Gas Checking a 45 ACP

[12DMAX]

I have a polygonal barrel and although I have had success, 100 rounds and the lead starts to pack in. I have been through the gaunlet of alloys,sizing, hardness, lubes and just cant get this thing to not lead. Powder coating is a thought, I have all the access to this in our shop. A custom mold with a gas check is more appealing to me. I have read many posts on gas checks and their duty but I am just not sure about it in a low pressure round. Any thoughts?

[bstone5]

I make the gas checks from cola can material.

The bullet is 220 grain SWC without a gas check shank.

The bullets are powder coated, sized and the gas check installed.

These bullets result in zero lead with hundreds of rounds fired.

The sizing is done with Lee push thru die.

The same die is used to install the gas check, the Lee die is upside down and the bullet and gas check are pushed thru using a 1/2 ton hand press from Harbor Freight.

[12DMAX]

I make the gas checks from cola can material.

The bullet is 220 grain SWC without a gas check shank.

The bullets are powder coated, sized and the gas check installed.

These bullets result in zero lead with hundreds of rounds fired.

The sizing is done with Lee push thru die.

The same die is used to install the gas check, the Lee die is upside down and the bullet and gas check are pushed thru using a 1/2 ton hand press from Harbor Freight.


Are you shooting these in a polygonal barrel?

[Jupiter7]

I've used pat marlins plain based gas check maker. It works. Go to the gas check section and look him up. Polygonal or not, same theory applies. Although I've never used/needed them in 45 auto. Have used them with heavy colt loads and soft lead and 45-70 top end loads. Powder coating works great too.

[xacex]

I wouldn't bother with the gas check for your issue. You replace one problem with another, and that is getting the gas check perfect. I would suggest reading through this thread....http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?33855-The-Truth-about-Glocks-and-Cast , and checking your alloy hardness, and size of boolit. Most likely you are swaging down the size when you seat the boolit. I shoot quite a few cast boolits out of my glock 30 without issue, and my barrel stays clean without leading. This season I have shot over 600 cast out of that gun alone without cleaning the barrel. still is shiny, and not lead fowled. I do occasionally run a dry patch to swab any loose carbon. My secret? Powder coat.

[bstone5]

I shoot the bullets in Colt 1911 type hand guns.

I use the same coating and cola can gas checks on 9mm, 40 S&W and 44 Mag.

I got into powder coating and making gas check makers in my home shop.

[TomAM]

I use GCs to put a definitive end to lead fouling in my polygon H&Ks. 'Most every objection to their use that you will hear is the issue of their cost. If that doesn't bother you, then GCs are an excellent solution.

At extremely low pressure a GC can get stuck in the barrel, but it's gotta be extreme.

[12DMAX]

I use GCs to put a definitive end to lead fouling in my polygon H&Ks. 'Most every objection to their use that you will hear is the issue of their cost. If that doesn't bother you, then GCs are an excellent solution.

At extremely low pressure a GC can get stuck in the barrel, but it's gotta be extreme.


I to am working with an HK, this gun is soooo much fun to shoot. I may have to look @ that check maker jupiter7 refers too. Thanks for the reply.

[geargnasher]

Dmax, have you 100% de-coppered the barrel? Just a thought. Even trace copper fouling can grab and hold lead like crazy and it accumulates fast. Another thing to check is the throat entrance of your H&K, if it's really small and really abrupt, it can literally shave lead off of the bullet as the bullet enters the throat (extractor claw and/or gravity will inevitably pull the case off-center in the chamber and one side can scrape off some lead), and lead shavings get smeared down the bore. Brownell's sells a .45 ACP throating reamer that fixes this common issue. Leading is usually either caused by dust deposits from gas-cut, atomized lead getting blown down the bore and ironed on, by shavings doing the same, or by abrasion from rough or copper-fouled bores. If you just can't win, go with the gas checks.

TomAM has a variety of gas-checked .45 ACP bullet designs cataloged on his website can can make you a super-premium custom mould in a short time. You can order them from aluminum, brass, or iron in various cavity counts, and also can request a specific bullet diameter with a specific alloy. Free plug from a very satisfied multi-repeat customer. I'd recommend a 4-cavity aluminum mould unless you're built like Popeye.

Gear

[12DMAX]

Dmax, have you 100% de-coppered the barrel? Just a thought. Even trace copper fouling can grab and hold lead like crazy and it accumulates fast. Another thing to check is the throat entrance of your H&K, if it's really small and really abrupt, it can literally shave lead off of the bullet as the bullet enters the throat (extractor claw and/or gravity will inevitably pull the case off-center in the chamber and one side can scrape off some lead), and lead shavings get smeared down the bore. Brownell's sells a .45 ACP throating reamer that fixes this common issue. Leading is usually either caused by dust deposits from gas-cut, atomized lead getting blown down the bore and ironed on, by shavings doing the same, or by abrasion from rough or copper-fouled bores. If you just can't win, go with the gas checks.



TomAM has a variety of gas-checked .45 ACP bullet designs cataloged on his website can can make you a super-premium custom mould in a short time. You can order them from aluminum, brass, or iron in various cavity counts, and also can request a specific bullet diameter with a specific alloy. Free plug from a very satisfied multi-repeat customer. I'd recommend a 4-cavity aluminum mould unless you're built like Popeye.

Gear

Gear i agree my USP does appear to have a very abrupt throat and i do believe the lead buildup is caused by this as you state. I do not think there is anymore i can do load wise to further prevent this I have really covered all the bases. I dont want to go the route of altering the gun and the price of gas checks really is no big deal and would give me a good reason to buy another one of toms fantastic molds!

[whisler]

If the throat is shaving lead, will gas checks really stop the leading?

[geargnasher]

No, but they do a good job of keeping it scraped out in other types of guns, I don't see why the SIG polygonal barrel would be any different. Fixing the problem or finding a satisfactory workaround are means to the same end.

Gear

[Lonegun1894]

I use one of PatMarlins PB GC makers, and it is great. As far as I am concerned, the only added cost is a little bit of time making the GCs, cause I keep softdrinks in the house anyway so drink the coke or Dr. Pepper and the send the can down range a little disk at a time. If you don't share the same addiction, just pick them up off the side of the road on your way home from work that way you don't have to pay for them either. Most people will just think you're recycling, and the ones that have asked me, well, I don't tell them any different.

[2wheelDuke]

Have you tried coated boolits?

[12DMAX]

Thanks everyone for all the input. Yes i just powder coated a 100 to try, will scratch this off the list as as a failure or success first then pursue the gas check route.