My favorite place to get gas checks has had a large price increase. I am sure some of you know where to get them at the best prices. Hopefully one of you can point me in the right direction.
My favorite place to get gas checks has had a large price increase. I am sure some of you know where to get them at the best prices. Hopefully one of you can point me in the right direction.
I say this in all seriousness, make them yourself. I buy them when there's a deal to be had but making them is easy and cost effective with the right equipment.
they come up for sale here just watch swap/sell
Prices have gone stupid, here in Australia, Hornady 30cal $AU120/1000 or 44cal $145AU/1000. Lucky I have plenty of both.
Hold Still Varmint; while I plugs Yer!
it seems like just a decade ago, I was buying 1K alum 30 cal GCs off ebay for $12. His name is wind power, I think he is a member here too.
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“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001
ya make yur own. Last I saw the forming die was about $90 some body was selling. GC's were about $40/1000 then. Still gotta buy the stock. How many hours per thousand. I like the idea but at my age -NO. Do the math. .....I've been waiting years to use that phrase appropriately. LOL
I stocked up ears ago, check the auction houses, here etc. If you over pay on the first 1000, then you have some to use. They have an infinte shelf life.
not quite the price of what primers are these days but as much as primers were just a few years ago.
im putting my lathe back in order and plan to make my own punches
the ed smith plans for making a single stroke check maker are really good. works great in an arbor press. i have made 7 of them now and all work great.
If ya think gas checks are expensive... price some jacketed bullets!
I normally use Sage's gas checks. I would like to get into making my own too, I just haven't come across a set of dies yet.
fairly easy to make if you have a metal lathe, or know someone who does.
My problem with check makers is I cast for 7 different calibers so paying $700+ up front then materials, troubleshooting, and number of pulls on a die to make a 3-4 cent check doesn't make sense. So I might save a little after loading 40,000 checks plus the countless hours to make them? I'll pass.
It doesn't seem like making gas checks is economically feasible even for the pros set up and cranking them out. The companies I used to use went belly up and AFAIK the only private companies now selling reasonably priced checks are Sages and Bayou Brass. And they are constantly out of stock.
in my opinion the only place to buy gas checks is from sages outdoors or from someone unloading stuff on swapping and selling here
https://bfbmachineworks.com/
Go here! These are about $72 US per set. Buy it once and have gas checks forever. Flashing is available at Homedepot, Ace, wherever.
what are you going to do if it not a standard off the shelf gas check? i still think there are too many variables in casting a bullet sizes and gas check shanks for off the shelf ones. but i like a nice press on fit for mine. enlarged a few thousands or shrink a few thousands of an inch it is a totally different story on the GC fit. YMMV
the Ed Smith type which is a single stroke check maker you can do about 600-800 per hour. it is made to be used with an arbor press. you can invert it, but have to dump the checks after about 10-12 checks,otherwise they fall out the bottom into a container.
i just buy them, new baby in the family, full time job with lots of OT, i barely have the time to go into my workshop to look around and relax a few minutes anymore it seems. I have a lathe but no time...
“It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.”
― Winston S. Churchill
Does anyone know what kind of gas check making machine is being used for high volume? I have no idea what Hornady is using or who ever is making all these gator checks. Obviously it is not slow like the tools made for our reloading presses.
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 |