Gas Checks

[floydster]

The price of gas checks is crazy, Lyman $49 per 1000.
I see on E-Bay there is a punch type system to make gas checks out of pop cans, does anyone know of a device to install on a loading press to make gas checks?
Thanks,Floyd

 

[Galil5.56]

Not sure if a really stout single stage press would work, but Corbin has a gas check maker listed here: http://www.corbins.com/gascheck.htm That might be worth calling about.

I sure agree with you about gas checks. I have 2000 Hornady left in 44 cal that were $7.99/1000, and 1000 30 cal that were $12.99... Wish I would have bought 500,000 back then and gone into the gas check reselling business. Who woulda thought $49/1000 for a pound of copper cups, and the insane greed, and stick it to the customer attitude Hornady and Lyman are showing to may very long time customers.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I just got back from the SHOT Show and talked to all the bullet companies about the increasing prices. Not only are raw material prices going up, but so are transportation and all other related costs going up. Gilbert Berry, the owner of Berry's bullets, told me he was now paying $1.40 a pound for raw lead, and $4.60 a pound for copper. Two years ago he was paying 35 cents a pound for lead, and about 60 cents a pound for copper. He says all his other costs have also gone up. He wasn't very hopeful about the prices going down, and neither were any of the other companies.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[moosehunt]

Can't say that it "helps", but it sure points out the facts. Still, I think the gas check prices are a bit out of line. Damn, I wonder how far Barnes bullets are going to escalate?

The greenies argue about how bad lead is, and a company like Barnes is making non-lead bullets (NOT to appease them) that should make them happy, yet metals prices may push Barnes products beyond acceptable price limits! Course, I reckon that's really what the greenies want!

 

[Galil5.56]

That's my point... Gas checks are WAY out of line proportional to other reloading component costs. Jacketed bullets have pretty much doubled lately, but gas checks are more like quadrupled or even more. I guess they figure they can stick it hard to folks who are casting their own.

I just double checked the weight of a sealed box of Hornady 1000 44 cal gas checks @ 1 lb, 2oz's. Intrinsic metal cost of about $3.50 lb (copper) plus whatever metal alloy they use. 500 240 grain "44" slugs weighs about 17lbs. 17 x yesterdays lead spot of $1.32/lb= $22.44. Sure they alloy other ingredients, so it's really 92% of the 17lbs. Just the same, I'd say "gouging" is a fairy polite way of putting it concerning the cost of gas checks today.

 

[Walkalong]

Gas checks have always been overpriced for what you get, but now it is just outrageous.

 

[Shooter973]

Gas checks.........

Couldn't some smart manufacturer make gas checks out of Nylon or some sort of plactic that could do the brass gas checks job? Might even just snap on the base of a bullet with out having to be sized on? Would be very cheap once they got rolling!

 

[rcmodel]

yet metals prices may push Barnes products beyond acceptable price limits

I thought they were already beyond acceptable limits a year ago.

Rifle caliber X-Bullets are about $1.50 apiece, and XPB pistol bullets are almost a buck.

I can't justify shooting them now, and I sure can't if they go up anymore.


rcmodel

 

[moosehunt]

I agree except for 1 single purpose--hunting. Once I have a load developed for gun X, a box of 50 will last a lot of years. Usually not over 3 per year to re-sight in from my practice loads, and then, hopefully, 1 per critter. I admit, I don't always meet the 1 per critter criteria, but still, a box of these expensive but excellent hunting bullets lasts quite a while. I'm surely one of their oldest customers, as I first used their X bullet early the year it came out, '89 or '90 as I recall, maybeso +/- a year.

 

[AKCOP]

I would be willing to pay this price for 1,000 ( although not happliy) if I could just get my hands on some of those old Lyman gas checks that had a super wide mouth that would easily fit the base of a cast bullet and crimp nice and straight and snug. Also glad I got 100 pounds of wheel weights last summer when I bought a new set of tires.

 

[35 Whelen]

Jiminy Cricket!!! Where are you paying $49 for gas checks?!?!? I just ordered a 1000 Hornady .30 cal. checks from Midway and they were around $24-25 per 1000. Mid-South's prices are about the same. Face it. Copper's gone up due to the conflict in the Middle East.

35W

 

[floydster]

Gas checks per Lymans website. Just samples
38/357 per 1000 47.95
44 cal. per 1000 59.95

Now, is this nuts or what !!!!!!!!