Too Small Gas Checks

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  • Last Post 02 December 2019
John Alexander posted this 12 November 2019

For the last two or three years all the 22 gas checks I have been able to buy, both Hornady and Gator, have been too small for most of my 22 molds from NOE, Mos, Lyman, LBT, and Lee.  I have accumulated several thousand that are too small.  Is anybody else having this problem?

If anybody has a stash of OLD 22 gas checks I would like to buy them.

John

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max503 posted this 12 November 2019

I got a bolt that would fit the threads in my press.  Then I put the ram piece from a Lee push die in the press.  Place a GC on the ram and put an appropriate size ball bearing in the GC.  Then raise the ram up to press against the bolt and expand the GC just a little - forcing the ball bearing into the gas check.

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beltfed posted this 12 November 2019

Much easier solution :

NOE supplies gas check expander ram that fits into the loading press

in place of the shellholder. most usual sizes are available for 22 cal and up gas checks- cost 8.50

,That  plus a flat ended 7/8-14 "die" at 12.75 to push against if you don't have a 7/8-14 flat ended bolt around.

Gets you a setup to open up those gas checks easily. Just place gc on the ram, "crunch " it up on the die

and then pick it off with your fingernail.

I had to pick a couple up to use on a box of 45 cal gas checks that were tight on a favorite

457483 bullet.  Works great

beltfed/arnie

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beltfed posted this 12 November 2019

Bought the second NOE gas check expander in 30 cal for a box that was tight on a couple of my 30 cal bullet.

Again, works great. The checks crimp back down over the bullets nicely during size and lube operation.

beltfed/arnie

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John Alexander posted this 13 November 2019

Max503 and beltfed,

Thanks for your solutions to undersized gas checks. I will order the Lee expander.

This may mostly be a problem of 22 gas checks. I have been using some of these molds for over 50 years and never used to have a problem.  Then about ten years ago the bullets magically became too big to fit about half the gas checks on the market and it has getting worse.  Nothing worse than mold swelling. Having to "remanufacture" the majority of gas checks on the market seems like a pain.  

Is this  problem rare in other calibers?

John 

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JeffinNZ posted this 13 November 2019

John; expanding waist lines is a world wide issue now. 

Cheers from New Zealand

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Ross Smith posted this 13 November 2019

The use of the NOE expander also ensures a flat fit to the base of the bullet. I use mine to eliminate poor fitting gc's

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Paul Pollard posted this 14 November 2019

John,

How old were the gas checks when they started shrinking? What year is what I meant. Mine date back to at least 2007 at the newest. Do you have any idea what the lot numbers mean? I can post some lot numbers if you think it would help. 14 boxes to choose from.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 15 November 2019

dating gas checks ... johna, i think i sent you some 22 checks a couple years ago  ... they were from about 1976 or so ...

ken

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John Alexander posted this 15 November 2019

Paul,

As I remember I started having trouble early in this century.  I complained to Hornady and a year or so later they sent me a box from a lot that was bigger but I was never able to locate more of that lot.

I have no idea which lot numbers might be on the high side of their tolerance. I could call Hornady and they might know.

Are any of those 14 boxes for sale?

John

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Paul Pollard posted this 15 November 2019

John,

Only if we determine they fit. Send me some sample bullets and I can check that way, I guess. My Eagan bullets were always tight to fit. I made a gas check seater which took out the effort and did not need expanding. With this device, the shaving was kept to a minimum. I'll get the lot numbers and post them. I also have some of the old, old, really old Lyman non-crimp gas checks. These were from a previous century, but I'm not sure which century.

Are you using the Mos or NOE mostly? 

 

 

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Paul Pollard posted this 15 November 2019

John,

Not much gas check diversity.

Lot # 2060798. 1 box.

Lot # 2050610. 3 boxes.

Lot # 2060419. 2 boxes.

Lot # 03-050. 8 boxes.

From appearance and numbering, I think that oldest lot is the last one, 03-050.

Ideal gas checks (1 box). No lot number. Lyman Gun Sight Corp. Middletown, Conn. No Zip Code.These are in a tattered plain brown box. It looks like the identification of the gas checks is stamped with a rubber stamp.

I don't have any unprocessed .22's to check the fit.

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John Alexander posted this 15 November 2019

Paul,

I have been using the Mos mostly the last couple of years but recently have been working with the NOE.  Both with the same problem with the last several thousand I have been able to find (several lot numbers but all too small.)

I will get some sample bullets in the mail tomorrow.  

John

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John Alexander posted this 15 November 2019

Ken,

You did send me several boxes a couple of years ago.  They were in the old boxes and fit bullets from several of my now oversized molds just fine. it was a pleasure using them up.

John

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Coydog posted this 18 November 2019

I had got the NOE ex pander for my 22cals that did not fit some of my boolits and took care of the problems. I had talk with Al on the phone about it and told me that will take care of it and did.No more problems.

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Paul Pollard posted this 20 November 2019

John.

Your sample bullets came today. All the gas check lots fit both of the Mos samples. The Mos gas check shanks measured 0.2130 to 0.2135.

None of the gas check lots fit the NOE samples. The shanks on those were 0.2160 to 0.2165. 

Are these all the same alloy?

Paul

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Paul Pollard posted this 21 November 2019

John,

After rummaging around, I found 2 bags of Gator 🐊 checks. The Mos bullets slip in easily; the NOE ones don’t.

Paul

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Paul Pollard posted this 02 December 2019

John,

The bullet and gas check samples came before Thanksgiving. 

A #3 drill gage (0.213) fits in my Gator and Hornady gas checks. It doesn’t go in your sample lot #2191146. With calipers, I measure those at 0.211, which is quite tight. The latest NOE  bullet samples fit my gas checks snug, but they do go on.

The gas check seater is coming along, but a few bullets were destroyed in fitting it. One of the NOE samples is 0.2295 and won’t fit; all the others are 0.228 or less.

Paul

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