Aneal gas checks ?

[Johnch]

I was talking to a old timer tonight and he was telling me to aneal my gas checks .
Didn't understand why .
If I aneal the gas check it will be softer , will it crimp on better or just size easer.
Anyone do this ?
If so why ?

JOhnch

[drinks]

I would think it would crimp on more easily, but would not hold as well.
I have no problem crimping on even .45 checks, so do not understand the need.
Don

[StarMetal]

well it will crimp easier as it will be softer such as you mentioned. The think I like when you anneal them that there isn't as much springback after you size them. Have you ever measured your bullet body and then the gascheck of an unannealed check and noticed the check is bigger then the bullet body?

Joe

[NVcurmudgeon]

I anneal gas checks when a mould has too large a GC shank and it is difficult to start the check on. Also I anneal the GC if the shank is too small and the check springs back after seating. (Check for this condition by trying to rotate the GC on the bullet after seating-it shouldn't move.) In the case of the too large shank, annealing makes it easy to expand the GC (with a homemade punch) so that the bullet will enter it. In the case of the too small shank, annealing will allow crimping the GC on firmly without springback. So this is one of those rarities where the same solution fixes two opposite problems.

[JDL]

Like NVcurmudgeon said, if the GC will rotate after crimping, I anneal. -JDL

[AFRecruiter]

I am sure it has been covered, But how does one go about annealing gaschecks? Can it be done in an oven? I have moulds with both too large, and too small shanks and never thought of annealing..

[Johnch]

The way I was told to do it , that I just used .
Put your gas checks in a small pan ( ask your wife for a pan to use )
Put the pan on a burner on high .
When the gas checks turn a blue color set the pan to the side and let cool .
The gas checks are now anealed

I aneal cases to neck them up or down using a propane torch .
So you could heat the gas checks with a torch also

Johnch

[35remington]

Or, dump the checks into doubled aluminum foil, close the foil around the checks, put them on the stove burner. That way your better half won't get mad about what she thinks you might be doing to her pans.

[David R]

To aneal copper, don'tchyahavetaquenchit?

David

[waksupi]

nope.

[NVcurmudgeon]

I use a large tin can cut down so it is very shallow, so I can get my clumsy fingers in it to spread the gas checks out. I put it on the electric stove top, burner on hot. When whatever Hornady uses to coat their GC turns black and starts to flake off the GC, they are done. Set them aside to cool. When cool, gently shake the can, loosening the black crud.

[C1PNR]

This is from one of my "That sounds like a good idea" files. Not sure where the information came from, maybe even here.


Annealing Gas Checks



Buy a 3” to 4” long piece of 1" iron gas pipe, threaded on both ends (it’s called a pipe nipple), and two pipe caps to fit. Thoroughly clean the inside of pipe and caps.



I First Go



A. Drill a 1/8” hole in one of the caps.

B. Dump in your gas checks and secure with pipe caps.

C. Put in your gas BBQ, or some other likely heat source.

D. To remove most of the black scale:

1. Wash in hot water

2. Boil in a solution of diluted white vinegar

3. Rinse thoroughly in hot water (as vinegar is mild acetic acid)



II Second Method



A. Put one of the caps on finger tight

B. Dump the gas checks in

C. Add a small piece of paper (this will use up the available oxygen when it tries to burn and you will get very little if any of the black scale)

D. Screw the other cap on finger tight

E. Use BBQ as in First Go above, or other suitable heat source.



They come out a nice even color. The scale, I believe, comes from the factory lube on the checks. One of those little cans that stain or varnish comes in works well also.

FWIW