Anyone ever hollow base gas checks???

[Swagerman]

Just trying out my Lee Classic press with its new ejector bar, did some hollow basing on Lee 255 grain .45 Colt bullets swaged semi-wad cutter with hornady gas checks.

Do you think they'll stay on during the ride through the cylinder and barrel???

Jim

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/44and45/PC210010closeupofgaschecksHB540X.jpg

[Lucky Joe]

Well they are kinda in the middle between the boolit not wanting to go anywhere and the gases getting them going. I think they will stay. Are those Wilk gas checks?

[Swagerman]

I mentioned Hornady gas checks. :coffee:

My cast lead bullets are not real hard cast lead.

Jim

[Lloyd Smale]

I have to ask why? A hollow bases purpose is to allow the skirt of the bullet to bump up to the bore and i would think a gas check would cancel that ablity out or at least slow it down substantialy.

[Swagerman]

Well actually, I just did it fooling around with the Lee press.

But if I've got this thing figured out right...it ought to work about the same as if the gas checks weren't there. In other words, there will still be HB expansion of the bullets base as the GCs are not all that tough if they form so easily with the swaging die.

The only gun I would try these slugs in would be my old 2nd model .S&W 45 Colt, its got the oversize cylinder throats, the reduced size .455 forcing cone entry. Hopefully the GC would help reduce lead fowling.

But who knows for sure unless I try it.


Jim

[Lucky Joe]

I mentioned Hornady gas checks. :coffee:




OK, a reread did me some good. From the picture they kinda looked like the Wilk GC.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k168/Luckyjoe_01/IMG-4.jpg

[Swagerman]

Lucky Joe, the Wilk GC are not cupped? No hollow base?

Need a link to that artical if you have the time, looks interesting.

Jim

[Newtire]

Lucky Joe, the Wilk GC are not cupped? No hollow base?

Need a link to that artical if you have the time, looks interesting.

Jim

Jim,
That would be Handloader July-August 1988 edition #134. I don't have a scanner to scan the article. I made some up using a tool a friend got from Harbor Freight but can't recall what the hell it was for.? I had a time getting them into two of the band cutouts of the mold and getting it to close. Like you said though, might be worth revisiting.

[RSOJim]

I began experimenting with this same idea about a month ago for one oversize 91/30 russian rifle. Boy does it ever change the grouping. Drilling the bases of the bullets can be frustrating. I am still trying to come up with some more ideas to center the holes like building a jig to put the bullets in. I am drilling 1/8 " wide and 1/8" deep. That probably is not enough. With this I get 2 bullets holes touching and 2 more touching about 2 inch apart at 25 yards and the 5th bullet hole someplace else. Without drilling 5 bullets holes look like a shot gun pattern. Anyone else done this. I know its really time consuming. But I have always been an experimenter on a limited basis. Thanks for reading Jim

[Swagerman]

RSOJim, Are you saying you had a positive response to using HB gas checks, or not using gas checks but HB the lead bullets base???

Anyway, here is how to easily make Hollow Base bullets or make them with HB gas checks.

This one pictured is a .454 diameter swaging die made up special for me by C-H tool 4D.com .

I also made with my mini-lathe the nose punch in SWC and the ejector stem in the swaging die has the HB teat to impress the HB. Using the swc nose punch combined with the HB ejector stem makes for easy method of doing it.

I have also made flat faced ejector stems when I don't want to make HB.

The ejector stem with the HB teat only portrudes about 1/4 of an inch in the base of the bullet, but can be adjusted to go deeper if one wants too.

It is easy to fabricate HB at either end of the swaging process...the HB teat can be used in the nose punch function.

Jim

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/44and45/PC220012HBgaschecksdiepunch566X.jpg

The hollow base nose punch can also be used.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e321/44and45/PC190006Bothbottombarscloseup.jpg

[Lucky Joe]

Swagerman,

If you will send me your email address I can email the Wilk Gas Check article to you. Let me know if you want it.

[RSOJim]

Swagerman,

I just re-read my post and I did leave out the fact that the bullets I am drilling are gas checked, sized, and lubed. As for positive results, I am not sure yet. When I first started buying these old 91/30 russian rifles I bought the surplus ammo that was sold in the large sealed cans. I didn't want to shoot that ammo, I wanted to shoot cast boolits. So I pulled the military bullets and dumped the powder. The powder charge was 44 grains if memory serves me now. I put 30 grains of the same powder back in the case and flared the case mouth and put in a 314299 lyman bullet. Shot really great if the rifle I was shooting at the time has any rifling left in the bore. Now I have several of these old rifles and some do not have pristine bores. They don't shoot cast well at all, but will shoot the military bullets much better. The military bullets mike out at .311. The bases of these military bullets are open with lead exposed. That got me to thinking that maybe these bullets were expanding to fill what ever bore they were shot in. I don't know this to be a fact. That's what I am trying to do with a gas checked bullet. Expand the base to fill the bore. But I do need the gas check for the speed I want to shoot. Thanks again Jim

[Swagerman]

Lucky Joe, got your PM.

Sent a reply by PM.

Thanks, Jim :drinks: