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48 Posts
Has anyone used soft gas checks cut from packing foam - the 1/8" thick stuff? I wondered if it worked well or should I waste my time. They'd be loaded under plain bevel base bullets in my handguns.
Soft gas checks
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45 Posts
Tom In Boise
I tried to use 1/4 -inch foam in my Contender 357 many years ago.I didn't have any success at all.The plastic melted and made gooey mess in my barrel that was worse than haveing a leaded barrel. tbc
I tried to use 1/4 -inch foam in my Contender 357 many years ago.I didn't have any success at all.The plastic melted and made gooey mess in my barrel that was worse than haveing a leaded barrel. tbc
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3,366 Posts
Tom,
I don't know the velocities you are working to acheive, but I certainly can't endors packing foam as soft gas checks. As stated earlier, they will positively create for you a worse problem than leading in your bore!
Considering some velocity/pressure limitations, you should be able to shoot your BB bullets without leading problems with just a little fine tuning of your combination of velocity, bullet hardness, lube quality and bullet fit. Of these, bullet fit is the key. Fit the bullet to the cylinder throat (provided it is larger than the groove diameter of your barrel), and if you have no significant constriction in the barrel where the barrel shank screws into the frame, you'll have very little leading problems.
Those folks working towards obturation so the bullet seals well in the throat and bore are having to do so because the bullet doesn't closely fit the throat to begin with. Skip the hassle and do fit the bullet to the throat and many of the problems and headaches associated with cast bullets and revolvers will disappear.
Soft gas checks? They've been tinkered with since the 20's in one form or another, and they get written up in some gun magazine by one author or another about every 15 years or so, and they are a "new idea" to that generation of handloaders, but the truth of the matter is, that they on the whole, are much more trouble than any benefit gleaned from using them!
Just my two cents worth!
God Bless,
Marshall
I don't know the velocities you are working to acheive, but I certainly can't endors packing foam as soft gas checks. As stated earlier, they will positively create for you a worse problem than leading in your bore!
Considering some velocity/pressure limitations, you should be able to shoot your BB bullets without leading problems with just a little fine tuning of your combination of velocity, bullet hardness, lube quality and bullet fit. Of these, bullet fit is the key. Fit the bullet to the cylinder throat (provided it is larger than the groove diameter of your barrel), and if you have no significant constriction in the barrel where the barrel shank screws into the frame, you'll have very little leading problems.
Those folks working towards obturation so the bullet seals well in the throat and bore are having to do so because the bullet doesn't closely fit the throat to begin with. Skip the hassle and do fit the bullet to the throat and many of the problems and headaches associated with cast bullets and revolvers will disappear.
Soft gas checks? They've been tinkered with since the 20's in one form or another, and they get written up in some gun magazine by one author or another about every 15 years or so, and they are a "new idea" to that generation of handloaders, but the truth of the matter is, that they on the whole, are much more trouble than any benefit gleaned from using them!
Just my two cents worth!
God Bless,
Marshall
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2,572 Posts
MikeG,
I only use wax wads with cast bullets,without gas checks. I see very little benefit when used with a cartridge containing a filler.
The most improvement,I find,is with 30 caliber bullets.
My best paper patched bullet loads in the 30/30 have wax wads.
Frank
I only use wax wads with cast bullets,without gas checks. I see very little benefit when used with a cartridge containing a filler.
The most improvement,I find,is with 30 caliber bullets.
My best paper patched bullet loads in the 30/30 have wax wads.
Frank
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