5.56 gas check

[Aguila Blanca]

Is there anyone on this forum who loads 5.56 using gas check bullets? If so, I would appreciate it if you would contact me by private message. I'm reviving a book I started writing four years ago, and I need some dimensional information about the projectiles -- especially, what's the OD of the bullet base before the gas check is applied?

Thank you.

[Unclenick]

NOE moulds publishes their dimensioned bullet drawings, which are a good resource. The drawing on the right, here, is a gas-checked .225 bullet with the gas check shank dimensions included. You will find that typical gas check shanks are tapered, which is apparently what the common crimp-on gas checks like. Of course, when you size the check and bullet together, some squeezing and downward flow of bullet alloy may occur and help hold things together. It depends on the alloy and its hardness.

I'm wondering if you might want this thread in the Cast Bullet forum?

[Aguila Blanca]

Thank you, Unclenick.

I know about NOE, but I didn't know they have dimensioned drawings. Just what I was looking for.

[Sharkbite]

So, im curious, why would you gas check a .223 bullet? Wouldnt any cartridge using that size projectile exceed the velocity max of even a gas checked lead bullet? School me up

[Aguila Blanca]

I don't know why most folks might load a lead bullet at 5.56 velocities. In my case, I'm looking at/for bullet options for reloading .22 Long Rifle.

However, I do NOT want this discussion to go off into the weeds about "Why reload .22 rimfire?" That's why I intentionally didn't mention the purpose in the opening post. The reason for the inquiry is that the gas check base is the same (or nearly the same) diameter as the heeled base of a .22LR projectile.

[44 AMP]

So, im curious, why would you gas check a .223 bullet? Wouldnt any cartridge using that size projectile exceed the velocity max of even a gas checked lead bullet? School me up

You gas check the base of a .223 bullet for the same reason you gas check any bullet, so you can reach higher velocities than the lead base alone.

Every cartridge using that size bullet can be used with cast bullets. But you don't get the performance you do with jacketed slugs.

My old (1970) Lyman manual lists cast bullet loads for every 22 cal they show, from .22 Hornet to .220 Swift.

Top end velocities with cast bullets top out in the 22-2400fps range with all of them. No reason you can't use cast bullets within their proper velocity range, even in cartridges that will run a jacketed bullet over 1,000fps faster.

you don't HAVE to drive with the pedal to the metal, every time, unless its what you want to do, and if it is, simply don't use cast bullets in high speed
.22 CF rounds.

[mehavey]

I'll cast some new tomorrow and let you know the main and gas-check shank(s) diameter(s)
https://i.postimg.cc/FsQZnjJD/Armeli...1_Combo_sm.jpg