My Gas Check Problem

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Hello all!

I have a problem. I made some lovely boolits with my Lee C452-300RF. I lubed them in a pan then went to size and seat my GC's with my Lee sizing die .452.

Well the resistance was severe. They went through without the GC just fine, but with it I had to use a lot of force. I only got three through before my table busted! :mad:

Now, it's a cheap coffee table I bought at Target on sale so it's only 3/4" particle board, but still, it was a lot of work.

So what am I doing wrong and how can I fix this?

Maybe use a .453 die first then a .452 die second? Do I need a lubrisizer? Should I just give up all together? :confused:

Thanks for any and all comments.

OH, the GC's were Hornady .45 cal.

[oneokie]

Apply the gc's before pan lubing.

[462]

I don't use Lee sizers, so I'll pass on commenting. However, whatever the problem, do not give up. Casting, reloading, and shooting boolits requires no small amount of patience and experimentation. The end results are well worth the effort, though.

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Apply the gc's before pan lubing.

Do you think a little lube on the GC's themselves would have them go through the die easier?

[btroj]

Seating the checks can take some force. This can be increased of the checks fit tightly on the shank.
The lube on the bullets should reduce friction pretty well. It is the checks themselves increasing the force needed.

Biggest thing is getting an adequate bench. Mine is on cabinets attached firmly to the wall. The area where the press is located is supported firmly be 2x4 lumber on edge. Top is 2 layers of 3/4 inch plywood glued and screwed together. It still has a hint of flex!

[5shotbfr]

the lube on the gas check sure cant hurt anything .. but with the lube on the gas check shank under the check your adding to the diameter you have to size down making it harder to size
i made this same exact mistake when i first started using a g/c boolit

started putting the check on first and problem solved .... i have also since quit sizing

[shooter93]

Try annealing the gas checks first.

[geargnasher]

the lube on the gas check sure cant hurt anything .. but with the lube on the gas check shank under the check your adding to the diameter you have to size down making it harder to size
i made this same exact mistake when i first started using a g/c boolit

started putting the check on first and problem solved .... i have also since quit sizing

I'm thinking lube hydrolock is the problem, too.

Having a reloading press mounted to 3/4" particle board is the other problem. Build a better bench and size/check before lubing and you won't have any more issues. A faint touch of case lube, dish soap, or something like every few boolits is all the lube the sizer die needs.

Gear

[Super Sneaky Steve]

I went to lowes and bought 3/4" oak plywood. It should be a lot stronger. It's in the garage soaking in some stain right now. Even though I lubed first, I did scrape off any lube left on the shank.

I actually use a pluck method with my pan lube, using bent needle nose plyers. Usually this won't leave much lube on the shank anyway.

Next time I'll squirt on some case lube, size first then pan lube.

The checks don't go on easy. I actually use my little brass gun smithing hammer to get them to seat first.

[Wayne Smith]

Steve, go back and get another piece and some contact cement. Glue the two pieces together for your bench top. Get some 4x4's and some 2x6's for your frame, and, if you can, attach the whole thing to studs in the wall. You will never again break a bench.

Mine is two pieces of 1/2" ply glued together and hardwood frame bolted to studs. I'm swaging boolits and it doesn't move.

PS It doesn't have to be expensive plywood!

[frkelly74]

If you are using lee dies for sizing I have a suggestion. Some of the lee dies are slightly rough on the inside. If you polish the inside of the die with 600 grit paper set up on a wood shank run with a battery drill it may be easier to push boolits through. It is easy to overdo it though and you have to be careful not to enlarge the bore beyond where you want it. Do not give up!

[troy_mclure]

I didn't see it mentioned, but have you measured the shank diameter? It could be as simple as too small of gas checks, or too big shank.
I never had any issues putting on gas checks on some .458 boolits with the lee sizer.

[1Shirt]

I have lee sizers from 22 thru 458, and no problems. Have gone almost exclusivly to alum checks. Have 226 and 267s from Buckshot that are great as well. Have an old CH C-press that is dedicated to just that function, in addition to my Lyman and RCBS lub sizers. My bench is 3 3/4" thick, no give.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[Ben]

Steve,

A reloading table like this would be nice for you :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=159076

[MikeS]

You might also want to consider getting a gas check seating die. NOE makes such a die, and it really helps to put on tight checks. It doesn't crimp them on, that still needs to be done by your sizing die, but it seats the gas checks fully onto the shank, and does so evenly so the gas check is perfectly seated on the boolit before it gets crimped on.

[Gohon]

Double check what you are actually sizing to also. I have two Lee 38 caliber sizing dies that are not properly marked. One is a .358 that sizes at .359. The other is a .359 that sizes at .358. Your .452 could actually be sizing smaller which will cause resistance with the checks........

[mdi]

I didn't see it mentioned, but have you measured the shank diameter? It could be as simple as too small of gas checks, or too big shank.
I never had any issues putting on gas checks on some .458 boolits with the lee sizer.

It's all a "shotgun approach" if you don't have facts. Measure the bullets prior to sizing. Measure the gas check shank. Size a soft bullet and measure the finished product to see exactly what your die does. Measure!

[Junior1942]

The solution is probably the free bottle of Lee Liquid Alox which came with your sizing die.

[sw282]

Steve--l would try sizing the bullets "base first" with gas check in place. Then lube

[44man]

Lube after putting the check on. The Lee is easy and takes little pressure. I run checked boolits through upside down to keep from pulling them. I feel no difference with a check and I use hard boolits on top of it too. It takes just a finger on the handle.
Some boolits need the check pressed on with a die I made, some need tapped on the bench to fully seat but none are hard to push through the size die.
NO LUBE UNDER THE CHECK!

[Guesser]

I've had two Lee molds that cast the gas check shank too large to accept a check. Also had a Lyman that was the same. Measure the shank, the mold may have been cut wrong. I just made all three PB molds, solved problem.