Seating PB Gas Checks

[Ed_Shot]

Got my 35PB die from Pat on 5 Nov 12. Found it easy to make great PB checks and had super results at the range this week with both 9MM and .357. The only difficulty I had was centering the boolit w/PB check on the .358 sizing die of my Lyman 450. I could not feel or see that my boolit w/PB check was centered before starting the sizing stroke. Yes, I tried sizing the boolit first and then trying to seat the check. If you're too far off center the check tears. If you're just close to center the check is skewed on the boolit when seated.

I wanted a way to positively center the boolit and check before sizing. Found that the diameter of a 1/4" SAE washer is .625 and the ID of the locking ring on my 450 is .622. Found that the base of my boolit with an unseated PB check measured .384. Drilled a 3/8" hole in the center of the washer and with the benifit of the "slop" factor I had a perfect fit for the unsized boolit w/PB check. Bingo, for $0 I have a device that centers my boolit w/PB check for sizing. Works perfect and really speeds thing up. The washer just lays there and is not in the way of anything.

With respect to all you machinests out there, I just held the washer with a pair of vice grips at the drill press. Out of 12 washers my CNC eyeball found 4 that had well centered holes when I finished.

[fcvan]

That is an awesome idea, I can't wait to try that on my Lyman using PB checks. I have just been holding the boolit carefully to ensure it starts straight. I get 1 or 2 out of a hundred that start crooked. The checks are cheap :) and I just remelt the boolit. Your solution sounds like a pretty good one. Frank

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Yes, great Idea indeed.
I cut a bevel in my .411 die to accomplish the same thing for my 41 PB checked boolits,
but a washer would have been a better idea, instead of modifying the die.
Jon

[happie2shoot]

Ed Shot is it possible to buy some 357 PB checks from you.

I could use 100 to see if i liked them before i buy a die.

[Ed_Shot]

Happie, I sent you a PM

[Ed_Shot]

Yesterday while seating 35PB checks on Lyman 356402 (.359 as-cast) I found I had better but not perfect success if I sized the boolit first and then seated the check. I noticed that the sized boolit was tacky with lube and the PB check stuck to the base. I wondered if the improvement was due to the pre-sized boolit or the fact that seating allignment was improved because the check was stuck to the bottom of the boolit.

Today I tried 35PB checks on LEE 356-120-TC (.360 as-cast). I did not pre-size the boolits. Instead I took a small piece of foam sponge with a little vasiline smeared on it and just touched the bottom of the boolits to it to get the bottom tacky and stuck a PB check on. I got 100% perfectly even seated checks. Not only did this aid the good allignment of the boolit - check and sizing die but I believe the vasaline eased the extrusion of the aluminum check on the boolit.