Gas Check Seating with Star Lubesizer

[Rfeustel]

Hi,

Does the Star lubesizer do a good job seating checks (bullet nose down), or should checks be seated with a separate tool (e.g., the NOE) and then put through the lubesizer nose down (so punch pushing on the check)?

Thanks

[winelover]

I seat all my checks on a Star, running them nose first. Unless your gas check shank is undersized, you shouldn't have an issue.

Winelover

[Murphy]

I've never had a problem seating gas checks with my Star. For a good many years, I would tap the gas checks onto the base before sizing. I also used the Lyman gas check seater set where it would just seat the gas check, then run it through the Star. Finally one day I decided to experiment. I dropped the bullet nose down into the Star sizing die, started the bullet with a gentle push. Once the bullet was squared in the die, I placed the gas check on the base and finished sizing and lubing. All went well and will probably be how I go about gas checking and sizing from now on. The one exception being, I want the bullets ready with the gas check on them, but not yet sized and lubed. That way, I have the option of sizing them to what is best suited for the project at hand, and I don't any concerns about bullet drying up, etc. A Lyman gas check seater and a cheap single stage press can come in mighty handy at times.

Murphy

[Rfeustel]

Good to know guys. And thanks Murphy for the idea of centering the bullet first. Smart.

[AndyC]

Once the bullet was squared in the die, I placed the gas check on the base and finished sizing and lubing. All went well and will probably be how I go about gas checking and sizing from now on.

I'll try this way next - I've always been clicking the checks onto the base by hand first...

[earlmck]

The Star is so much better for applying gas checks than any other technique that I feel quite abused if I have to do it in the old Lyman because I don't have a Star die to fit. If the gas check goes on the shank easily then it hardly matters how you do the job but if the check is a little (or a lot) tight then I press the boolit in until it is a bit below flush, then place the check in position and complete the size/lube stroke. The only time this doesn't work well is if you are not reducing the diameter of the boolit in the die: you have to have some boolit sizing resistance in order to get the check seated consistently.

[Rfeustel]

Are you gents using a flat punch or dished punch with the star?

[AndyC]

Flat here, made by Lathesmith here on the forum.

[AndyC]

The Star is so much better for applying gas checks than any other technique that I feel quite abused if I have to do it in the old Lyman because I don't have a Star die to fit.

Have you perhaps looked into getting the NOE adapter + sizing dies for your Star? I have and will never look back - it's a wonderful system and inexpensive. I have the adapter and about 9 of their sizers now for my Star (and a few punches in different diameters from Lathesmith, as mentioned in my previous post above).

[winelover]

I too, prefer the flat punches..............rather than the dished.

Winelover