Reloading Lead for the 10mm

[Caneman]

^^^ thanks so much!

i'm going to get some aluminum can gas check material tonight, and really the only way to empty the aluminum can of its contents without wasting it is to drink the 24 oz of Bud Light that is inside   

[sqlbullet]

Well, my four cavity version of the mold is waiting for me to pick up.  I hope to make it down there tonight and cast a few this weekend.

[Caneman]

^^^ put up a few pics of your boolits

[gandog56]

^^^ put up a few pics of your boolits

Precision Bullets 185 grain moly RFN

[Caneman]

Success!  it was just as you explained, the key was getting the correct roundness on the punch... i opted to use your design and i made the punch body out of some bronze that i had laying around, and all i was out was a $10 1/2" drill bit from Home Depot, got some fine tuning and tweaking to do, but this was my first run- i was able to chuck the punch in the lathe, and then wack the punch body with a rubber mallet... and like you said, you get a certain feel for how hard to hit it:



just waiting for my 10mm lubrisizer die to come in then i'll see how well they seat using my Lyman 45

[gandog56]

I'm assuming you are making aluminum can gas checks?

[Caneman]

yes, these are aluminum can gas checks for plain base boolits

[sqlbullet]

Might be awhile.before I can post bullet pics.  All my two cavity lee molds are at the condo.  But my 6 cavity molds and handles appear to be in a box in storage.  Not  going to be able.gov cast until I track down handles.

[sqlbullet]

found them in stock on Amazon for $17.00, Prime eligible.  As a prime member I get free second day shipping.  They are on the way.  I should have them in plenty of time for next weekend.  I will cast up 50 or so during my refining session.

[Yondering]

Success!  it was just as you explained, the key was getting the correct roundness on the punch... i opted to use your design and i made the punch body out of some bronze that i had laying around, and all i was out was a $10 1/2" drill bit from Home Depot, got some fine tuning and tweaking to do, but this was my first run- i was able to chuck the punch in the lathe, and then wack the punch body with a rubber mallet... and like you said, you get a certain feel for how hard to hit it:

just waiting for my 10mm lubrisizer die to come in then i'll see how well they seat using my Lyman 45

Awesome! Those look about like mine. Please post some pics once you get them sized on some bullets!

[Caneman]

you were right again, the pb checks were tearing in the lubrisizer die right with the die right out of the box... then i remembered that i needed to open up the mouth, so i chamfered the mouth in the lathe, opened up the die body and lapped the diameter about 0.001, then polished the die and it swaged them just fine then:




here is a closer picture of the plain base gas checks, 3 on the left had no lubing (just a little sizing wax for the lubrisizer), 3 in the middle were lubed in the Lyman 45, and the 3 on the right were just tumble lubed after swaging the gas checks as you can faintly see a brownish haze on them (wanted to see if the gas checks come off if tumble lubed):




here is a closer picture of the punch, had to get the nose round enough, long enough, and the right end diameter so the checks would size right when swaged on the boolit, when i was satisfied that it was punching and forming properly i heated the tip until it just started to turn orange then quenched it in water:




very satisfied with the results, still need to get to the range to see if leading is minimized... the checks are hard to peel of with your finger nail but you can do it eventually, they are not perfect but they are walmart grade usable and i expect them to help significantly with leading and also help some with accuracy... i can get about 50 gas checks with a 24 ounce aluminum can (maybe 1 out of 5 rejects) so they are easy to make and i was able to make about 50 in 10 minutes (for reference gas checks can cost upwards of $40 per 1000 so they aint cheap!)...

there are several home made designs for gas check makers, but what makes this design by Yondering different is that it punches and forms at the same time with a simple and cost effective design that is within reach of just about any boolit caster...

[DM1906]

found them in stock on Amazon for $17.00, Prime eligible.  As a prime member I get free second day shipping.  They are on the way.  I should have them in plenty of time for next weekend.  I will cast up 50 or so during my refining session.

I need handles, too.  Amazon is listing them, with a 1-6 month shipping time.  I've been watching them there for several weeks now.  That means they are out of stock and backordered, just like everyone else (and Lee isn't shipping them until July).  Personal Choice Outfitters (.com) has them in stock, with a 2 week backlog.  Ordered 2 at $27 shipped, verified by phone, should be here any day.  They return their calls if you have to voicemail.  In the meanwhile, I've been using scavenged (retired) Lee 2 cavity mold handles for the Mihec 4 cavity molds (fit fine), and modified another to fit the 6 cavity molds.  Just drilled holes at the end to fit the 6 cavity with a copper tubing bushing to keep them snug.  You have to be careful, though, as they will "flip" when open, because there's nothing to stop them, when the holes at the very end.  Heavier handles are a must for the 6 cavity molds, as shearing the sprew is a lot of stress on old, well-baked handles.

On a lighter note, it appears Lee has redesigned the 2 cavity molds (I got a couple for less used bullets).  REAL alignment pins, and a reduced mass lower end.  It seems the removal of the lower mass tends to make heat retention less sensitive with bigger bullets (.41+).  Very smooth, so far.

[gandog56]

I couldn't make all them aluminum gas checks! I would spent too much money drinking the beer for the cans!

[sqlbullet]

found them in stock on Amazon for $17.00, Prime eligible.  As a prime member I get free second day shipping.  They are on the way.  I should have them in plenty of time for next weekend.  I will cast up 50 or so during my refining session.

I need handles, too.  Amazon is listing them, with a 1-6 month shipping time.  I've been watching them there for several weeks now.  That means they are out of stock and backordered, just like everyone else (and Lee isn't shipping them until July).  Personal Choice Outfitters (.com) has them in stock, with a 2 week backlog.  Ordered 2 at $27 shipped, verified by phone, should be here any day.  They return their calls if you have to voicemail.  In the meanwhile, I've been using scavenged (retired) Lee 2 cavity mold handles for the Mihec 4 cavity molds (fit fine), and modified another to fit the 6 cavity molds.  Just drilled holes at the end to fit the 6 cavity with a copper tubing bushing to keep them snug.  You have to be careful, though, as they will "flip" when open, because there's nothing to stop them, when the holes at the very end.  Heavier handles are a must for the 6 cavity molds, as shearing the sprew is a lot of stress on old, well-baked handles.

On a lighter note, it appears Lee has redesigned the 2 cavity molds (I got a couple for less used bullets).  REAL alignment pins, and a reduced mass lower end.  It seems the removal of the lower mass tends to make heat retention less sensitive with bigger bullets (.41+).  Very smooth, so far.

Man, I lucked out.  $17.66 shipped, be here tomorrow.  They are already on a UPS truck and I have the tracking number.

But, they aren't on Amazon's site anymore.

[Yondering]

you were right again, the pb checks were tearing in the lubrisizer die right with the die right out of the box... then i remembered that i needed to open up the mouth, so i chamfered the mouth in the lathe, opened up the die body and lapped the diameter about 0.001, then polished the die and it swaged them just fine then:
...

Lookin good!

My checks aren't perfect either (the checks from the PatMarlin die are pretty close to perfect though!), but I found it doesn't seem to matter if these thin checks get sized higher on one side than the other; as long as they don't cover the lube groove you're good.