Making Your Own Gas Checks

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

I started using copper gas checks 50 years ago when they were cheap as dirt - less than $3 per thousand. At that time, primers powders and bullets were also dirt cheap. As years went by, gas checks and other components kept going up in price until they became quite a significant cost compared to the early years.

About four or five years ago, I heard about a way of making my own aluminum gas checks from empty soda cans with an inexpensive tool kit called FreeChex which was sold by a fellow named Charlie Darnall out in California. Considering the high price of copper gas checks, I decided to buy one of the FreeChex kits to see how they worked and also to see just how well the aluminum gas checks worked.

I bought a FreeChex tool set for .38 caliber bullets and started making gas checks for my .357 Mag. My .38 caliber tool set was the first version of the FreeChex line of gas check tools. It used a hardened steel hole punch to knock out aluminum discs from a soda can. After making a bunch of aluminum discs, each disc was placed in a die and then formed by placing a mandril on the disc and striking the mandril with a plastic mallet forming the gas check. I found I could sit in my recliner chair watching TV while I made my gas checks. I also do leather work and found I could make my gas checks using my flat stone surface covered with a 1/4 inch thick piece of hard rubber. It works well and makes perfect gas checks. I put my gas checks on the base of my bullets when I size and lube my bullets in a Lyman Lubrisizer, and they shoot just the same as my old expensive commercially made copper gas checks. What could be better?

Well, FreeChex II was a little better. After the first version of FreeChex became a success, Charlie Darnall kept working on it and came up with his next generation of gas check tool - the FreeChex II. It used a single die and mandril to both cut the disc and form the gas check. You cut your aluminum soda cans into half inch wide strips and stuck the strip in the slot of the die. The first strike of the plastic mallet cut the disc from the strip, then you would place a mandril in the die, and a second mallet strike on the mandril would form the disc.

Both FreeChex I and FreeChex II made the same high quality aluminum gas checks, but FreeChex II was a bit easier and faster in doing it. The FreeChex I cost between $25 and $30, and the FreeChex II was about $45. I ended up with two FreeChex I tool kits (.38 and .30 calibers) and two FreeChex II tool kits (.44 Mag and 45-70 calibers), and I still use all four sets to make my aluminum gas checks.

Before long, Charlie came out with his Freechex III tool set that works with a cheap Harbor Freight arbor press and makes checks faster than you can believe. Each cycle of the handle produces a finished check in one step, and the gas check falls through the bottom of the die to a collection pan. I never tried the FreeChex III, but there are some You Tube postings that show both the FreeChex II and the FreeChex III in use. One You Tube site shows a fellow feeding the FreeChes III from a continuous coil stock of half inch wide aluminum. You simply cannot believe how fast this guy produces gas checks.

The FreeChex III is to be used with a thicker material than soda can aluminum. It is recomended that you use either copper or aluminum flashing coil stock you can buy at Home Depot or lowes. I already have the tool sets for the four calibers I use, so I have not purchased the FreeChex III tool set. Besides, I find my gas checks made from scrap soda cans work perfectly, so I am not inclined to try the thicker gas check material. Watching the You Tube video of that guy punching out gas checks with the FreeChex III on that Harbor Freight press is almost enough to tempt me to sell one of my FreeChex I tool kits and buy a FreeChex III tool kit.

For those who question whether aluminum gas checks have aluminum oxide form on them and ruin my barrel, it simply is not true. Considering the aluminum is coated on both sides and then greased when the bullet is sized and lubed, there is no way for it to oxidize. You can use copper to make your gas checks, but I do like the idea of using scrap soda cans.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[Ledhore]

I recently purchased the Freechex III and it is an amazing tool. I made 1,000 checks with it last night using .014" aluminum in less than an hour. Mine is chucked into a drill press. Not bad for less than $2 per thousand in material.

 

[Dthunter]

I have the freecheck II, in .308 caliber.
Works great!
I am very fortunate to have a lifetime supply of .014 & .016" aluminum sheets.
I have made checks from brass(various thicknesses), copper, & aluminum.

 

[David Wile]

Hey Ledhore,

Since you have a FreeChex III tool set, I would like to ask a few questions about your experience with it.

Did you by any chance see the You Tube video where the fellow loads a coil of half inch wide aluminum on a spindle and proceeds to start punching gas checks just as fast as he could pull that handle down and raise it? I could not believe a gas check making tool could work that well and that easily.

Does your FreeChex III really work that easily and that fast? And where do you suppose that fellow got a big coil of half inch wide aluminum? Charlie had told me that he recommended using flashing coil stock from Lowes' or Home Depot because it is thicker than soda can aluminum stock. That is one of the things that holds me back from getting a FreeChex III - I like the idea of using free scrap soda can aluminum stock, and the gas checks work well for me. However, with my FreeChex I and FreeChex II tool kits, it takes me a lot longer to make a thousand gas checks.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile

 

[35 Whelen]

I had a FreeChex I and it worked really well, but was a little slow for me. I saw Charlie's FreeChex III and it occured to me that if it would work with a Harbor Freight press, then it shouldn't be a big deal to make one that would work in a reloading press.
I'm no machinist, but I happen to have an old Atlas lathe my Dad gave me. So starting with a couple of 7/8-14 bolts, I went to work. After much trial and error, I finally had a finished product in .30 caliber. It works perfectly:







The nice thing is, the small bolt that forms the cup can be made to form the cup with a variety of I.D.'s so as to fit bullets with different size bases. In other words, different bolts for different cups. As you can see in the picture, I use aluminum Garage Sale, NoTrespassing, etc. signs. I tried aluminum cans and thinner metal, but feel the signs at .014" or so are much more sturdy and each sign, at about $2 each will net about 550 .30 caliber checks.

Ever since I first used the FreeChex I, I WAY prefer aluminum checks. In the last 2+ years I've fired well over 2000 .30 caliber bullets with aluminum checks (I shoot cast in our local High Power matches which accounts for about 100 bullets per month) and accuracy is at least as good if not a tad better than copper.

Charlie is a great guy to deal with and I highly recommend his product!

35W

 

[mikeadams]

Thanks for the writeup Dave. Looks interesting.

Wish I had heard about the FreeChex before ordering a CheckMaker from Patmarlins.

Still might get a FreeChex, since it's been 7 months and have yet to receive the CheckMaker.

Mike

 

[jk2008]

I bought a 30 caliber Freechex III last year. The good news is that it makes gas checks quickly and easily. However, the tool can jam if you don't position it where it will punch out a full disk of metal, so you have to pay attention and stop quickly if something seems amiss.

The bad news is that out of the 500+ gas checks I've made, I have yet to make one that will stay on the base of a bullet. I've been told that the problem is that the aluminum flashing I'm using is too thin. I haven't mic'd it, so I couldn't tell you its exact thickness, but I bought the thickest flashing I could find at my local hardware store.

Another variable is the sizer I'm using (a Lee .308 Lube and Sizer die). I wouldn't think that this would be the case, but perhaps there is something about this die that it incompatible with these gas checks

In any case... I'm not totally sold on the Freechex III yet. If I can find a source of thicker material (the aluminum sign idea above will be a good starting point) and that solves the problem of getting the checks to stay on the bullets, then I might able to recommend it.

 

[Ledhore]

David Wile - yes it makes check that fast. To be effective, you have to use the proper thickness material for your bullet - mine requires .014" material which is the Standard Grade aluminum flashing made by Amerimax (note: they have other grades at other thicknesses).

If you keep the tool lubed (I use hornady one shot case lube) and cycle it far enough, but not so much to completely compress the spring, it works every time. My tool has never jammed on me, and checks stay on the bullet to the berm.

If someone who can't make this tool work hasn't figured out what thickness material he is using or needs to use, you could hardly place the blame on the tool. Bring a micrometer with you to the store.

Generally, material thickness should be bullet diameter (or bore diameter) minus the diameter of the bullet shank where the gas check goes, divided by 2.

 

[David Wile]

Hey folks,

I really do not need a new gas check maker. My old tech FreeChex I and FreeChex II tools make great gas checks, and while they are a whole lot more time consuming, I have been retired since 1997, so time is not really a factor for me to consider. Having said that, however, I just cannot get over the video of the guy punching out gas checks on the FreeChex III like a machine gun. I may not need a new one, but I may just be tempted to get a FreeChex III just for the fun of making them so quickly and so easily.

35 Whelen - you certainly have done a nice job on your tool set, and I am glad you are also getting great results with you own checks rather than having to buy commercial checks. Bravo!

MikeAdams - I have watched a video of the Pat Marling tool being used on a reloading press, and it obviously is not working like the FreeChex III. Marlin's operation is a two-step operation while the Charlie's FreeChex III punches them out in a single-step operation with one cycle of the handle. The video of the Marlin tool showed it being used on a reloading press, and it looked to me like the punching step was a bit stressing on the reloading press. The fellow using the FreeChex III tool on the Harbor Freight arbor press was punching those gas checks with no problem whatsoever. There is obviously some difference between doing it on a reloading press and doing it on one of those heavy arbor presses. I also found out the FreeChex III can still be used on a table with a mallet if you want to do it away from your arbor press. It seems a lot of folks have been waiting over a year to get a tool from Pat Marlin. He seems to have a lot of issues that continue to cause production problems. You might want to ask for a refund and order a tool from Charlie. If Charlie tells you he will send you one in a week, you can count on it. If Charlie does not have them available, he will tell you that. He is one really reliable guy.

jk2008 - from what you have said, it seems the FreeChex III is also working well for you - it seems your problems with checks not staying on your bullets is a problem with your aluminum stock thickness. I remember Charlie telling me some time ago the FreeChex worked best with a certain type of aluminum and that I would not be able to use the scrap soda cans like I do now. Ledhore mentions the aluminum stock that he finds works well for him. Maybe that will work for you - if not, call Charlie and ask him for advice. He is always willing to work with his customers.

Ledhore - It certainly sound like you are hitting a homerun with your FreeChex III tool.

After reading the good things you guys have related about the FreeChex III tool, I am really tempted to spring for one and get one of the Harbor Freight arbor presses as well. I don't expect to replace all four of my old FreeChex tool kits, but I will have to figure out which one might make the most sense to upgrade to the FreeChex III. I guess I would upgrade one of my FreeChex I tool kits, since the FreeChex II tool kits are a good bit faster than the FreeChex I kits.

Best wishes,
Dave Wile