I learned something new about gaschecks

[Vly]

Good thing I participated in the last Gator check buy or I would have continued on in my ignorance.

If asked, "What weighs more, a 35 cal gascheck or a 30 cal gascheck?" , what would you say? I would have picked the obvious choice and gone with the 35 cal check. Unpacking my recently arrived Gator checks - 5 k of 35 cal and 5 k of 30 cal - I was scratching my head as the 30 cal bag felt heavier. First I thought I must have gotten too many or too few of something. Then I looked closer at each check and saw the gauge metal of the 30 cal checks was greater than the 35 cal.

So now I was really curious and had to get out my Hornady checks and a scale and find out what was going on. Then I had to get out the micrometer and measure the thickness of the metal of each. The results are below -

Hornady 30 cal 4.5 gr thickness = .020
Gator 30 cal 4.4 gr thickness = .018

Hornady 35 cal 3.4 gr thickness = .012
Gator 35 cal 3.5 gr thickness = .016

And just for kicks Hornady 8mm = .018
Hornady 44 cal = .019
edit add -> Lyman 30 cal - 3.5 grs wgt thickness = .015
So it is evident the Gator checks are built to a similiar spec as the Hornady checks. My question is why are the 30 cal checks built heavier? It seems each size check has a different gauge metal used for each. Are they really that closely engineered???? Why not use the same gauge metal for each size?

If it really makes a difference, what does that mean for us who fantasize about someday making our own checks ?

What are the thoughts of the wise ones on the board?

[leftiye]

I don't have a clue...... Thicker checks (if not also softer) would support the base of the boolit more, and probably seal gas better too. As all of these rifle ctgs. could (COULD- they do have different SAAMI std. pressures, but in the right firearm most could be run circa 50,000 psi.) run the same pressures it still doesn't make sense to make some thinner than others in my opinion.

[hornetguy]

This is just strictly a WAG... but... maybe they use the same size "slugs" of gilding metal for all checks close to 30 cal.... the bigger checks are "squished" out thinner to make them bigger.
Other than that, I can't think of any reason for the difference.

[Bret4207]

Seems I saw a photo spread of how GC are made once, and Hornetguy has the right idea.

[felix]

I think Larry indicated to me some time ago that each check has its own material specs to match-merge with his dies and boolit shank sizes typically used. No other explaination because of lack of interest on my part. I just assumed that different calibers came on-line over time without regard to material specs. Not unusual in the gun business. To start with, witness all the different caliber names for no good engineering reason. You can imagine the assortment of names if the the drug companies named the calibers. ... felix

[357maximum]

I believe felix is right, they use that thickness , because that is the way the first guy did it, and it is the way it has always been done.............personally I would have made a few changes, especially in the design of the 35's, but I was not alive to start bit%^&* then.....so I just whine about it many years later.....