Are you tired of buying G/C's yet ?

[Ben]

I've been making gas checks for about 8 years now.
Prior to my decision to begin making my own gas checks, it seemed like every time I turned around I was buying Hornady gas checks.

That will , in time , really drain your pocket book.

I met Pat Green ( who makes the Pat Marlin gas check making tools )
I own several of his tools along with tools made by Charlie Darnell.
I use .014 Amerimax Aluminum almost exclusively for my gas checks.
I have g/c making tools for .22 cal, 7 mm, .30 cal., 8 mm , .35 cal., and 45 cal pistol / rifle.

Today I'm using one of Charlie's FC III's in .30 cal.
This thing will make .30 cal. gas checks just about as fast as you can work a bolt action .22 rifle.

Some photos :

 

[Brad]

Damn, that is fast.
I have considered makng my own but decided I don't use enough to warrant it. I bought 5K 30 cal Gator checks about 6 or 7 years ago. Bet I still have over 2K of them.

Did I see somewhere that Charlie is no longer makng the tools? Too bad.

 

[Ben]

Did I see somewhere that Charlie is no longer makng the tools? Too bad.

Brad,

Unfortunately that is CORRECT ! !

I talked to him a few days ago, trying to get a FC III in .35 cal.

No luck..............

 

[S Mac]

Yours look nice Ben. To drift the thread a bit I got a few hundred in a trade a while back that would not seat flat on the bottom, concaved. I finally realized that the sides were to tall for the shank. Don't really know how to fix them, file them with any precision. Oh well, easy come easy go.

 

[yodogsandman]

Sweet set up! What's holding the bottom of the tool? Is that made of wood?

 

[9.3X62AL]

I have had the great privilege of meeting Pat Green also. If I get to a point where I'm using a lot of gas checks, one or more of Pat's tools will land here. No doubt about it--buying gas checks makes a dent in your shooting dollar. The larger-caliber Hornady checks are crowding the 4-cent-apiece threshold pretty closely. My usual response has been to increase bullet weight/length and reduce velocity--and just get a plain-base mould. That sounds a bit decadent, but a new semi-custom mould costs the equivalent of less than 3K boxed gas checks. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Ben]

Sweet set up! What's holding the bottom of the tool? Is that made of wood?

Tight friction fit in a block of Walnut.

 

[Ben]

I have had the great privilege of meeting Pat Green also. If I get to a point where I'm using a lot of gas checks, one or more of Pat's tools will land here. No doubt about it--buying gas checks makes a dent in your shooting dollar. The larger-caliber Hornady checks are crowding the 4-cent-apiece threshold pretty closely. My usual response has been to increase bullet weight/length and reduce velocity--and just get a plain-base mould. That sounds a bit decadent, but a new semi-custom mould costs the equivalent of less than 3K boxed gas checks. It ain't rocket science.

Exactly !

 

[Ben]

Yours look nice Ben. To drift the thread a bit I got a few hundred in a trade a while back that would not seat flat on the bottom, concaved. I finally realized that the sides were to tall for the shank. Don't really know how to fix them, file them with any precision. Oh well, easy come easy go.

What cal. are your gas checks that are overly tall ?

 

[300BLK]

Those are really good looking GCs! Some that were given to me looked like bottle caps. I've not ventured into making them, and have always shot copper GCs, so have been buying Gator Checks from NOE. $24/K for 30cal is a little easier on the wallet than $32/K for Hornady.

 

[Ben]

Those are really good looking GCs! Some that were given to me looked like bottle caps. I've not ventured into making them, and have always shot copper GCs, so have been buying Gator Checks from NOE. $24/K for 30cal is a little easier on the wallet than $32/K for Hornady.

Yes, and when you move on to .44 cal. and .45 cal. Hornady things get even worse.

Ben

 

[S Mac]

My overly tall checks are 22 cal. I have a K of Gators so I just need to quit piddleing around with these

 

[Ben]

OK........Sorry, If they had been .30 cal., I was going to suggest using them on the 311413, it has a gas check shank that is about 1/4 of a mile long.

Ben

 

[KHornet]

I have had minor problems with gator check sprig back. More so than with Hornady.
Never had that problem with alum checks. Did have problems with alum checks from
Sage, as then were a bit thin and did not crimp adequately. Am now a strong fan of
Josh's checks, as they crimp very well, and I like to support folks on this forum when
I can. As previously stated, have check makers in 30 and 35, and they work well,
but will save them until source drys up again. (hope not).

 

[Ben]

(hope not).

I'm with you Paul, but it is nice to be ready if that day comes.

Ben

 

[JSH]

I got in on about the second GB of checks at CB years ago. I ordered at least 20k of various calibers with the most being 30 caliber. I swore I would never cast for anything smaller than a 30 at that time. There were a few guys that ordered but didn't want them after they got in, so I picked up a bag of 5K 30's just to help out.
Several years later I lost all what little sense I had and started in on 7mm and 6.5. Then the 22rf crap came about and I started casting for the 22 hornet.
I was given quite a few 6.5 and 7mm checks, to the tune of around 6-7k. Thing was the boxes broke open and they were all mixed up. That will make your eye level cross trying to sort them,lol.
Casting bud and I bought a fellow shooter out several years back, all his guns,gear and casting stuff. Took us about 4-5 trips to get it sorted and paid for. That was a good haul, right at two tons of alloy,Lino,WW,dead soft,Babbitt,antimony and some tin.
The gentleman we bought out had a quart jar full of 22 checks. That should last a few weekends lol.
However I am still interested in the aluminum checks and want to get some in various calibers ordered from Josh.

 

[358156 hp]

Does Pat still have that crazy long wait for most products? I was in on his original group buy on CB, and gave up in frustration after several months. I never did try him again, although he does offer some things I'd want.

 

[Ben]

I have no idea about his ability to ship promptly now ? ? ?

It is true that Pat went through a period of time when prompt shipping was a problem for him.

Ben

 

[35 shooter]

I love being able to make my own checks and experiment with different materials.
I got into making my own very quickly after i started to shoot cast in my rifle and rarely shoot commercial(hornady) checks anymore, except for comparison from time to time.

My homeade checks always seem to win out in a side by side test with commercial, so i've stuck with it and have no complaints.

 

[Ben]

Reloaders seem to like the concept of being self sufficient.

Being able to produce your own gas checks simply takes that concept one step further.

Ben