Lyman 429244

[cwlongshot]

I have access to three 4 cav molds in 429244

My issue is small bases! I have to check last mold but first two; one with a W1 stamp and a second with a W5 both drop .434 bullets W/.388/:389 gas check shanks.

The last mold is stamped W1 so I tried the W5...

I know Sages used to offer alum checks for small shank 44's. But now I dont find them. A friend has some but I dont wanna take his.

I know I could remove the shanks as I powder coat but this bullet will see use in 44 carbines and might see benifits if that GC.

Any advice here?

CW

[mdi]

Powder coat them and shoot some. I've read of some not gas checking nekkid lead 429244s with no problems. I would see how a PCed bullet w/o gas check works (I always thought of PCing as a "soft jacket")...

[beagle]

Were it a single or double cavity, I'd say take it to a machinist, have him dial in the bases and tweak the diameter to your needs. I have a shooting partner that's a machinist and he'd do it for me but 4 cavities is a lot of dialing and setup. You may be able to turn a steel bolt to the desired diameter and do it in a drill press gradually. I've done this before. Steel cuts iron or aluminum pretty fast so be careful./beagle

[Bazoo]

If you PC then apply gas checks, won’t that bring your shank up to a usable diameter.

[MT Gianni]

Not what you are asking but I successfully pushed the 429421 plain based to 1800 fps in my old 92. I am not sure which end pushed harder but that is what the Chrony said.

[cwlongshot]

Thanks guys.

This .388 dia is AFTER POWDER COATING!

In my experience, gas check bullets dont shoot great without a gas check. Very light or close plinker loads. Sure no issues. But if you can shoot or do shoot at range you can surely see the difference.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT... Yes I am gonna try WO a gc again.

I have removed a few gas check shanks from molds. This one Id like to keep the gc. I have 429421, RCBS 44-250 KT and a Ideal 44-245 molds too so dont really "need" another plain base.

I learned today that Lyman actually may have made these like this purposefully. For a proprietary gas check. They made two 44's a 357 and a 45 all designed for this smaller shank GC.

CW

[Mal Paso]

400 grit wet or dry on a 1/4 inch split dowel and a pin gauge to know where to stop?

[cwlongshot]

Ill talk to my machinist buddy...

[megasupermagnum]

I'm not aware of any gas check capable of taking up that difference. You would need a check made of a material at the very least .022" thick, and .024" would be better. I don't think anyone has made a check that thick before. I beleive what you are thinking of is the plain base checks, which are very thin. I don't think lapping could be done accurately to your mold. You need a shank in the range of .401"-.402". A machinist is the only real fix.

[mdi]

I have removed bevel bases from aluminum molds on my drill press. Careful set up and after cast sizing produced good bullets. But IIRC (old memory sucks!) didn't one of the gas check makers use a "crimp on" design with sharp "lips" on the GC ID to grip the shank, requiring a smaller shank? Hornady?

[Bazoo]

Normally hornady checks work just fine with bullets designed before the biting checks came about. They are often a bit snugger but not so much to be an issue in applying.

[cwlongshot]

I have old brass checks newer Hornady checks and Sages Gators and Aluminum. None are close to fitting even after powder coating.

CW

[mdi]

Perhaps a good answer here; https://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?60-Gas-Checks

[W.R.Buchanan]

CW: I Powder Coat mine then apply the gas check. I have a Lyman mould for this boolit but only use my Mihec Mould now as it drops boolits at .432-433. These only go into my Marlin 1894CB 24 which has a 1:38 twist barrel. To get any accuracy from that gun you have to push the boolits pretty hard and I run mine around 1600 fps which will yield a 1.5-2" group at 100 yards.

Since I chamfered the mouth of the chamber of this gun these boolits and all others feed perfectly as fast as you cna run the lever.

Randy