A few questions about making my own gaschecks

[Dthunter]

Hi guys!

I just got my Freechex II, .308 cal yesterday.

I have all sorts of scrap Aluminum available to me.
Most of it is .016" thick.

I started making checks with a clean, new aluminum material. It worked great!

I started to make checks out of some old Aluminum sheet. Like 35+years old.
I made about 100 checks. The thing that I am not sure of is:

1.) Every 20-30 checks, the punch actually pushes the bottom of the check out, so I am left with a small 30 cal disk and just a ring where the side of the check is supposed to be.
If I make these checks and seat/load them on the boolet, can the gascheck structurally seperate during the firing sequence?
Could this not leave a neat aluminum "ring" in my bore?

2.) has anyone else experienced this?

Note: this has only happened on the old aluminum sheet material so far. Should I stick with the newer material only?



3.) i have seated the checks on a few boolets so far. They fit fairly tight.
I cant push them completely on with my fingers. They will fit on slightly angled, and when I use my gascheck seater it squares them off nicely.
This leaves a tiny hair like sliver of boolet base material on the one side.
I know the gascheck just shaved it off, but has anyone had any problems due to this?


I also made an assortment of Brass gaschecks. .010 & .015" thick sheet stock.
The .010" stock made gaschecks that formed well, but looked short on gascheck wall height. They should be shootable I hope.
The .015" shim stock formed perfect looking gaschecks. The gascheck wall height was taller.
These checks fit tight as well. I had to use my Lyman Lube/sizer to seat them fully on the boolet base.

I have not sized any yet.
I will get to that tonight hopefully.

I have read that no one seems to get great accuracy out of the brass checks. Have any of you experienced this?

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I bet you find the old aluminum needs to be annealed.

[RU shooter]

Quote (I have read that no one seems to get great accuracy out of the brass checks. Have any of you experienced this? )

Thats not true in my case anyways, I get the same or better accuracy using brass checks as I do alum. and or copper factory checks. I made my brass checks from .008 brass and laminated with alum can material total thickness is /was .012 worked just fine.

Tim

[Dthunter]

Has ANYONE, EVER heard a shooter complain about aluminum fouling?

[JeffinNZ]

First up, you are asking a bit much of the tool running .016 material through it. Charlie will have spec'd it for .012 using a .284 mandrel and .310 forming die. The reason your .015 brass are taller is because the brass is extruding. Now that is not a problem but that's why it happens. You are pushing more material through than the tolerances are spec'd for so the material extrudes.

My chex are a very snug fit so I seat them but leaning into them against my bench to push them on completely or use the Lyman check seater in my 4500.

I have yet to see any evidence of alum. fouling. Just doesn't happen.

[lead chucker]

Dthunter
I have been making 30 cal checks with my free checks II and I'm thinking maybe evy once in a while you are not completely cutting the disk before tapping the mandrill through forming the cup.I had it happen to me and that's all I can figure. I have been using a wood framing hammer handle to strike the tool and it seems to work real good and with no chance of damaging the tool.

[lead chucker]

Has ANYONE, EVER heard a shooter complain about aluminum fouling?

I have asked the same question on here and there seems to be no problem at all. I plan on shooting exclusively aluminum checks. They are fun to make and add a hole new thing to making my own ammo. Fun stuff.

[Dthunter]

lead chucker:

I think you are probably right about not cutting the disk completlly before using the center mandril.
Totally makes sense!
Hopefully no more donuts! LOL!

[perotter]

Has ANYONE, EVER heard a shooter complain about aluminum fouling?

Yes. I don't know if he ever got it removed.

[Dthunter]

perotter:

Do you know this guy?
I would like to talk with him, just to see how he had the fouling form and how he delt with it.

I dont think it will be a great problem, but just want to know how to reduce its potential.

[perotter]

Dthunter,

I know him. But don't have a phone number for him. He's my cousin so I can track him down.

This happened 40+ years ago. It was a nice 410 trap gun of his dad's. My cousin was using it for "bow" hunting with aluminum shafted arrows. He spent hour with brushes trying to get it out. I know 4-5 years latter he still had the gun hidden from his dad because of it. I've never asked since then.

FWIW, if there is even 1% copper in the aluminum an Outers Foul Out will take it out.

[monge]

Does eneyone know the Diameter of a 44mag check before it is cupped? Thanks JOE