gas check maker?

[quickshot]

after all of my new found sources for WW decided to dry up I got to thinking..I reload my own ammo...I cast my own boolits....I wonder if i can make my own gas checks to? So here is my question is there some kind of die/kit/etc out there as to where I could make my own GC's? Would that be cost effective enough to mess with or was that just another hairbrained idea from my slightly off kilter brain?? wadda ya think?



quickshot:castmine:

[MT Gianni]

I would only consider it after having laid iin store a lifetime supply of primers. Bullets can be shot w/out checks but primers are the hardest item to make. Gianni.

[Firebird]

There is a setup called "FreeCheck" that put aluminium gas checks from pop cans onto plain based cast bullets. I guess you need to watch Ebay etc because the outfit that made them isn't on the net anymore (The Hanned Line - was www.hanned.com).

[45 2.1]

A possible maker might do this on a limited basis, you will just have to wait until he gets up to speed and is comfortable with making them. Do not get in a hurry.

[MacGregor]

i'd be interested... a sheet of copper would be cheaper than these gas checks i've been buying

[felix]

Copper sheets have to be made to be commensurate with your die set. A quality die set costs 600 bucks when made out of carbide, and that is recommended to keep the checks uniform. Copper sheets are currently at 5 bucks per pound from Olin and/or their wholesalers. Also, there is a minimum order. Go for it today! The commodity prices are going up as we speak. ... felix

[StarMetal]

Corbon swage company has a pretty good gascheck maker tool and it's sure a heck of alot cheaper then the $600 dollars Felix stated for a a carbide tool. You can make alot of checks for a long time with a tool made of a good quality hardened steel.

Using aluminum sheet is even cheaper. There's nothing saying a gascheck has to be made of copper.

Joe

[felix]

Or even soft steel. The properties of the metal to be punched still have to be mated to the die set. Tin cans are made with the cheapest aluminum available, meaning the "slag" from a genuine aluminum run intended to make pots and pans, aluminum wheels, wire and cable, car parts, etc. ... felix

[MacGregor]

Go for it today! The commodity prices are going up as we speak. ... felix

it was 66F at 6am this morning

it is now 75F

at this rate, we'll all be scorched to death by tomorrow!

[blysmelter]

Old thread, but will this Corbin-tool work with a ordinary reloading press?
http://www.corbins.com/gascheck.htm

[GrizzLeeBear]

No. If you look at the specs. it will only go in the Series II (heavy duty swaging press) or a hydrolic press. Won't even work with the regular swaging press from what I can see.

[jonk]

I love how the corbin site doesn't even list the price. "If you have to ask......"

[Scrounger]

There's a couple listed on Ebay, price isn't bad. They're caliber specific and nothing I can use. Run a search for "gas checks".

[blysmelter]

Ok, will keep an eye open for one in 358 then. Thoose little copper-piesces cost a small fortune here in Norway.
Guess one could make one, shouldnt be to hard?

[Leftoverdj]

A fair amateur machinist can make the dies to make GCs. I've seen a couple such projects posted. Way too expensive to hire someone to make it for you. Should not need carbide for individual use, but I can't see using anything else if you intend production quantities.

Before I even started such a project, I'd have a lifetime supply of the check material laid in. Thickness is critical. Be a same to get such a gadget working and be unable to obtain or afford the raw materials.

I'd be very leery of aluminum. Ain't the aluminum that's the problem; it's that if it oxidizes, the surface becomes aluminum oxide and will eat your barrel in short order. Were it simple, the big boys would be using it.

[DLCTEX]

There's an aluminum gas check making tool on Ebay right now, it's 8mm so of no use to me. DALE

[Bob Jones]

The guy making them on Ebay rotates through calibers, I bought his kit for .357 and .41, they're very nice and work great. Email him and let him know what calibers you're interested in, nice guy.

[blysmelter]

Anyone makeing GCs of aluminium and willing to tell of their experience? Soda/beercans is uniform as h... and will be around longer than me so if it is usable I will go for it!

[mroliver77]

Or even soft steel. The properties of the metal to be punched still have to be mated to the die set. Tin cans are made with the cheapest aluminum available, meaning the "slag" from a genuine aluminum run intended to make pots and pans, aluminum wheels, wire and cable, car parts, etc. ... felix

The fellow at redycling center tells me that beverage cans are made of a fine quality aluminum. He claims junk alum could not be made that thin and strong. I know it comands a high price compared to pots, pans etc. Some injection plastic molds of alum are ythe only alum I have seen scrap out higher than bev cans.
J

[dakotashooter2]

For aluminum sheeting check out your local print shop or newspaper. They use a ton of aluminum "plates" for printing and often have several thicknesses to choose from. I got a couple for free to see how they work but have not had a chance to try them yet.

[Paladin 56]

No. If you look at the specs. it will only go in the Series II (heavy duty swaging press) or a hydrolic press. Won't even work with the regular swaging press from what I can see.

Grizz is right, a regular loading press won't work. Corbin doesn't make a "regular" swaging press.

The Series II is the smallest, least expensive press he makes and uses S-type dies. S dies are 7/8-14 so will screw in standard presses. The problem lies in the shank, which is threaded 5/8-24 and screws into the ram.

The Mega-Mite is the heavy duty press and uses H-type dies. H dies are 1-12 thread.


I love how the corbin site doesn't even list the price. "If you have to ask......"

jonk missed the price list is listed at the top of this page - http://www.corbins.com/gascheck.htm - in the little pink box marked "prices", but hit the nail on the head with the "if you have to ask..." The S die set is $400, and $500 for the press adds up to a lot of gas checks.

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

As was mentioned before, aluminum GC's would work just hunk-dory if there was no risk of the aluminum oxidizing.

Go to the hardware store and read the fine print on the sand paper. It's often made of Aluminum oxide, or Corrundum. On the Moh's hardness scale Corrundum is a 9 (diamond is 10).

In other words, if you shoot Aluminum gas checks you might as well swab your bore with sand paper.

If you're looking for an alternative to copper GC's you might have to check out paper patching. Perhaps if someone would invent some sort of paper-patch roller tool that would speed up the process...

[softpoint]

If the cream of wheat thing works as good as some say, why bother with checks if they become too expensive? I've never tried COW, but maybe it,orsome other granulated concoction might be able to made to work? As many folks out there experiment with bullet lubes I would bet that if a suitable granulated or disc replacement could be found, someone could find it! I'd certainly give up those expensive gas checks if I could!

[blysmelter]

Two things comes to mind

-Does the gascheck touch the bore? Recoverd bullets dont have any marks on the GC?
-What is the risk of the GC oxidizing as long as it is stored in a dry place? Or will it oxidize by the heat from combustion?

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Aluminum will oxidize just like lead will - it "tarnishes". So just exposure to atmospheric oxygen would do it. The inside of an aluminum can is coated - so that may be sufficient to prevent exposure to atmospheric oxygen.

My understanding is, yes the GC does contact the bore. It's right in the name, "gas check". The stronger copper is intended to keep the hot gasses from eroding the weaker lead and blowing by. It keeps the gas in check. I don't see how it could do that job if the GC were sub-bore diameter. The GC differs from a jacket in that a jacket is intended to entirely prevent the lead from contacting the bore. This is needed when the torque from the rifling is so great that it would shear the lead right off.

So I'm wondering if paper can adequately serve as a "jacket" why couldn't it serve as a "check"? A number of muzzleloader shooters will place a paper card between powder and bullet. So why couldn't a guy make a gas check from an old cereal box?

[randyrat]

Of course i would reccomend a WAX plug and a cardboard/paper gas check. I've used the wax GCs before and they did work,but it was for light plinkin loads(in a GC bullet) only, no leading. Be sure to add it to the over all weight of the bullet. I may try that cardboard added.

[Newtire]

I bought one off of E-bay that featured a punch made in China out of mild steel and it didn't work at all.

The guy got real bent out of shape about my saying so and I am not inviting him to my birthday party you can bet on that!

[blysmelter]

OK, so we make the GC with the inside of the can to be outside of the GC. Still dont think the GC is in contackt with the bore, but will digg out some boolits next time I am at the range.

A paperwad works, some fiber (puffloon?) works, dacron works, shooting without the GC also works, but I am looking for savings an metall GCs:-)

[frugal]

I can verify that the lands do make contact with the check. I have recovered 30 cal checks from the dirt with the check engraved very well with the lands. Interestingly, I have found that you can reuse these checks after they float to the top of the melt after the lead was recycled. you can bevel the end of a 3/8 bolt and lightly reopen the outside diameter and ensure the end is flat so it can be reused. I tried this just to see if it could be done with some sighters and I found no difference in accuracy from new checks. This is not practical when you consider the cost of your time, but it can be done. Might be practical when the price of a check reaches a nickel.

There has to be a way to make cheap checks. Im sure some of the machinists on this forum have ideas on how to make an inexpensive punch and die die set that would do this. If it could be made for the cost of a few boxes of checks Im sure they could sell a bunch. Copper is pretty malleable and Im sure it would not be too difficult to roll maybe scrap copper tubing to the correct thickness. maybe use old pre-1984 pennies that are made of pure copper.

Aluminum is probably too hard especially if oxidized. Its not nearly as malleable and would be like using very old checks that have gotten to hard and wont retain their size when put though a sizer. I dont think you can anneal aluminum like copper.

Im really interested in knowing others ideas on making checks.

[softpoint]

What about brass shim stock? It is readily available in sheets of different thickness.
I

[calsite]

You must have a lot of free time, not to mention very god eyes. I can't even seem to find time to cast let alone make gas checks. I get cross-eyed just putting them on my boolit bases. I think if I was going to go that far I would just go and buy a full swaging set-up and make everything on that.

[looseprojectile]

Already there. Price out .50 cal checks for the .500 S&W.
The ones I bought from Midway were $48.00+, plus shipping for a thousand.
Far less money than fifty cents to a dollar each for full length gas check bullets.