Brads Gas Check flaring tool for Christmas

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I will try and call Thursday Al, it depends on what work brings me.
 
9

9.3X62AL

Guest
Glad here as well. I made an attempt with a gunsmith to have similar tools made up at the same time he re-barreled a shot-out 22-250 of mine. I did finally get the rifle back after 16 months' wait--in fairness, the guy was beset by health and injury issues, and since I had no money advanced for the tools I let the matter drop. The rifle work was SUPERB. Bad things happen to good people.

If this idea gets off the ground, it will be nice to use tooling purpose-built for the task at hand--making balky gas checks fit outsized shanks.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Al will do a fine job of makng these, I have no doubt about that.

Be patient, might take a little time but it should work out well.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Ok, I need a favor from some of you guys.

There is variation n checks from manufacturer to manufacturer and even netweens runs from a single company.

I would like samples, maybe 10 each, of checks from different companies and of different ages. Looking at Gator, Hornady, RCBS, and Lyman. Some of the old non-crimp Lyman would be great.

If you can help me out send a PM please. For now I am looking for 30 cal only.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I have some press on lyman brown box 7m checks when you get to that size.
I also have some 41 cal gator checks I have to flair open for my 41 lyman mold,
i'll probably just cast up enough to finish this batch of checks then sell the mold.
and some rcbs 375 cal. checks still kickin around out there.
lemme know if you need any of them and i'll send along 10-12 of each.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
There is variation n checks from manufacturer to manufacturer and even netweens runs from a single company.

In reality I don't think it matters a bit. Simply make the sizer for a worst case, any checks that may be a bit thicker would be sized very slightly more, thinner sized slightly less. That would have to be .001" or less which would mean . . . So what, your gonna size it back down in the sizer die when you install it anyway. If your going to get wrapped around the axle about any possible slight variation in cup thickness you will also need to get wrapped around the axle about the gas check shank sizes on every mould out there.

The only purpose is to make a check that slips on easily and completely flat against the bullet base with no digging into the shank by the sides of the cup. To make a sizer that makes the perfect snap on fit of every check on every gas check shank is simply not possible because you need a specific check sizer for every mould AND also for every alloy used in that mould.

None of my sized checks in any caliber are a snap on fit. They are too loose to stay on the shank until I size and crimp them on the bullet. And yes, they size on nice and tight.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
they either do that or I have to press them into place with the press.
if the mouth of the check is flared open that makes life a whole lot easier.
and if the bottom is square, and flat, that makes things shoot a whole lot better.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
Precisely! It's not just flaring the sides of the cup but the bottom also needs to be flat and fit completely against the base of the bullet and square to the bullet. Does wonders for eliminating grief when looking at targets.

Like many things in loading and casting there is little effect at short range muzzle thumpin distances but as both range and velocity increase it can make quite a difference.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
This flairing tool cal specific has now become interesting to me if it will also flatten a base . I would NEED to have 1 in 223 . It now sounds like a perfect tool to make LP primers 22 gas checks and that is a great thing .
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I forgot about the lr primers fitting the 22 boolits. almost.
I have swaged picked apart primers and swaged them and a core together to make some slow speed stuff.
but just a bit of opening and squaring things up would allow their use.
 

KHornet

Well-Known Member
I just finished working 200 22 cal checks. Being so small to work with I can do about 4-5 a minute because of fat fingers and old age. Don't have that problem with the bigger checks like 7MM/30 cal and up as they are easier to pick up and place. I adjust to the point where I am getting just enough flare on the check so that I now have checks that snap on. Did 200 of the new 22 55 grainer Lees from a 6 cav mold, and they work like clockwork.
 
9

9.3X62AL

Guest
Annealing the checks can ease reforming. I have floated them in the casting melt, and retrieved them with needle-nose pliers or sludge spoon and let them air-cool.
 

JRR

New Member
I find a drill bit with a shank diameter the size I want the id of the check to be. Put it in the drill press chuck, shank down. Move bed up to within reach of the drill. Put check onto tip of drill shank and press it down against the steel bed. Tap the check off the drill using a 6" crescent wrench like a slide hammer. Takes a slight tap and done. A few seconds each.

Don't turn on the motor