Homemade Gas Checks

469 Views
Last Post 4 days ago
Topic Is Solved

CBA Member

Wm Cook posted this 4 weeks ago

Has anyone had any experience with Pat Marlin’s gas check maker? I bought a .30 cal die during the COVID crisis and never used it. I came across it while I was in the shop today and it got me thinking. Thanks, Bill C.

Attached Files

11 Comments

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes

CBA Member

sluggo posted this 3 weeks ago

I have his .30 gas check maker. It works as advertised. It kind of comes down to using my reloading time for making checks or other reloading activities. I could not tell the difference between factory made or his. It seems like factory made gas checks unlike primers and powder are usually available. As long as factory made checks are available I will use them. Pat does make a plain base check maker. It sounds interesting but I have not tried it yet.

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

Spindrift posted this 3 weeks ago

The Pat Marlin check makers have worked well for me. Where I live (Norway), gas checks have become hard to find; hence the need to make them myself. There is a little learning curve involved. A few pointers:

1) Material. 0,3mm aluminum works well for .30

2) Cutting strips. First, get a good quality paper cutter. Preferably all-steel. Second, make gauges: a rectangular piece of metal where you cut a slot in one end, with a depth corresponding to your desired strip width. This makes the process of cutting strips quick, accurate and safe. Keeps your fingers away from sharp stuff.

3) Installing the die. The stacked tolerances of die and press production might cause the cutter to bind in certain positions. Try to rotate the die until you find a position where the cutter moves freely inside the die body. Then, leave it without fixating it with a lock ring. A little play allows the system to self-allign under force. This way, you reduce wear and cut better discs.

4) The discs might look flat, but they aren't. One side is (very slightly) concave, with rounded edges. The other side is convex, with burred edges. When you feed the discs into the forming die, place them with the burred edge facing up. Give the forming die a little rattle. The disc should self-centre easily. And the burred edge will end up facing the shank of the bullet, aiding in grip. If you can't feel a burred edge, then two discs have mated, burred edges facing.

My home-made aluminum checks have better grip than commercial alu checks. I have not been able to find any difference in performance as compared to copper checks. The workload of making them is partially offset by the ease by which they are installed. They slide on the shank almost like a slip-on check, yet grip the bullet like a crimp-on.

As for plain-base gas checks, the short answer is "they work".

Attached Files

CBA Member

Wm Cook posted this 3 weeks ago

I appreciated both your comments.

Mike’s position is that it works but if over the counter checks are available it’s not worth the effort. Henrik’s take on it is if over the counter checks aren’t readily available you’re up a creek if you can’t make your own.

The pandemic coupled with the war in Ukraine messed up supply and material cost for all of us. I think checks, like Linotype has doubled in cost. And primers, powders have skyrocketed, and LR primers just recently became readily available. If 5744 was ever produced it would cost over $600 a jug. Someone recently mentioned RL 17 selling for $90 a pound.

During the pandemic I was caught short on gas checks. They were not readily available. Everyone that didn’t plan ahead panicked and bought up anything and everything. At that time I guess gas checks just got caught up in the madness.

I’m set with powder & primers for my duration. I’ll continue to have a years worth of gas checks on hand but keep the Martin GC die as a backup.

What I found interesting was no opinion one way or the other regarding home made aluminum gas check & accuracy.

A second was Henrik’s comment about putting checks on plain based bullets. Thanks, Bill Cook.

Attached Files

Liked by

CBA Member

Sevenfan posted this 3 weeks ago

I bought BFB one step check makers, have them for 4 calibers. Can find them here if interested - https://bfbmachineworks.com/

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

tomme boy posted this 3 weeks ago

I use the bfb in 30cal. It is perfect. I also have one of his 44pb one that will not make the checks stay on. They are not tall enough to work.

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

connecticut_red posted this 3 weeks ago

Just a data point, I've been meaning to email BFB for a while. I got on their list for a .452 gas check maker in the middle of last September and never heard from them again.

Attached Files

CBA Member

Sevenfan posted this 5 days ago

Blair was very responsive to my order requests, only exception was during the tariff games between US & Canada, had to wait longer for that to settle out but got my check makers soon as the dust settled. Was wrong, I have 5 of them in 6.5mm, 7mm, 30, 35, & 45cal.

Attached Files

CBA Member

Wm Cook posted this 5 days ago

I admit this topic is just unnecessary minutiae taken to the n’th degree, but I’m still wondering if anyone has any first hand experience with homemade gas checks and their effect on cast accuracy. Either pro or con. Thanks to everyone who chipped in. Bill Cook.

Attached Files

Standard Member

tomme boy posted this 5 days ago

I have not seen any difference between the ones I make and Hornady copper checks.

Attached Files

Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 4 days ago

I have not seen any difference between the ones I make and Hornady copper checks.

I have in my .30-30 bolt gun shooting 40-1 alloy. Alum check does not shoot anywhere near as accurately as a commercial check on the very soft alloy at 1700fps. I suspect the more aggressive grip of the copper cup is needed to keep the soft alloy square.

Cheers from New Zealand

Attached Files

Liked by

Standard Member

Wilderness posted this 4 days ago

A friend made some aluminium .30" gas checks for me. All I can say about them at this stage is that they seem OK with hard alloy #311578HP EXCEPT that any attempt to pull a bullet results in a gas check staying in the case neck. Hornady are OK in this regard.

I'll know more when I put some across the Oehler chronograph - if the screen protectors get hit I'll know they're coming off in flight.

You are only as good as your library.

Attached Files