Aluminum gas checks for cast bullets

[Allen]

I just bought some 30 cal. aluminum gas checks. They were much cheaper than the copper checks. Do these work OK? Has anyone tried them yet?

[Matt Anthony]

I just bought some 30 cal. aluminum gas checks. They were much cheaper than the copper checks. Do these work OK? Has anyone tried them yet?

I would not use them in any of my loads or barrels under any circumstances. Gas checks are there for a purpose and the industry decided after trying different metals to use copper checks. Yes, gas checks have risen in price, but the Gas Check Store who makes aluminum checks is almost as much as the copper, so what's the problem?
Is there accuracy issue's you ask, there appears not to be, but I don't want aluminum inside my barrels, period!
Matt

[psteinmayer]

I agree! I can't speak from the viewpoint of a Cast shooter (yet), but I know that aluminum does nasty things when in the path of other metals... and aluminum can easily adhere to hot steel! I wouldn't want the hassles of trying to remove little beads of aluminum from the rifling of a barrel...

[Dollar Bill]

Aluminum checks have been around for some time and have a proven history of good performance up to about 2000FPS. I've run about 1000 so far and I can find no difference between them and copper checks.
There's absolutely no way an aluminumm check is going to damage a bore. If, by chance, you should be making your own checks (as I do) and get the wrong aluminum, such as 2024 ot 7075, over time, there may be some aluminum oxide formation, which is an abrasive, but the chance is slim at best. 2024 and 7075 are aircraft grade aluminums and no one outside the aviation industry uses them because of the high cost. The most common aluminuns available commonly are 1100 (90% pure aluminum) 3014 and 5052, I believe. Except for 1100, these alloys contain manganese which makes these some of the best corrosion resistant aluminums.

As for aluminum melting and leaving deposits in the bore, aluminum melts at about twice the temperature as lead.

35+ years of cast bullet shooting, I'm very happy with aluminum checks.

[mikld]

I too, have had good results with aluminum gas checks. I have only shot a few thousand and the barrels of my guns show no abnormal wear, or scratching. I guess if I used a harder alloy of aluminum some extra wear may occur, but I have only used the softer grade of aluminum. I found some roof flashing that was pretty soft and have tried soda cans, but since I make my own, my results may differ from store bought checks...:icon_scratch: