gas checks and lee loader

[luna butte]

do you think that a Lee loader could be used to apply a gas check to an unsized bullet? the bullet seating portion of the loader seems to me like it may work. i am waiting on some gas check in the mail and have been trying to figure out how to get a decent crimp without sizing the diameter of the bullet.

just a thought,

[onondaga]

The bullet seating portion of the Lee loader is made to the outside diameter of the cartridge neck. Gas checks are crimped and sized to fit inside the neck and the size differences are too great.

Sounds like you are ready for a reloading press. The Lee lube and size kits work easily with a press for sizing and seating gas checks. The die can also be polished to not size the bullet but just seat the check if you can not get the size die you wish. A member here also offers that service of modifying bullet sizing dies up.

Gary

[Larry Gibson]

luna butte

As onondaga mentions the Lee loader won't crimp the GCs on effectively. However you can still use the Lee sizers without a press to size and crimp on the GCs. Lee sizers were originally made to tap the bullet through the sizer with a plastic/rawhide/wood mallet. It worked fine but is a lot easier/fast with a press.

The seating die inverted over the bullet to crimp the case mouth should not effect the sizing diameter of the bullet. I done lots of 30-30s, 357s and .44s with Lee Loaders and never had a problem sizing the bullets when crimping.

Larry Gibson

[luna butte]

thanks dudes, i guess i am still just trying to minimize the actual cost per round. my mold drops bullets at .3095-.310 and they seem to barely fit through the throat of the lee loader so i got to thinking that maybe i could push a few through after i got em lubed but prior to loading. alas, i guess i'll just keep looking for the elusive lee sizer .310 size.

man i love the whackamole stuff, the press idea just seems like more work than fun to me at this piont anyway.

[onondaga]

The Lee push through bullet bullet sizing dies would work wit a mallet and dowel, I hadn't thought of that.

Enlarging a .309 to a .310 or even more is not hard at all. I use a short piece of 1/4 inch wooden dowel in a electric hand drill with the end slotted 1/2 inch deep to place a strip of oiled 320 grit sand paper. Just use enough paper so you can put it in the slot roll it and insert it in the bottom of the die. Run the drill slow speed pushing the dowel in and out slowly. with about a 10 second pass. Do that 3-4 times, re-oil and 3-4 more times.That will about take off .001". Cast some bullets, size and measure. You can overdo this.... 20 or so passes will take .002" or so off so it is better to do this in steps and test. Even if you ruin one they aren't a fortune to replace..

I enlarged a .309 to a .312" for gas checking my bullets for 7.62X39R bullets, That took a bit more work and testing but came out fine.

Gary

[vacek]

Luna,

I enjoy collecting, and somtimes using, vintage "handloading" items including Lee, Wilson, Lyman/Ideal, etc. While a lot of members don't like Ebay it does offer a lot in that light. I have been able to pick up a lot of the Lee Lubricating Sizing Kits which have the bullet sizing die where you use a mallet to push the bullet through. They work well and also came with a lube stick, cake cutter and round pan for lubing. Anyway, in the instructions they show how to do the gas check as part of the process. If you want I can scan the directions and post.

Vacek

[badgeredd]

Luna,

I enjoy collecting, and somtimes using, vintage "handloading" items including Lee, Wilson, Lyman/Ideal, etc. While a lot of members don't like Ebay it does offer a lot in that light. I have been able to pick up a lot of the Lee Lubricating Sizing Kits which have the bullet sizing die where you use a mallet to push the bullet through. They work well and also came with a lube stick, cake cutter and round pan for lubing. Anyway, in the instructions they show how to do the gas check as part of the process. If you want I can scan the directions and post.

Vacek

vacek,

Why not share the info to all here? I haven't actually seen the instructions provided by Lee and think it would be a good addition to the abundant knowledge here on the forum.

Edd :D

[ktw]

Why not share the info to all here? I haven't actually seen the instructions provided by Lee and think it would be a good addition to the abundant knowledge here on the forum.

All of Lee's instruction manuals are available at the link below.
http://leeprecision.com/xcart/Instructions.html

-ktw

[luna butte]

Vacek, thanks i try to keep up and see what's on ebay and occasionally i get lucky as well.

[vacek]

I am going to try to post the directions from Lee.

[vacek]

I scanned this document at a very high resolution. So if you right click it and save it then open you can get a really good view. I am going to try to download the whole set of 6 pages as a .pdf. I don't know if that will work or not.


OK, did not work. If you want a copy send me a message with your email address. The file is about 2.2 meg.

[Swampthing762]

Larry,

I am a bit new to casting bullets, and am thankful for being able to do so in shooting big bore loads and shotgun slugs. I have one question:

Am I correct in my understanding that all you need is the Lee Sizing Die for the particular caliber and you can crimp on the gas checks with a mallet in the same manner as loading a Lee Classic Loader?

If not, please explain the process to crimp gas checks on a bullet without using a press.

ST762

[Larry Gibson]

Larry,

I am a bit new to casting bullets, and am thankful for being able to do so in shooting big bore loads and shotgun slugs. I have one question:

Am I correct in my understanding that all you need is the Lee Sizing Die for the particular caliber and you can crimp on the gas checks with a mallet in the same manner as loading a Lee Classic Loader?

If not, please explain the process to crimp gas checks on a bullet without using a press.

ST762

Yes, with the new sizers made for use with a press you can still use a mallet and just tap the cast bullets through the sizer as with the older sizers. Set the sizer on a block of lead or hard wood to keep it from getting damaged. Make sure the GC is seated squarely on the bullets base first is all. Usually if sizing .001 or more the GC will get seated before it gets crimped. Sometimes though, depending on you bullets size and the fit of the GC on the shank, you might use the bullet seater from the Lee Loader on the nose of the bullet sizing it base (GC) first through the sizer. This will crimp the GC on and size the bullet just fine.

Larry Gibson

[Swampthing762]

Larry,

I thank you very much for helping me understand this process. The particular bullets I am thinking of using are the Lee C430-310-RF and C429-240-SWC in my Lee Classic Loader for 44 Magnum. Can the bullet seater from the LCL be used to seat the gas check on these bullets? The info on the separate sizing die will help me with some of my 500 SW loads.

I thank you for your indulgence and patience, and perhaps if you ever make down this way, we can do a cast and blast.

ST762