Got a 429244 dropping in tomorrow and I need some gas checks asap. Hornady has seemed to have forgotten how to make gas checks and 44 cal Gators are out of stock everywhere I've looked.
I can find Lymans, and Sage's has their regular copper checks for almost half what the lymans are priced. Which way would you go?
I use Sage checks on that exact bullet. They are good to go.
Cool, thanks.Originally Posted by Gtrubicon
OP Thanks for asking this question.
Now aluminum or copper? Aluminum saves us half again, just curious to real life experiences with the aluminum gas checks.
I've only ever used copper. Haven't ventured into the aluminum stuff. Maybe someday I'll give it go but I'm pretty old school on stuff like this.
I have aluminum checks for .45 and .22 caliber. I’ve noticed no difference from copper.
Today's Lyman's are copper and made by Hornady.
If your Lyman 429244 mold is an old one, you might want to look for some vintage Lyman brass GCs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“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
I use both aluminum and copper...no difference I see. used to run only hornady or lyman..now mostly sages
No idea the age of this mold, other than I'm certain it's not newly made.
Was there a size or design change made at some point?
I'm like Soundguy, I used to use Hornady exclusively, but now I buy Sages. I still have some Hornady in some calibers but I just bought some 44 caliber checks for my cast for my new .44 Magnum. I haven't used them yet but I have used Sages in other cal's with results the same as Hornady.
I'm not sure why he suggested to use vintage checks, as far as I know the check shank diameter hasn't changed.
I can help you date your mold, here is what I need to know:
Is it single or two cavity?
Lyman marked or Ideal marked?
If it's Ideal, does it have vent lines?
If it's Lyman marked, does the sprue plate have a flathead screw, or Allen screw?
How is the mold marked? Is it 429421, or is it something like 429421AB?
I will get back to you after work and when I get my hands on it this evening. Thanks.
"I'm not sure why he suggested to use vintage checks, as far as I know the check shank diameter hasn't changed."
My experience has been, older Lyman molds (and Ideal marked molds), it usually difficult to install a Hornady GC, but the older thin brass GCs go on just fine. I'm not sure when Lyman quit making the brass GC, and started having Hornady supply copper GCs to Lyman's stock (maybe late 1980s or early 1990s?), but I suspect that is when they probably started adjusting the GC shank on their molds...mostly likely doing so unannounced.
This is just an assumption driven by my personal experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“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
~ Two cavity
~ Marked Ideal, Middlefield, Conn., U.S.A., no Lyman markings.
~ Yes, it has vent lines.
~ Sprue plate screw is flathead and looks "unused", lock screw is a flathead, handle screws are flathead.
~ mold #'s are below the handle slot, "429" on the left, "244" on the right, and "855" middle bottom. "855" is also on the other half same location.
Overall in very good but lightly used condition.
Guessing this is an older mold?
I’ve always used Hornady coppers for my 44 mags in 35 rems. I tried plain base aluminum GCs from Sage recently. I was initially disappointed in gos they looked like uneven bottle caps. They seated super easy and still don’t smooth out after seating…but boy do they work! Super accurate in my Glock 20 and was finally the answer to keep me from leading my barrel. I powder coated with clear PC after seating them to make sure they stayed on. It worked…
You can still see the wrinkles after seating. I pulled one and the wrinkles streaked the inside of my brass case. I didn’t PC over the top of this GC and it stayed stuck in my case.
Apparently the uneven wrinkles that don’t get smoothed out when sizing doesn’t affect accuracy. I even undersized my boolit running though a bulge buster die and it still didn’t lead!
I ended up with a box of Lyman .430 push on GCs that are brass. Haven’t tried them yet.
Last edited by Tripplebeards; 09-19-2024 at 10:05 PM.
Back in the early days of aluminum gas checks when PatMarlins was actively posting here it was noted that the Aluminum checks don't crimp onto the boolit heel as well. One of the solutions was to grab some of the Harbor Freight super glue, put a dot into the check, then place the boolit and let sit overnight to cure. Then size and load as normal. IIRC it seemed to solve the issue for most.
Aluminum checks need to be seated first before crimping. I noticed a difference between aluminum and copper. Copper is just a better check IMHO. Sage's checks are as good or better than Hornady.
The Post Rider dropped off 1000 Sage copper checks yesterday. They look ok to me, so we'll roll with 'em.
Ive used both copper and aluminum checks with no difference noticed, But when I powder coat I crimp the check on afterwards and then put it back in the toaster oven for around 5 minutes. It adheres the check to the PC so it doesnt come off when pulling the bullet or shooting it.
Sages are great and consistent, Hornady doesnt put a priority on checks anymore, and Lyman hasnt made checks since the 80's (they buy them from Hornady).
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