Author Topic: wax gas checks ????  (Read 1510 times)

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Offline spinafish

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wax gas checks ????
« on: December 10, 2007, 09:28:30 AM »
I have seen mention of wax gas checks.  Doesn't seem right..wouldn't that affect the powder when it goes bang.
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Offline sui generis

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2007, 01:26:50 PM »
I have seen mention of wax gas checks.  Doesn't seem right..wouldn't that affect the powder when it goes bang.

No - the wax is virtually unaffected when it goes bang - maybe a few dimples.

I use them for any lead bullet in revolver cartridges (.32, .38/.357, .44, .45) and in the .45-70. They wouldn't work well in bottleneck cases unless they had a long enough neck to make sure the wad stayed in the neck. I suspected there could be problems with the .30-30 - and there were.

They fall off somewhere in front of the muzzle - at close range a few will even reach the target.

They completely eliminate leading for my use, mostly by suppressing the gas-cutting of the bullet apparently caused by light loads and hard bullets although I use them for heavy loads too.

They are *not* for progressive press use - the wax is in (about) 3"x6"x1/16" sheets and the wads are cut out by the case mouth.

I'm still working on the 'lifetime' supply I got 20 years or more ago when CF Ventures went out of business.

Offline spinafish

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2007, 05:18:59 PM »
thanks for the reply..I have a fairly large piece of wax I peeled off of a large cheese wheel and think I will give it a whirl..was going to use it to flux my lead.  I can't seem to let anything go to waste!
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Offline Clodhopper

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2007, 05:44:45 PM »
I used to use the wax gas checks back a few years ago.  They worked quiet well and eliminated leading completely.  However, when I moved to another house, I left about 100 rounds of 45 colt with the wax checks stored in an un-airconditioned shed for about 2 months during the summer.  When I went to fire the rounds about 75% of them would not fire.  When I pulled the bullets the powder came out in one piece and the wax had gotten into the primers and fouled them out.  The moral of the story is, if you are going to use the wax checks, keep them cool and don't leave them stored for any length of time.  The moisture from the wax will affect the powder over time.

Offline sui generis

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2007, 05:47:31 AM »
thanks for the reply..I have a fairly large piece of wax I peeled off of a large cheese wheel and think I will give it a whirl..was going to use it to flux my lead.  I can't seem to let anything go to waste!
Uhh -

I suppose it's something to try, but what I'm using was purpose-made for use in cartridges.

I have some difficulty imagining how hot a cartridge would have to get to melt this wax into the powder - and whether I'd even try to fire it if I knew it got that hot.

Offline Clodhopper

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #5 on: December 11, 2007, 11:34:21 AM »
What is the wax that you are using?  The stuff that I had that went bad on me was a beeswax mix that I bought in a 1 pound cake.  I live in the desert and we get temps up to 115 F in the summer.  The stuff was stored in a shed for a couple of months.  I also had a big blob of bullet lube in the box when I got around to moving my stuff into my new, air conditioned, reloading shed.

Like I stated, I like shooting with the wax checks so If you have a better mix, share!

Offline sui generis

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2007, 08:31:05 AM »
What is the wax that you are using?  The stuff that I had that went bad on me was a beeswax mix that I bought in a 1 pound cake.  I live in the desert and we get temps up to 115 F in the summer.  The stuff was stored in a shed for a couple of months.  I also had a big blob of bullet lube in the box when I got around to moving my stuff into my new, air conditioned, reloading shed.

Like I stated, I like shooting with the wax checks so If you have a better mix, share!
Well, I've got some - and you don't.  :)

This stuff was marketed many years ago by CFVentures. I got to using it and then read an ad that I thought meant they were going out of business, so I bought what I thought would be a life-time supply.

When that order arrived, they included an explanation that they weren't going out of business, just quitting retail sales.

A little later, they *did* go out of business, but I've still got enough for several thousand more rounds.

I don't know if the stuff is equivalent to any of the common bullet lubes or if it could be heated enough to be able to apply it in the same way as a lube. When it gets warmed up by body heat from handling it to cut wads it gets a little sticky but per above, it doesn't appreciably deform when shot.

It probably would be a PITA to dip bullet bases in liquid Alox, but that *might* suppress gas-cutting and consequent leading.

Edited to add:

When the company was active, they suggested solvents that could be used to dissolve the stock so the 'sdahc' (remainder after after cutting the wads) could be used to tumble-lube bullets. IMHO, liquid Alox was a *lot* simpler and easier.

Offline Clodhopper

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2007, 09:43:11 AM »
sui generis
I guess this is the case of "the haves and the have nots"!  I was just interested in using the wax as gas checks.  I still use my mix of beeswax I just don't leave them stored for very long loaded.  I used to shoot handgun silhouette with my Ruger Bisley 44mag and Contender 45 colt and liked using the wax checks.  I shot all cast bullets and had no barrel leading at all.  You could find the little disks laying out in front of my station after each shoot.

I have heard of using a mix of beeswax and alox for bullet lube however I just lube my bullets normally when sizing them.

Offline GRIMJIM

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2007, 11:52:49 AM »
I have a friend that had good luck with a sheet of wax he got from his dentist. It was pretty sturdy, don't know what it was called (impression wax maybe?) He would use an empty case with the rim cut off for a die to cut out the gas checks.
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2007, 11:41:41 PM »
make sure you use paraphin wax rather then beeswax. Paraphin melts at a higher temp and it probably wouldnt contaminate your powder if the ammo was subjected to high temps.
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Offline Clodhopper

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2007, 04:32:46 AM »
make sure you use paraphin wax rather then beeswax. Paraphin melts at a higher temp and it probably wouldnt contaminate your powder if the ammo was subjected to high temps.

Aha!  That makes sense!  Think I will relegate my beeswax back to lubing and not gas checks.  Also think that I'll keep my non-gas checked projectiles to a speed that leading is not a problem and use copper checks for the faster ones, like out of my 45 Colt Trapper.  Thanks Lloyd!

Offline Steve in Michigan

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Re: wax gas checks ????
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2007, 03:18:55 AM »
What about the vegetable fiber Walter's Wads? Would they work the same? I think they come in .030 thickness.

Steve