DIY Gas Checks?

[emt1581]

A few years back I was looking at buying a FreeChex (sp?) punch for .223. Never pulled the trigger. But for .223, 9mm, and .308 I'm considering making my own as those are the three cals I shoot the most. I believe I'd be able to use soda/beer cans and make as many as I want for free.

Has anyone gone this route? Are there any other punches to consider or is FreeChex (whatever model they're up to now) the only option?

Thanks!

[44Blam]

I like Pat Marlin's dies... I shoot a fair amount of 10mm and I make 40 cal gas checks out of 28 GA copper:

[bimus]

I have been having good luck using the Bud cans that are shaped like bottles they are twice as thick as the regular cans and I have been using a cheap Fiskers paper cutter to make my strips . it is slow take your time . When I bought my tool from Pat Marlin some time back 30 caliber gas checks where going for $80 a thousand and that was about the price of the tool money well spent .

[44Blam]

I have been having good luck using the Bud cans that are shaped like bottles they are twice as thick as the regular cans and I have been using a cheap Fiskers paper cutter to make my strips . it is slow take your time . When I bought my tool from Pat Marlin some time back 30 caliber gas checks where going for $80 a thousand and that was about the price of the tool money well spent .

I bought 30 and 35 cal hornady gas checks late last year for $30/1000... I do have the dies for both but it costs nearly the same. I have yet to find 40 cal gas checks and that's why I make my own. The place I get my copper is:
https://www.riogrande.com/product/co...ad-soft/132128
This copper is the same thickness as the commercial gas checks and ends up being about 2-3 cents per + your work making them. Maybe someone has a less expensive source?

[emt1581]

So Pat Marlin is pretty much the only game in town and no one uses plain old soda cans?

I seem to remember looking at Pat's maker a year or two ago and it wasn't close to the prices being shared here. Several hundred IIRC. Of course I do a lot of seemingly random shopping so I could be mistaken.

EDIT: Looks like ~$130 shipped per set. However, having to buy the copper instead of using some sort of free scrap makes the venture less appealing. I like the idea of being totally self-sufficient and if I have to order the material just to stamp out the checks, may as well order the checks themselves.

Thanks

[44Blam]

So Pat Marlin is pretty much the only game in town and no one uses plain old soda cans?

I seem to remember looking at Pat's maker a year or two ago and it wasn't close to the prices being shared here. Several hundred IIRC. Of course I do a lot of seemingly random shopping so I could be mistaken.

EDIT: Looks like ~$130 shipped per set. However, having to buy the copper instead of using some sort of free scrap makes the venture less appealing. I like the idea of being totally self-sufficient and if I have to order the material just to stamp out the checks, may as well order the checks themselves.

Thanks

That would be the PB gas checks...

[Land Owner]

You should go the the GAS CHECKS Forum on castboolits. THERE you will find many recommendations, too numerous to rewrite here.

[emt1581]

You should go the the GAS CHECKS Forum on castboolits. THERE you will find many recommendations, too numerous to rewrite here.

Didn't know such a place existed. I'll take a look.

Thanks!