gas checks,sample tester required

[yonky]

hi folks from the Uk,I am looking for someone to do some trials making gc from different aluminium specs/thickness and to report their findings as I am thinking about making gc from surplus aluminium coils that I have.
I have ordered a freechex 3 ,30 cal tool (which still has not arrived 19 days and counting)!
I have slit some coils to 1/2" wide x.011" in 250 feet coils ,so as to have a continuos feed for the tool, any help would be appreciated.

[Sagebrush7]

I have found .0135 to .0147 makes the best checks for most 30 and .303 bullets. The .011 aluminum will snap on but it will spring back after sizing. The .014 will takes some crimp and will not usually fall off or be pulled with the finger nail after sizing. You will find the FCIII a joy to work with. One stroke one check!

[Sonnypie]

While I use Pat Marlins gas check maker, I have done a variety of metals and thicknesses.
I have a roll of copper flashing that is .006". Too thin, "bottle caps" and won't stay on.
I tried some brass shim stock that was .011". Worked good, but gave me cause to move the press acrossed the isle to it's old spot on the very heavy bench.
I got a 4" X 10" sheet of .016" aluminum and it also worked good.
Then waited a month for my local hardware store to get me a 4" X 50' roll of .014", which is the magic sauce for Pat's tool.
Yesterday afternoon I cut a bunch of strips and started punching. Then began forming and continued today.
1,010 disks = checks. But I wreck a few, drop a few, and toss a few on general principles.

The bottom line is different thicknesses will develop different grips on the bullets bases. And bullet bases tend to vary as cast.
Too thin = falls off.
Too stiff = springs back and doesn't always stay on.
Just right = Seems to stay put and makes a nearly perfect base to the bullet.
So if you have a hardware store around you, or a sheet metal shop, maybe you can experiment with some small pieces, or shop scraps, and see what works well for your boolits.

The only commercial gas checks I've played with were Hornady. And they were .017" thick copper. They worked well, and stayed put on my boolits. But I wanted to be able to make my own.
And at ~$30 a thousand, it would quickly pay back to buy tooling to make my own.

And I use a modified (.3105") Lee push-through sizer to finish mine to the boolits.
So far, so good.:grin:

[yonky]

i thought the freechex 3 was for optimized for .011",i have some .015" thick i could put through it,but would it damage the tool? also it would depend on the temper of the aluminium,the flashing you guys use is of a hard temper,thats why im looking for someone to try out the aluminium strip i have to see if its usable for gc.

[Sagebrush7]

Some of the 30 cal FCIII will handle .0147 Amerimax aluminum. Most cases it averages .0135 in thickness. You will not destroy the tool if you try thicker material. If it jambs put it in a soft jawed vice gripping the cutter lightly and spin with an old belt in vice grips. Grab the top of the die where you won't crush anything. Rock it back and forth. Don't do it again!





i thought the freechex 3 was for optimized for .011",i have some .015" thick i could put through it,but would it damage the tool? also it would depend on the temper of the aluminium,the flashing you guys use is of a hard temper,thats why im looking for someone to try out the aluminium strip i have to see if its usable for gc.

[yonky]

well my freechex 111 finally turned up! i have posted a couple of pictures in my album of my home made coil mandrel, on reflection i should of slit the coil to 7/16" wide to save on scrap,i can make 1200 gc an hour. this strip is .012" thick, i have tried putting .015" through but it just keeps jamming the tool,it might be the aluminium im using though,it`s not as hard as the .012",any ideas anyone?

[Sagebrush7]

I take a finger smear of Felix bullet lube and lightly spread it across the mouth of the cutter spray the spring and cutter with CRC dry lube. After a few break in stroke you will have less jambs. Stop and push the checks out before getting the jambed in the cutter. I hope that will help. You will find Charlie's 303 tool works better for thicker materials and the checks will fit up to .314 bullets.

[yonky]

sagebrush, thanks for the tip,i will get some and try it again.