Old dog -- learns new trick (gas checking bullets)

[earlmck]

I can't believe it took me 25 years to discover how easy gas checking is when you use a Star lubrisizer.

I started messing with cast bullets somewhere around 50 years ago, and very soon was making some that required a gas check. To put on gas checks you take a bin of bullets and a batch of checks spread out on a table and start inserting the bullet base into the gas check cup. A mere few hours later you have a great gob of bullets with little copper colored bases, ready to spend another few hours running thru the lubrisizer. You also have sore fingers, even when you have bullets that fit reasonably well into the check because there are always some bullets that take a pretty good "push" to get them seated. If you don't have bullets that fit well you may have resorted to my method of heating the checks up to where they are uncomfortable to handle and then insert cool bullet base into the heat-expanded check. That has worked for me on my several bullets that cast up with fat butts, but adds sweat in the eyes and singed fingers to the already sore fingers. And I used the same "seat 'em and then size 'em" technique whether sizing in the Lyman or the Star.

Enter friend Sixgun. Some time back he mentioned he got more consistent velocities/better accuracy with his 25/20's when he checked his bullets using 6.5mm checks rather than the .25's you'd normally be using. So of course I had to try that, especially since I'd just acquired a new 25 cal mould (wonderful 5-cavity Arsenal that I posted about previously). And since a 6.5mm check won't just stay on your bullet while you prepare a big batch for sizing you will obviously need to use a different technique.

I have a nice .258 size die for my Star courtesy of Lathesmith who advertises over on "castboolits.com", so I just plopped the bullet nose down in the die, set a 6.5mm check on top, and ran her through in the normal way. First I thought "dang, I wish I could get oversized gas checks for all my bullets so I could use this quick and easy method". Then I had the thought that "I wonder if it won't work for standard sized checks also". And it does -- with the addition of a little "pop" of the handle to punch the check fully onto the base before it starts into the size portion of the die using a little velocity/inertia physics. And it works so well on those big-butted bullets that you don't even know you are working on a "nuisance" bullet rather than one of the "nice" bullets. As of today I have completed my Star die collection to cover all the sizes for which I have moulds that create the nuisance "big butted" bullets. So here are some pics where I use my brand new .225 cal die that arrived from Lathesmith in today's mail.

GC8376.jpg

GC8377.jpg

GC8378.jpg

GC8379.jpg

GC8380.jpg

GC8381.jpg

If you have nice bullets whose base fits the check reasonably well this method is maybe only 25 to 50% faster. But if you have naughty bullets with too-big butts this is vastly faster. Worth acquiring a Star if you shoot a lot of gas checked bullets and don't yet have your Star. And yes, it also works with the Lee push-through dies but does not save you any time because you have to first place the bare bullet on the sizer punch and push the bullet a ways up into the die using the press ram and then bring it back and place the check on the punch and pop onto the base and then complete the size action. Unless you are dealing with a "nuisance" bullet and then I think the technique would simplify life considerably, even using the Lee.

[Bill in Oregon]

Earl, you are making me wish I had a Star instead of an RCBS lubrisizer.

[M. M. Wright]

Great post Earl. Sadly I use an old Lyman lubrisizer but it seats gas checks for me just fine if a bit slowly. At one time I had a horizontal axis sizer that used Star dies but that wouldn't have worked at all with gas checks. It was an auto deal that you only had to drop a bullet in and it sized and lubed it as the ram was constantly running kinda like one of Pitchy's steam engines only with an electric motor.
I've been on the scout for a Star sizer for years now. Too cheap to just buy a new one.

[Sixgun]

Very interesting Earl..........some moulds are a nuisance and it seems every bullet base is fat and if you try that method, (or any dang method) my guess is your going to shave lead.

Guys like you and me are always on the lookout for gas checks at shows, wherever, and for the most part, old gas checks always seem to be on the small side and then we have to make a special tool to flare them out.........I find that if you have a complete set of "hole punchers" , there will be one that you just set on top of the check and give it a very light whack. Some guys use ball bearings but I don't like the mark it leaves in the middle of the base.

I have noticed that gas checks made in the last several years appear to have a very slight flare made into them.

I like your Star .......if I did not have probably a thousand dollars in Lyman/RCBS sizing dies, of which a half dozen are custom, I'd probably get one of those.

I also use 416 gas checks for 40 caliber rifles such as the 40-65 and the 40-82.

Yea Earl, sure would be nice to know 40+ years ago what we know now, but I guess that's what life is all about.....stupid to smart to dead. Nice pictures and thanks for sharing.------6

[flatnose]

That's good info Earl.
I pan lubed and hand fitted gas checks to 6,000 bullets last year, and ended up using a rubber mallet to set the checks. I always seem to miss the deals on the Stars, so I may just treat myself to a new one.

[1894c]

Thanks earlmck -- great info and pics. This is one of the reasons I joined this forum, always learning from you guys... :)

[Catshooter]

So, when I drop a check into my sizing die, (RCBS) place the bullet on top of it and then seat it/size them all in one motion I've been doing it wrong? All these years? Lord. Figures, but who knew? That's the way I was taught.

Yea, if I had known then what I know now, I'd've gone with the Star. But then I'd also have bought Microsoft for ten cents too, so lets not go down that road.


Cat

[earlmck]

So, when I drop a check into my sizing die, (RCBS) place the bullet on top of it and then seat it/size them all in one motion I've been doing it wrong? All these years? Lord. Figures, but who knew? That's the way I was taught.
Cat

If it is working for you then it is right to do. When I do that with my Lyman, using Lyman (and maybe a few Herter's dies mixed in there) I get a number of incompletely seated checks, cocked, messed up etc. I wonder if the RCBS dies have a gradual taper? I think that is what enables the Star and the Lee dies to work in the manner I described. My Lyman dies don't have much lead-in taper; they close the check down too quick for the bullet base to seat to the bottom reliably. And they do a really bad job with "nuisance" bullets with a base a little too big to fit nicely in the check.

[Sixgun]

Cat and Earl......if the checks fit easily on the base, I do it like Cat says...just put the check on top of the die, insert bullet and ram her home......on tight fitting checks I flare them out first with a homemade tool and do it the same way. I also have one of those gas check seaters, but I find that to be a waste of time.

If ya shave lead on the outside of the check it will still work for plinking but not for silhouette or target shooting.----6

[marlinman93]

I use my Lyman lubriziser for installing gas checks, and haven't had any issues. I don't put the checks on the bullets prior to installing them. I situate the gas check on the sizing die, and then sit the bullet on top of the check and simply pull the handle to run bullet and gas check into the die. Seems to seat and crimp them fine for my uses.

[jhrosier]

Lyman offers a gas check seater doo-dad for their lube-sizer.
It is less than ten bucks.
Every place was out of stock when I wanted one so I made my own.
The thing is simple and you could probably make one from a scrap of wood or plastic that would last for a long time.

Jack

[Bronco]

Love my Star Machine !
I have become a huge fan of gator Checks. Free shipping on orders of 5K or more and can mix sizes. Could be just my imagination but they seem to built better than the major brands. Probably just my mind playing tricks on me as usual His web site is under const. Here is a link that has his phone #. He makes a lot more sizes than in the link, bullet jacket and stuff.

http://bulletswagingsupply.com/Note%20o ... %20(1).pdf

John

[Leverluver]

Lyman offers a gas check seater doo-dad for their lube-sizer.
It is less than ten bucks.
Every place was out of stock when I wanted one so I made my own.
The thing is simple and you could probably make one from a scrap of wood or plastic that would last for a long time.

Jack

Ditto, made my seater decades before one was ever sold. I did buy a factory one but my home made still works better.

[earlmck]

Love my Star Machine !
I have become a huge fan of gator Checks.
John

I have a lifetime supply of checks in most of my calibers but am in the embarrassing position of running low on 30's, which is my most used size. I'll be giving those gator checks a try -- thanks for the tip, John.
And I am certainly loving the Star and the 5 or 6-cavity moulds these days. And the progressive loading press. These past few years as I slid into the 70's I have not only had the eyes betray me but the old back starts complaining loudly as I go much past the 1-hour mark sitting at either the casting pot or the sizing station (or the loading bench, for that matter!) so I find myself willing to trade $ to get time-saving equipment. Just passing along any tips I come up with along those lines to you other folks who may be experiencing the same phenomena.