlw]

Piedmont's posting argues that Charlie was making a "....big deal of how he was the INVENTOR OF THE CONCEPT and anyone else doing free checks was copying him as an IMPOSTER....."

Apparently Piedmont hasn't reviewed Charlie's description of FREECHEX on eBay. Charlie does NOT CLAIM that
he invented the "concept."
Charlie's eBay advertisement says,
"....FREECHEX II TM
is my invention and method of making aluminum gas checks from discarded
soda cans, or thicker material to about .010 inches. The point of
sale is strictly eBay. Any other offering for sale of this or
likeness item is a copy or imitation. I manufacture and distribute
these tools here in Camarillo, California for sale in eBay's world
wide market place. This kit is a forcing forming anvil, a plug cutter
and ram-mandrel. It can also be used with a common commercially
available hollow hole punch which is used to cut appropriate sized
disks that substantially center themselves in the anvil which is not supplied. I urge potential buyers to check my history of sales and
customer service associated with these standalone gadgets. These are
generally machined to the SAAMI specifications for caliber specific
shank dimensions. With variance given to the buyer's requests for
customization of the mandrel or forming anvil...."

Piedmont's posting does not refer to any other posting or email where Charlie complains that other people have copied him. Can he back up his statement with postings or emails from Charlie? Does Piedmont have any photographs of tools comparable to FREECHEX? As far as I know, Charlie is the only manufacturer of a tool that serves this market. Everyone knows that the CONCEPT of making aluminum gas checks is not new. And Charlie does not claim that he INVENTED THE CONCEPT as far as I know.

[Piedmont]

dlw, Thank you for posting that. I don't see how what you quoted is fundamentally different from what I wrote. Charlie says he invented it then he says "Any other offering for sale of this or any likeness item is a copy or imitation". Well the Freechek tool is definitely a likeness and predates Charlie's by more than 20 years.

I don't have photos of my tools from the 1980s, just the three tools themselves and so do other folks. Jim Taylor had an article with photos on the internet for a long time, I believe on the defunct Sixgunner sight. They may still be on the net somewhere.