Undersized Lyman .44 gas checks

[Swagerman]

Some of you guys seem to know just about everything, so, what is it with Lyman .44 gas checks being such a runt size of only .426 diameter before being attached to a bullet.

My Hornady gas checks are not undersize in .44 caliber, they are .432 or larger.

Is it just this one box of Lyman I've got that is maybe supposed to be for 44-40 caliber instead of .44 special or mangun...though the box does not say .44-40 it says .44 caliber. :confused:

Has anyone got some Lyman gas checks that are .44 caliber but larger in diameter than .426?

Jim

[RugerFan]

I had gotten a box those very same checks off eBay (it was a very ooold Lyman box). I sold them to someone here on the forum that wanted them for a 404 Jefferies I believe (.423 cal). I used RCBS checks when I still had a 44 mag.

[Swagerman]

Rugerfan, thanks for the info, I guess I'll offer to sell or trade to someone who loads some old rifle cartridge that can use .426 gas checks by Lyman.

I'll have to try and count them first....there's over a half box for sure.

They won't be doing me much good for a .44 special.


Jim

[D.Mack]

Swagerman the reason for the differance is the old Lymans were not desiged to crimp on, but just slip on with no bite on the base of the bullet, so the sides of the check were straight. The crimp on checks are thicker at the mouth, and are wider at the mouth to leave room for the bullet shank to enter. When the bullet is sized it squares the outsides causing the inside to bite the bullet. Lyman felt the slip on's only needed to stay on the bullt till it left the barrel, and they could be found at varying distances on the way down range. They also stated that this was less of a problem to accuracy than distorting the base with crimpon's Were they right? Who knows, but crimpon's are now the standard, and the answer is for guy''s with better guns and eyes than I have. DM

[Bucks Owin]

Rugerfan, thanks for the info, I guess I'll offer to sell or trade to someone who loads some old rifle cartridge that can use .426 gas checks by Lyman.

I'll have to try and count them first....there's over a half box for sure.

They won't be doing me much good for a .44 special.


Jim


Hmmmmm.....

I wonder how they'd fit my .44 boolits....

Hornady GCs are still loose enough to spin with my fingers after going through my .430" sizer......

Dennis

[felix]

The Gator checks probably won't even begin to turn after being applied. ... felix

[Bucks Owin]

The Gator checks probably won't even begin to turn after being applied. ... felix


We'll see....

454PB was kind enough to send me some Gators to try. If anything, they seem slightly "looser" than the Hornadys but I'll need to run them through the sizer today and find out for sure....

Thanks,

Dennis

[9.3X62AL]

Dennis--

Any chance that your boolit's shank might be undersized?

These are the sorts of gymanstics moves with gas checks that prompt me to steer my hobby further away from GC boolits in handguns. If a plain base will work in any application, that's my first choice any more.

[Swagerman]

This thread has taken a new turn and I like it.

Dennis, its a lot of bother but try slipping some thin paper patch material just on the bottom of the bullet to be gas checked. This will help seal the GC to a smaller boolit mount.

I had one mould that giving me trouble in that respect, a #429424 would some time come in a bit undersized and the paper patch seem to make it work. But a pain in the butt to mess with.

Since using Hornady GC have no undersize problems, wish I had some Gator checks but now loaded with Hornadys in .44 and .45 calibers.

Anyone interested in my Lyman .426 brass gas checks?


Jim

[Bucks Owin]

Guys, the 310 Lee .44 mold is the boolit that Hornady GCs are slightly "loose" on. They fit nicely on my RCBS 225 bullets....

I tried the Gators that 454PB sent me (thanks again pal) and they are better on the Lee 310 but some of them I can still turn...

It's probably no "biggie", it's not like they're gonna fall off or anything. It just "bugs me" is all.....

Dennis

Maybe I should "beagle" the 310 mold? (I've also thought of reaming out the base of the boolit mold to a PB. I can't push them faster than 1300 fps anyway...)

[SuperBlazingSabots]

After reading your post I was anxious to check my .44 magnum gas check size. Mine are RCBS .44 cal # 79112 and they measure .437" dia.
Just for your information!
Ajay
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