Seating Plain Base Gaschecks in 40 S&W

[GBertolet]

I have about 500 cast 40 cal bullets, that I would like to try the plain base gas checks on, just to see how they perform. I did order a trial size quanity of aluminum plain base gas checks from Sage. The bullets are already sized to .4005, and grease lubed. I do have a 40 cal Star sizer die. Can I run the bullets base first through the Star die, properly seating the gas check, or do I have to press the base against something solid to get a squarely seated gascheck? I do have a Lyman gascheck seater tool for my Lyman press, but no 40 cal die for that press. This is sort of a unique situation, as there is no step on the back of the bullet for the check to snap onto. What procedures to other users do?

[DHDeal]

I prefer to use my LAM and the Lyman gas check seater as it seats them on straight. I have just seated them and sized the bullets at the same time using my Lee dies and it works but they tend to leave a little flash around the base doing it all at once. The PBGC is still on straight, but not as perfect as the more laborious way. That's the story of my life it seems....

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

You should try it the way you want, and if it doesn't work, try something different.
I say that, because PBGCs is not a confirmed science.

I'll offer you a couple hints/tricks that I've discovered to PBGC installation success:
For the boolit, use a soft alloy, like Bhn 8
For plain base GCs seated/crimped in a Star sizer, I think it's better done with unsized boolits, for the added friction.
I would also push them through the Star die, "Nose first" so you get a flat base, instead of a convex-toroidal shaped boolit base.

[GBertolet]

The gas checks came today, and I tried seating a few. The bullets were already lubed and sized. The gas checks slid over the bullet bases quite easily. I tried going nose first in the Star, with the flat punch. It did not turn out so well, as the gas checks were pulled off before they could be crimped. I then went base first, which worked out well. The checks were on all the way and were square, verified by placing the bullets on a flat plate. I did plug in the base heater, and all a little pressure to the reservoir, to help the bullets glide easier through the die. When I test them I will give a range report.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Just a guess, but I suspect the failure of Nose first was due to the boolits already being sized, so there wasn't any friction. In the future, when you need to install PBGCs on unsized boolits, give the Nose first thingy a try again.

[wallacem]

I seat all my checks base first thru my lee sizer. Works much better that way. Wallacem inGa