gascheck to no gascheck mold

[lee1954]

I'm thinking about taking/cutting a gas check band out of a Lee .30 cal mold .... has anyone tried it/ and  it worked OK ?

[blhof]

Had a friend that was a master machinist and modified a few molds, but I wouldn't do it myself.  He also had a few grand of high end milling equipment and cared for them with kid gloves.

[jsh]

I had a fellow take the bevel base out of a 6 cavity lee. He did such a good job that I had him take a GC out of a couple of others, then milled it down so tha base was not so long, worked like a charm. This is not for the beginner though. Another fellow took a numbered drill to an aluminum mold. Got it off center and  the thing is a sinker weight IMHO. Takes a bit more equipment than a drill press and a vise, as stated above. At least to end up with a useable mold.

[Hank08]

I found a 4 cav. Saeco .45 mold cheap at a gun show.  Just glanced at it and thought it was a gas check bullet but when I got home found it wasn't for a gas check but the cherry had been set too deep and about 3/16th of the schaft had cut into the mould, would have taken about a .357 GC so took it to a friend with a mill and sliced it off at the bottom of the bullet, works fine now.  All this to say ,no problem, just mill of the gas check.
H08

[haroldclark]

I have a very expensive Hensley and Gibbs 250 grain 44 SWC  6 Cavity mold that had a gas check.  I had it milled off.  It looks fine and all appears well.

But, the bullet won't shoot well in any 44 caliber I have tried it it.  It is a pistol design. 

I have a 6 Cavity 357 mold that started as a 160 grain #51 and it was sent back to Hensley and Gibbs for changing the bullet to be a 200 grain Plain Base 357 caliber.  Bullets look great.

Now, I have two very expensive Paper Weights. 

If I were going to try that again, I would try it with an inexpensive mold, like a Lee, but I wouldn't want to pay much to have it done.

I recently purchased a new Saeco 4 cavity mold #630 (30 caliber) with a plain base.  It is a duplicate of the #316 that shoots extremely well in my 30/30s.  The Cost was about $140 at Buffalo Arms Company.

I haven't had much experience with it yet to tell if it is going to be accurate.

However, my first tests  with the bullets going too fast (probably) gave poor results. 

Point being is that the new Saeco appears to be one that was originally a #316 and the gas check was milled off.  My 316 bullet will fit perfectly in the 630 cavity.

I have not been able to further test that new bullet, yet.  But, the time is coming very soon.

Harold

[lee1954]

thank you for you input  -- If I goof,. I'm out $25. and will have some parts still good  -- I found a 160grain .308 onehole that I hadn't  used in years.
     I gound with a dramel then lapped,, Cast  5 boolets. ground a little more laped
 I used lamp black on the mold to see what I ground
Cast more,,,  time to run though resizer...I'm not looking for perfection just something that work.. can I do it at home..I'll know when I shot them..I may need to remove more but I went out and shot a few and they seamed  to do  good

[Lloyd Smale]

ive done them by milling the tops and by drill out the check area and it never worked. I think it just changes the ballance of the bullet to much. Ive ended up pitching every one ive tried.

[lee1954]

I do wish I had more knowledge   like an engineering degree    BUT---- this is my hope  ---that a old guber stumbles on something right every so often -- even if this is not one of those times   Sometimes I think outside the box  ...

[Wiking]

My friend has an RCBS .358 SWC that have had the GC part filed off. It casts nice and accurate bullets.