Aluminum versus Copper Gas Checks??

[Foto Joe]

I'm in need of gas checks for my 311041. I'm looking at copper Hornady gas checks online and I swear they think that they're made out of gold. Since the copper ones work very well I'm inclined to stick with them but on the other hand the aluminum ones are half the price. I'd like some opinions and first hand observations about the two different materials. These are being shot out of a Henry 30-30 using COWW +2% tin just below 2,000 fps.

[44man]

Actually GC's are metal mined from asteroids! I am up in the air about aluminum. You need to understand what a GC does, it stops boolit skid and keeps a seal. Does aluminum have the strength?
Then the thickness of aluminum checks should not be thinner then copper ones. That removes the seal right there. Plus aluminum can crack easy.
Checks are NOT to protect a base from melting.

[mattw]

I am interested in this as well, I have seen aluminum leave streaks on steel without being shot at high velocity... What does it do in the pores of the metal and how do you get it out?

[Larry Gibson]

Joe

My experience making my own and using a small amount of commercial aluminum GCs is that they should work as well as the Hornady's provided;

They are thick enough to be a tight fit on the shank after sizing.


The GC is still inside the case neck after seating the bullet.


Velocity is kept und 2100 fps.

I make mine out of .014 - .015 flashing from Ace Hardware. They fit well on some bullet shanks but not on others. I found any of .012 thickness seldom fit well at all and easily came off, especially in the H die where they stuck in it. The smaller thickness does well with TL'd bullets with the GC then applied and a push through sizer is used.

Yes the price of Hornady GCs seems high but a thousand of them is a lot of shooting, even to trigger freaks like us. Suggest you try .014+ Aluminum and look at the Hornady's for your serious hunting bullets. When you get down here I'll show you my chronograph screens with all sorts of nicks and scars from non crimp on GCs coming off. If your load is accurate enough the ejecting GC will cause inaccuracy. That's ok for plinking and rock shooting but I'd just as soon not have it happen on that one shot of a hunt.

Larry Gibson

[1Shirt]

Have shot a number of alum checks, mostly in 30 cal, and found them to be as accurate as copper. That said, in agreement with Larry, the thickness of the check makes a big difference. I also use .014-.015 when I make my own, which is seldom. Bought my check maker as a back up,------just I case. Am fond of Gator checks, and as long as I can get them, they will be my preference.
1Shirt!

[blackthorn]

Another vote for the Gator checks sold by Blammer here on the site.

[offshore44]

...and yet another vote for gator checks from Blammer. FWIW

[Prospector Howard]

That's definitely something that's bugged me too. Back when copper was a dollar a pound, gas checks were about $12 a thousand. As copper prices went up, gas check prices went up way too much. There's less than 10 ounces of copper in a thousand 30 cal checks. Ok, so Hornady could have raised the price by a buck or two; but to go up $20? Greedy jerks as far as I'm concerned. It probably has alot to do with there being little competition from other major suppliers, but they are also shooting themselves in the foot with all the shooters starting to make their own checks. I wonder how much business they're going to lose over the long haul for being greedy. For me instead of making aluminum gas checks, I've been shooting alot more .223 bullets swaged from free .22 LR brass cases than ever now. Full length brass jackets are way better anyway. Take that, Hornady.

[Ed_Shot]

I make my .30 cal checks with a FreeChex III form .014 flashing. I still compare new loads with aluminum vs Hornady and I never see any difference.

[dragon813gt]

I'm still in the process of comparing checks. But there is a long list of other things to test as well. So far I've found no difference. Mine are made w/ a FreeChexIII using aluminium bought from Yonky in varying thicknesses for multiple calibers.

[bangerjim]

From my personal experience........

Al checks do not stay on nearly as well as Cu commercial checks. They are softer and do not hold the form of the GC area....so they come off fairly easy.

I use brand H Cu checks a lot. Never had one fall off! The few cents they cost is no big whoop when compaired to what you pay for jacketed commercially made boolits.

And a thousand goes a loooooong way.

But do what you feel is best for your needs.

banger

[captaint]

I have used aluminum plain base gas checks for the 9mm, worked great... I have used the copper Gator checks in other cal's and they were terrific. I would use either one again. Mike

[22_boomer]

I thought the price of copper checks was a bit high so I got some aluminum checks -- just to try them. I use a Lee boolit sizer and I'm doing .225 size bullets and I had no problem with the copper (Hornady) checks but from time to time the aluminum checks would pop off the bottoms of my bullets after running them through the sizer. The name of the company I got the aluminum checks from is "Sage's Outdoors" but please keep in mind I am brand new at this boolits game so the problem could be all me. After what everybody has said here I may have to get into the Gator Checks in the future.

[milrifle]

Not to argue with others' success, but I bought some .30 cal aluminum checks off e-bay and my accuracy went to hell. This was right after Sandy Hook and there were no Hornady's to be had. I learned my lesson. I have probably 10K Hornady's on the shelf now. In all fairness, I did NOT try annealing the aluminum checks, but I think what was happening is that they were coming off in flight and disturbing the pitch of the bullet in so doing. Annealing them may have made them stay on better. Or maybe something else was going on, but if I can get Hornady's, I will.

[dragon813gt]

Much like buying cast bullets if you buy Al checks you are at the mercy of the manufacturer. They may not be the right fit for the application. While most of my 35 cal molds work great w/ .008 Al. I have one mold that needs .011 or the checks fall off. I look at it as a self sufficiency thing when it comes to making checks.

[dilly]

I assume there are poor quality aluminum gas checks and poor quality copper gas checks as well as better aluminum checks and better copper checks.

It's not something I am at this point super interested in testing.

[mac60]

I thought the price of copper checks was a bit high so I got some aluminum checks -- just to try them. I use a Lee boolit sizer and I'm doing .225 size bullets and I had no problem with the copper (Hornady) checks but from time to time the aluminum checks would pop off the bottoms of my bullets after running them through the sizer. The name of the company I got the aluminum checks from is "Sage's Outdoors" but please keep in mind I am brand new at this boolits game so the problem could be all me. After what everybody has said here I may have to get into the Gator Checks in the future.

I have experience with Sage's checks in 6.5mm, .30 and .44 cals. In my experience they crimp on tight as dick's hatband. If you have a problem and let him know (which I did), he'll bend over backwards to get you a check you can use for a given application. As far as bore damage from the aluminum - I'm just not seeing it. My experience with aluminum checks has been a positive one up to this point.

[1johnlb]

I'll never use aluminum gc's again, not as long as I can get copper. If I can't get copper I'll just shoot plain base. I'm sure there's good and bad al gc's but my first and only exsperience with them solved my thoughts for cheapper checks. If you use them make sure you use the highly recommended makers. I noticed a 4" group size increase at 25 yds and almost couldn't get my ar bolt apart because of the lead/aluminum that found it's way in the bolt and gas rings.

[PAT303]

I've never had an issue with Sages checks or Gators,I shoot them side by side and there's no difference in performance in my 303's,my Mk111 shot a couple of nice 100m 1 1/2'' groups the other day with them. Pat

[Yodogsandman]

What does it do in the pores of the metal and how do you get it out?

How do you remove aluminum from your bore? I asked an aluminum GC manufacturer and was told they just don't foul your bore. That makes sense, copper GC's don't foul my bores either. Maybe so but, I know how to remove copper fouling, I don't know how to remove aluminum. I'll continue to use Hornady GC's till I run out and then I'll make my own copper GC's. I'm sure glad I stocked up on them years ago.