Gas checks falling off

[brewer12345]

I put gas checks on 3 flavors of 30 caliber boolits prior to tumble lubing the first coat, after which I planned to run them through a Lee sizing die and giving them a second coat of lube. The first two went fine. The third I put the checks on and tumbled them and probably half the blasted checks fell off. I get to put them back on again prior to running them through the sizing die. Is there anything I could have done to avoid this?

Increasingly I view gas checks as enough of a PITA that I only want to use them on rifle boolits where I can't really avoid using them.

[GhostHawk]

Yes, crimped them into place with sizing die, or install gas checks after PC.

[Randy Bohannon]

You don't mention who's gas checks you are using.It has been my experience with anything other than Hornady or aluminum I've had to anneal them to avoid what you are experiencing(Spring Back).That is providing you have the right size shank and gas check, you should't be able to pick them off with a finger nail.

[Sagebrush7]

Bullet mold makers are offering molds that have tapered and longer shanks for reloaders. We have designed two 30/303 checks that are made from gilding brass 95/5 copper. The .303 checks have taller cups. The 30 caliber are slightly taller than Gator and Hornday and crimp on quite well. We have them in .015, .017 aluminum and copper. The 44 copper checks are now offered in .017 copper. The new 375 check is also taller than our competitors and can be sized to .382 for you lever action shooter who need a larger diameter bullet for the 38/55's. Shamus is building new dies and adding new calibers as fast as he can. We thank all those members here for there support!

[brewer12345]

Just curious, how do you choose a thickness for your checks?

[toallmy]

A member recommend annealing the copper checks prior to crimping them on the boollits / that fixed all my loose gas check problems . As recommended above it worked for me . I Love your gas checks Sagebrush !

[toallmy]

Send a sample of your cast boolits to Sagebrush , if he wouldn't mind .

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Rifle boolits: when I tumble lube, size, then tumble lube again... I will install the GC after the first Tumble lube.

Also, if you happen to have a GC that fits loosely? then I will size the boolit, then install the GC, then size again.
Good luck.
Jon

[Sagebrush7]

Yes Sir! I test checks and bullets every day! Send a least six bullets and your sizing diameter.
James & Shamus Sage
7768 New Liberty Rd
Jacksonville, Al 36265-7181



Send a sample of your cast boolits to Sagebrush , if he wouldn't mind .

[brewer12345]

The ones that tended to fall off were some Lyman checks. I had a few Hornady left and they popped on easily and crimped beautifully in the sizing die. Guess this mold just wants to work best with the Hornady.

[Rcmaveric]

When gas checks annoy me, i supper glue them on and then crimp them on. That will teach em. Only the 6.5mm checks get testy on me. Never had problems with the other calibers.

[JCM45]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I'm new to casting rifle bullets and need some advice regarding gas checks. I'm using Sage 30 cal, .015 copper gas checks. They fit and crimp perfectly on my Lyman 311466 bullet, but fall off of my Lee C309-180R after sizing/crimping. I use both a .311 NOE push through sizing die as well as a Lyman .311 sizing die in my Lyman 4500. Same results both methods. Would a .017 gas check be more likely to stay on the Lee bullet?

[DHDeal]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I'm new to casting rifle bullets and need some advice regarding gas checks. I'm using Sage 30 cal, .015 copper gas checks. They fit and crimp perfectly on my Lyman 311466 bullet, but fall off of my Lee C309-180R after sizing/crimping. I use both a .311 NOE push through sizing die as well as a Lyman .311 sizing die in my Lyman 4500. Same results both methods. Would a .017 gas check be more likely to stay on the Lee bullet?

Yes the .017" would fit tighter after sizing due to the extra material.

I don't know which issue is more of a PITA, skinny shanks or fat shanks. I've got molds of each persuasion. It helps you to think outside of the box I suppose and find a solution. Goldilocks molds that allow the GC snap on are a joy!

To further confuse the issue, another alloy may allow that bullet to have a fatter shank and hold the .015" Sage better.

[JCM45]

Thanks for the informative reply, DH. I'll order some .017's and give them a try on the Lee bullet. Appreciate the timely response.

[MT Chambers]

The old Lyman checks were not meant to crimp on, they were meant to come off when the boolit exited the barrel, they may have been made of brass as opposed to copper like the Hornady ones, it`s been along time since I had or used Lyman gas checks.