With different molds I seat the gas check before powder coating, the loose ones I coat first and use the NOE gas check seater. The NOE seater uses top punches to push on the boolit.
With different molds I seat the gas check before powder coating, the loose ones I coat first and use the NOE gas check seater. The NOE seater uses top punches to push on the boolit.
Some gas checks go on nice and easy in a one step sizing die. BUT some do not, especially with powder coated bullets that add some flashing to the base. I have a 40 bullet with a .379 base (using 41 caliber gas checks) that checks only seat well about 67% of the time. So I started using a lee sizing die just to seat the checks (not crimp them), and it seats the checks perfectly every time. Just run the bullet up until it touches the die and you feel the seating. Then I run them through a luber/sizer and they crimp perfectly straight. The only downside is it's now a two step process. But that's the tradeoff with powdercoated bullets I guess.
Here's a video that turned me on to this process. It really is foolproof.
I just mounted this Lee press upside down, and drop the powder coated bullet in nose first. Got the idea from someone on this forum.
Then just set the gas check on and lower the ram a couple millimeters at a time while pushing the ram insert away, then right, then towards me, then to the left. Each time lower it a couple of millimeters further into the sizer die. Once you've gone around the horn, just push it all the way through, and you've got perfectly seated gas checks that fall into a bin.
Hope the pictures load ok. Never posted them on this forum.
What could possibly go wrong?
Very nice QuackAttack24!
Chris
Another way to do it similar to the OP's is to use your boolit seating die and the punch from your boolit sizing die (ie NOE/Lee push through sizer) for that caliber.
start the die into your press, put GC on boolit and run it all the way up. turn die down until seating stem touches boolit, lock die. Now adjust the seating stem until the GC is seated to your satisfaction.
(not my idea, I saw this somewhere)
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |