Powder coating & Gas checks ?

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  • Last Post 01 December 2021
LarryW posted this 07 May 2021

Howdy everyone, Since I am about to start my powder coating adventure along with

my Gas check adventure, both plain base & gas chex shanked boolits, my question

is. Apply checks before, or after powder coating ?

Thanks in advance.. Take care & be safe..

A day late & a dollar short, story of my life ???

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Geargnasher posted this 01 December 2021

Powder-coated bullets don't need to be more than 14 bhn to make 3,000 fps. In fact, I run .22s that fast at around 12 BHN, straight wheelweight metal. Check and size right after casting while they're soft and it's even easier. Coat and size again, that's my M.O.

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Wheel Weight posted this 12 July 2021

My SAECO lube sizer allows just seating the gas check. Then I PC them. Almost all mine are shot unsized.

Best thing about PC is no smoke. Especially appreciated on indoor ranges.

PC also bumps up the size a bit, useful for worn/oversize bores.

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David Reiss posted this 30 June 2021

SonnyK what is a boolit? Is that some kind of scary match? 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
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Sonnyk posted this 30 June 2021

I cast hard bullets with a .014" Pat Marlin gas check and my method is I use the appropriate Lee sizing die after casting and before PC, pushing the hard cast boolit from the base works easier than forcing it from the top.  Then I apply the gas check the same way running it through the same die again. 

Next I PC my casts and run them through the same die a final time to size and smooth out the PC coating on the boolit.  If they stick use a little dish soap in water. 

Alternatively I removed the wax from my Lyman 450 and the bar that pushes the boolit back up so that the cast falls through the bottom after sizing, but in the same order as described above.

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GP Idaho posted this 10 May 2021

LarryW: I almost always seat the checks and crimp them on with either a Noe bushing sizer or Lee push through size die the diameter that I want the bullet to finish. Then powder coat and run them through the sizer one more time for a smooth finish. As mentioned in a thread above, watch those nose sizes when powder coating, it can lead to chambering problems as you are changing the dimensions of the bullet slightly. If you have a bore rider that is a fit as it drops from your mould the nose will need sizing before or after coating but that's a whole different rabbit hole. Gp

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Ross Smith posted this 09 May 2021

I have to seat gc's first then powder coat then size for my 300 Blackout. Other wise I have case neck-throat dimension problems and the gun don't work.

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358156hp posted this 09 May 2021

I use both methods on revolver bullets, primarily dependent on which gas checks I'm using. I always install  non-crimp (Lyman) style gas checks after tumbling the bullet in powder, but before baking. I find this allows the cured powder coating to secure the 'check on the step, kind of like gluing them on. For crimp on gas checks (Hornady) I can go either way since I have a gas check flaring tool set that covers all common sizes. I usually install and crimp these gas checks after coating.

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4and1 posted this 08 May 2021

I seat the check and size the bullet, then PC. I run the bullet in the sizer after PC too, cause I'm using a tight fit chamber.

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Spindrift posted this 08 May 2021

I seat GC prior to coating. If you find you have under-sized shanks, it would make sense to coat before seating checks. But most shanks have a rather generous girth in the first place. Some general observations I have made, with coated bullets in bottle-neck rifle cartridges:

- coated, GC bullets often shoot well with starting loads for jacketed bullets, using the faster of the listed powders. Sometimes slightly reduced.

 

- Coated PB bullets often shoot well with loads similar to what you would use with a lubed, GC bullet of the same construction. 

 

- Bullets designed for GC often shoot well without GC (bare shank) when coated. Particularily bullets with a reasonable bearing surface despite the absence of a GC

 

- Due to slight variability of coating thickness, don’t aim for «jam-fit» COL, unless you uniform the nose after coating with a swaging process. You’ll get some cartridges that’ll refuse to chamber. Use enough jump, to allow all cartridges to chamber without resistance. With a short jump  COL, some cartridges offer resistance when closing the bolt- and result in (often) a high flier. Use enough jump, the bullets can take it.

 

- Bore-riders that are well-fitting in the first place are unsuitable for coating. Generally, bullets with conical noses are best. 

 

You’ll find there is a little learing curve related to this technique,  but you’ll get the hang of it in a short while. Just be prepared for some frustrations in the beginning (I sure had).

Good luck, and happy shooting!

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Boschloper posted this 08 May 2021

I'm shooting 358156 at .38 spl +p all the way up to full .357 mag. velocity with powder coat and no gas check.

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pisco posted this 07 May 2021

I seat the g/c after I p/c

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JeffinNZ posted this 07 May 2021

I apply before coating simply because trying to seat the gas check afterwards is more difficult especially in .22 bullets.

Cheers from New Zealand

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