Gas check problem

[45DUDE]

I have a Lee 310 grain 44 mold I have shooting with Lyman gas checks. I am almost out and ordered some Sage gator checks but they won't crimp on and are shorter than the Lyman. I have been lubing them on a 450. Can I alox them and shoot with any accuracy at a slower speed without a gas check or am I spinning my wheels? Has anyone tried this/ or do I need to remove the gas check from the mold? I don't wont to powder coat them at this point. Lyman 44 gas checks are pricey. Has anyone removed the gas check and powder coated or alox a 310? I am using a S.R.H. for these. I have plenty of other 44 boolits but trying to go a little cheaper with this combo. The gator checks are .17 thick and .440 od. I am using a .430 sizer so looks like they should crimp. The Lyman's are .12 thick and .428 od. and work fine. The Lyman box is marked $8.50 for 1000.

[Calamity Jake]

Anneal the gater checks, they may be a little hard.
put a dozen or so in a tuna can, set on the stove until they turn blackish, let em air cool, then tryem
you can use them without the GC just keep volicity below 800

[TjB101]

Would a Lee sizer (for $25) be something worth trying. I personally wouldn’t use a bullet without a gas check where one is expected.

[Dusty Bannister]

If you fail to retain the gas check after annealing the checks, you might try a light tumble lube on the bullet and then seat the gas check. Once the bullet is seated and crimped in the case, it is only coming out when it is fired and that will keep things together. Is the check failing to stay on the bullet as you remove the bullet from the sizer? If so, a small spacer inserted between the ejector rod of the sizer and the I portion of the H/I die might raise the bullet enough to make removal easier.

[dkf]

IME the gas check shank on that Lee bullet is on the small side, both on diameter and length. I used the Sage checks on mine after they were epoxy coated. The thickness of the epoxy coating. The Lee 310gr mold doesn't drop big enough for me so I needed the NOE version.

[45DUDE]

If you fail to retain the gas check after annealing the checks, you might try a light tumble lube on the bullet and then seat the gas check. Once the bullet is seated and crimped in the case, it is only coming out when it is fired and that will keep things together. Is the check failing to stay on the bullet as you remove the bullet from the sizer? If so, a small spacer inserted between the ejector rod of the sizer and the I portion of the H/I die might raise the bullet enough to make removal easier.

I alox them yesterday but no help today. I tried the gators on a 240 grain Lyman boolit and same thing. The boolit is on top and removes easy and the check is easy to remove from the sizer. I have several hundred with Lyman checks ready to load. I will try the oven thing tomorrow. I can feel the Lyman checks seat. Thanks

[45DUDE]

Anneal the gater checks, they may be a little hard.
put a dozen or so in a tuna can, set on the stove until they turn blackish, let em air cool, then tryem
you can use them without the GC just keep volicity below 800

Ain't got a tuna can. I was going to ask a girl out in high school but she ate tuna during lunch and I had to pass. I'll dig up something. Thanks.

[megasupermagnum]

Chances are the shank on your bullet is ever so slightly undersized. It might be something to check on, make sure your bullets are fully filled out. Annealing your gas checks should do it though, it works surprisingly well. If I weren't so lazy, I'd anneal all my gas checks, needed or not.

[GregLaROCHE]

Have you considered a drop of super glue, as long as the boolits grease and oil free.
I shoot my 45/70 with unchecked GC boolits all the time after PCing them. They work fine for me, maybe not for ultimate accuracy.

[45DUDE]

Have you considered a drop of super glue, as long as the boolits grease and oil free.
I shoot my 45/70 with unchecked GC boolits all the time after PCing them. They work fine for me, maybe not for ultimate accuracy.

I am sure the super glue will work. They are dropping at .430.5 and look good. I have plenty of jacketed bullets 185-300 grain for accurate shooting. I had enough Lyman's to finish this batch. I spent so much time with these 310 grain boolits I could have bought them and come out ahead. At this point I am moving on to loading something I know works. Thanks to all. Jack.

[45DUDE]

Chances are the shank on your bullet is ever so slightly undersized. It might be something to check on, make sure your bullets are fully filled out. Annealing your gas checks should do it though, it works surprisingly well. If I weren't so lazy, I'd anneal all my gas checks, needed or not.

Thanks to you I took a tapered hand reamer and opened the rear of the mold a few .001 and it worked perfect the first time with the gators. I can put a little pressure on the handle and feel it go on using the 450 with the gas check Lyman tool in place. Problem solved and a simple fix. The Lyman checks still work also.

[45DUDE]

IME the gas check shank on that Lee bullet is on the small side, both on diameter and length. I used the Sage checks on mine after they were epoxy coated. The thickness of the epoxy coating. The Lee 310gr mold doesn't drop big enough for me so I needed the NOE version.

You are correct about the gas check area too long. Even with Lyman checks it creates another lube groove it shouldn't have to my way of thinking.

[megasupermagnum]

You are correct about the gas check area too long. Even with Lyman checks it creates another lube groove it shouldn't have to my way of thinking.

That's how they are supposed to be. All gas check bullets have, and need a gap. The top edge of a gas check is not precision. Having a gas check bottomed out on a bullet allows a flat fit, which is key to accuracy. The gap also allows room for the bullet to deform, as it will during firing. If your gas check jams up into the driving band, again accuracy goes south.

[45DUDE]

Chances are the shank on your bullet is ever so slightly undersized. It might be something to check on, make sure your bullets are fully filled out. Annealing your gas checks should do it though, it works surprisingly well. If I weren't so lazy, I'd anneal all my gas checks, needed or not.

Will that help take the spring out of the gators? -----Reading in another place I have an older box of Lyman's that push on and not crimp. They measure .428 o.d. and the sizing die is .430 but I never had a problem with 900 of them. When they are sized .430 on the boolit they are still .428 so they can't crimp. I read that Lyman changed the gas checks years ago from push on to crimp. This 310 mold has a lot of taper to the inside on the gas check. The gators stay on but look to short to stay on after the boolit leaves the barrel . I may have to order the longer newer Lyman's to stay on after firing? Thanks -Jack

[megasupermagnum]

Gator checks are as good as it gets. They seem to stay on fine for me, at least all bullets I recover that had a "soft" landing in clay or snow etc. have them. The only time I hear about gas checks coming off is the high velocity rifle shooters trying to push past 2800 fps. It is a non-issue for handguns. As long as they crimp on enough that they don't fall off, they will stay on the bullet when it is fired.