.41 magnum gas checks
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AFAIK, all commercial copper gas checks in this country are now made by Hornady, even if sold under Lyman or another brand name. If they don't have one for 41 Mag, you will have to make your own. In that case, go to the castboolits.com forum and seach on gas checks or making gas checks. Their is at least one thread I read there that had the name of the person making and selling the tool for making gas checks from aluminum cans. You can also buy copper foil, of course.
An alternative is the P-wad. It does take up a 1/16" of powder space, but stops leading completely, as near as I can tell. That assumes you don't have an extra rough bore.
An alternative is the P-wad. It does take up a 1/16" of powder space, but stops leading completely, as near as I can tell. That assumes you don't have an extra rough bore.
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Just checked. Hornady jumps from .375" to .416". Gas checks aren't considered necessary in normal magnum revolver loads, and that may explain it. So, you are off to make your own or the P-wads. They are available in both .400" and .410". At least they don't require a special bullet heel, so you can use them with any lead bullet.
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Those Hornady .416 gas checks should work just fine on the .41 Mag. The Hornady design allows for a bit of give and take both over and under size. For example, I use .32's on .330 bullets and .338's on .334 bullets and these applications work just fine, no folding, etc.
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Nick, I've read your informative posts on this board with interest and appreciation. I find myself astonished (and slightly flattered) that I knew something that you didn't.
I think that the reason what I've said is so with the Hornady checks is as follows. By design, they clamp onto the base of the bullet during the sizing process. To be able to do this, they must flare out a bit on the lip. This gives them a bit of +/-.
Not too awful long ago, I looked at that "system" that a guy down in California sells for making one's own gas checks. I was a little put off that he was not selling them at a set price. At the time, he was selling them on Ebay one at a time, with a high starting price. He was metering them out slowly to keep them scarce. The recommended stock for creating the checks was aluminum beverage cans. For a number of reasons, I decided I didn't want to go that route but I admit that was before a box of checks cost $30. Based on the design of the tool and material used, the aluminum checks wouldn't've been of the clamp-on design such as Hornady. Mind you, a separate tool set was required for each caliber.
I think that the reason what I've said is so with the Hornady checks is as follows. By design, they clamp onto the base of the bullet during the sizing process. To be able to do this, they must flare out a bit on the lip. This gives them a bit of +/-.
Not too awful long ago, I looked at that "system" that a guy down in California sells for making one's own gas checks. I was a little put off that he was not selling them at a set price. At the time, he was selling them on Ebay one at a time, with a high starting price. He was metering them out slowly to keep them scarce. The recommended stock for creating the checks was aluminum beverage cans. For a number of reasons, I decided I didn't want to go that route but I admit that was before a box of checks cost $30. Based on the design of the tool and material used, the aluminum checks wouldn't've been of the clamp-on design such as Hornady. Mind you, a separate tool set was required for each caliber.
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As I do with most revolver rounds, I shoot plain-base cast bullets for 95% of all loads. I hold those to 1000 fps or under and a gas check isn't needed. For those VERY few loads where I Imagine I need full horsepower, I'll use bullets with "full-length gas checks."
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Gschwertley,
Don't be surprised. There are lots of things I have never tried, mostly because my wife won't let me.
Like Rocky, I don't use a lot of gas checks. None in handguns. Elmer Keith worked up the .44 Magnum by overloading the .44 Special in large frame revolvers. I think the hardest alloy he ever used was 16:1 lead tin, and I don't recall gas checks being part of the picture (though I read about it a long, long time ago). Rifle bullets are the only place I've put them, and .224, .264, .308 and .458 have pretty much been the only diameters I've used them for, and Hornady makes all of those.
I have no clue about how good those kits are? Was it Speer that started his business by forming fired .22 Rimfire cases into bullet jackets? There's a lot you can do with scrap metal. Aluminum cans may work, but I think I'd probably buy that 0.01" copper foil they sell for metal hammering hobbyists.
All the old gas checks had straight sides. I'm pretty sure Hornady invented the crimp-ons and they work enough better that the others gave up and just repackage Hornady checks now. The others were all held on by lube. A lot of times they didn't stay in place. A friend of mine used to paint 63:37 solder and flux paste into them and solder them on in his oven when he heated the bullets to water quench them.
Don't be surprised. There are lots of things I have never tried, mostly because my wife won't let me.
Like Rocky, I don't use a lot of gas checks. None in handguns. Elmer Keith worked up the .44 Magnum by overloading the .44 Special in large frame revolvers. I think the hardest alloy he ever used was 16:1 lead tin, and I don't recall gas checks being part of the picture (though I read about it a long, long time ago). Rifle bullets are the only place I've put them, and .224, .264, .308 and .458 have pretty much been the only diameters I've used them for, and Hornady makes all of those.
I have no clue about how good those kits are? Was it Speer that started his business by forming fired .22 Rimfire cases into bullet jackets? There's a lot you can do with scrap metal. Aluminum cans may work, but I think I'd probably buy that 0.01" copper foil they sell for metal hammering hobbyists.
All the old gas checks had straight sides. I'm pretty sure Hornady invented the crimp-ons and they work enough better that the others gave up and just repackage Hornady checks now. The others were all held on by lube. A lot of times they didn't stay in place. A friend of mine used to paint 63:37 solder and flux paste into them and solder them on in his oven when he heated the bullets to water quench them.
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I don't use any checks on pistol bullets myself, but the guy asked the question so there it is. My only application for checks is on rifle bullets, a few of which I cannot even buy jacketed bullets in the size required. Like you guys, with pistol bullets I either keep the speed down or cast them very hard. I don't believe I even have a GC-base pistol mold.
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Gator Checks; They make 3 different sizes of .41 gas checks. You can find all you want to know about Gator Checks over at the Cast Boolits Forum. Just scroll down to the Gas check section.
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