Anyone make their own gas checks, or substitute ?

[John Y Cannuck]

I use regular gas checks on bullets that require them, and usually use a filler on my plain base bullets. Usually, that would be cotton waste.
I've never played with making my own gas checks.
This post is in response to an article in the current issue of Handloader magazine where the author attempts to use a variety of materials.
Gunnutz being Gunnutz, I figure there's likely someone here that has gone down this road before.
The article sounded like it was a first attempt, he didn't make it sound like he'd done this for long, so I figure there has to be some more experience out there.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

The only real hazard with the above that I can see is the remote possibility that the home made gas check could stay in the bore.
This he solved by gluing each to the bullet.

 

[brownie]

I have heard before of people worried about gas checks staying in the bore and I cannot see how this could happen when there is about 30,000 lbs per sq inch pushing on it!

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Never made sense to me either, and I used to use the slip on type of gas check with no issues.

 

[kodiak1]

On the cast bullet site there are a few old boys working on a couple of different home made gas check makers.
None of them yet in the last couple of months have complained about them coming off and sticking in the barrel. There have been a few of boughten and home mades picked out of crony's already.

brownie I would go with you on that one.

There is also a fella on fleebay that sells a home maker kit cal specific for I believe in the $50.00 range and seems the fellas that have used them (fairly world wide to I might add) are very happy with them. He will build what ever size you want ( I have been talking with him a little).
They are using aluminum popcans or beer cans they are called freecheks.

Ken.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

For fifty bucks? That's about the price of a box of 1000 gas checks I think. Good deal.

 

[vagrantviking]

In the BPCR crowd a lot of people use cork or paper milk carton cards between the powder and bullet. I think the idea is to protect the base of the bullet from the hot gases so they would constitute a form of gas check.

Not really sure how effective they are or to what pressures or velocities you would see a benefit. Or am I mistaken to the purpose that these cards serve?

 

[Cerdan]

It could be the cork or paper cards are used as a way to pack the powder down (when loading low powder volumes in high-capacity cases) and not as a gas check...

 

[blacksmithden]

I looked into it a while back. See the thread below. Getting someone to make a mass order for us wasn't really an option at $0.25 each. A box of 1000 was going for around 30 bucks at WSS last time I checked.....of course, that's if they had them in stock......which they usually didn't.


http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=241156&highlight=price+of+gas+checks

 

[kodiak1]

The wads are used over black powder, the powder is compressed then either a grease grooved bullet is used or a grease cookie and a paper patched bullet is used.
You could use wads to hold the powder stationary but if you handled the cartridge rough the wad might move.

Ken.

 

[ben hunchak]

Wads used in BP cartridges protect the bullet base from gases, just as the GC does on other bullets. The BP bullets have no provision for the GC, most central fire carts. require molds with gas checks for higher velocity, say, over 1800fps.

 

[medicstimpy]

For fifty bucks? That's about the price of a box of 1000 gas checks I think. Good deal.

Yup, that does sound like a deal. We should do like the other sites in the States and get a group buy going.