How to put a gascheck on a non-gascheck lead bullet

to perform this operation you will need a C-H swage die in the caliber you want to use. You will also need a shellholder nose punch with either a flat top or nose shape to fit your bullet.

The swage die has an upper chamber with a rounded ogive and flat mep lat top where the bullet is formed when swaging.

Take a non-gascheck lead bullet, doesn't matter the hardness of the lead, place the nose of the bullet on your nose punch and ram it BACKWARD up into the die...but only barely, it doesn't take much pressure to form a small taper from curved ogive chamber to allow you to slip on a gascheck most of the way.

Once the die is adusted it is ring locked into place and production can begin.

Final step is to mount the gascheck onto the non-gascheck bullet. You can use Lubesizer press, or a swaging press. But the nose or top punch must be flat that will bare against the gascheck being seated.

None of these steps take a great deal of pressure like a normal bullet sizing or swaging operation. It is very easy and the best part is it works.

The attached picture shows my lite .44 caliber bullet getting a 158 grain swaged bullet getting the non-gascheck treatment. This now makes the total bullet weight about 161 grains.

This technique will work for any caliber that makes gaschecks.

Pass it along, its free.


Jim

Hello, Griz.

Next tuesday I'll be 70, and its getting to be too much a chore for me to cast bullets or have all my moulds be gascheck type. Its also too blamed cold up here right now to even think of firing up the Lee pot in my garage.

A new C-H swage die is not all that expensive, around fifty or sixty dollars and comes with a nose punch type of your choice. Go to C-H 4D on their website, not sure if that's the right spelling on it.

Or, you can pick the dies up at gunshows in used condition and maybe for a lot less money. I found some .38 caliber ones a decade ago for peanuts and still haven't gotten around to using them. One is .38 and the other is 9 mm.

Besides, it can open up an whole new aspect of your reloading hobby... bullet swaging is great.

The positive aspects of the way I do it are you can put a gascheck on any lead bullet. Most of us have non-gascheck bullets in great quanity, either store bought or gunshow buys in bulk.

It is a lot easier to do it my way than casting with a mould. For example, you cast a gascheck type bullet and you still have to put the gascheck on its base by running it through your lubesizer press...don't you.

So, what is the big deal putting a slight taper on the edge of an existing lead bullet and then running it through your lubesizer press -- or in my case, I like to run them through one of my swaging presses which happen to be an old Herter's No.3 press with a shortend linkage cut off a half inch. The reason for the cut-off is to allow the swage die to set lower in the press.

Some bulk non-gascheck bullet purchases can be had cheaper than you can buy the lead and cast them.

There is nothing really that negative about the technique I'm proposing, its a take it or leave it proposition.

Give it a try if you like the idea...no charge, sir.


Jim

Griz, haven't had a chance to test fire these non-gascheck bullets with gaschecks as we are are up to our ham hocks in snow up here...and its just too cold for an old fart to be out in this climate.

But there is no doubt they will perform just like a regular gascheck bullet does...they are on tight and will do the job.

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20 cows, yes this swaging die is like anyother reloading die, has 7/8X14 standard threads. It will fit any single stage press. Did you notice in my picture of my press to do this job, its a dinnosaur of a single stage press...a Herter's No. 3 model that's over 40 years old. The special apparatus mounted on the shellholder station is an automatic swage bullet ejector...something I've invented and works pretty good to remove the swaged bullet from the swage die.

But if you decide to later on get into swaging bullets you'll need a press with special linkage...one that allows the swage die to seat lower in the press. A swage bullet needs to have a top-out point in its peak of being swaged. It all has to do with the handle leverage.

But to perform this simple gascheck modification any press unaultered will easily do the job.

But you will need a lubesizer press with a flat or fitted punch to seat the bullets onto the gaschecks. Or, perhaps another swage die with a flat ejector stem.

Feel free to contact me if you have any problems. Glad to help.


Jim

Chris, howdy right back at you.

Long time, too long. Sent you and email.

What I want for my birthday is a Webly .45 caliber revolver. Hope you got some Cunuck friends up north that can help us out. Lol

Jim