Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Tools that represent the "odds and ends" of bullet casting.
Post Reply
larryw
Founding Member & Supporter
Founding Member & Supporter
Posts: 1125
Joined: 20 Dec 2013 11:09
My Press Choice: Single Stage
Location: Arizona
Location: Arizona
Has thanked: 688 times
Been thanked: 328 times

Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by larryw »

Greetings fellow " Low Life Lee Lovers" Hope everyone is safe & healthy.
Question... Does anyone use the Free Chex or Free Chex II Gas check maker, & if so, do you know if they are still being made, & do you know how to get ahold of the company to buy one ? I need one for .357 chex..
I have a 30 Cal Free Chex tool that uses an arbor press, thing works great, even if I don't use 30 Cal chex??
I really don't care for the Pat Marlin design chex maker, cut the blanks, change the die, form the chex..
I have no doubt they are great, well made tools, that do a great job, I just like one pull, cut & formed, done..
I don't even know if Charley is alive anymore?? Haven't seen or heard from him on Cast Bullets in many moons ?
Haven't received an answer from anyone over there either??? Any info greatly appreciated.
Take care & be safe folks...
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
User avatar
AlaskanGuy
Founding Member & Supporter
Founding Member & Supporter
Posts: 260
Joined: 13 Mar 2014 10:14
My Press Choice: Turret
Location: Remote Alaska
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 112 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by AlaskanGuy »

sorry Larry.. i think the freechex is history... unless you can find one used.

i am just dang glad I got all the ones I needed years ago... one thing I did notice was the copper coils are tuff to find as well.. i pretty mush use alum for everything these days.

AG
Any technology, not understood, can seem like magic....
larryw
Founding Member & Supporter
Founding Member & Supporter
Posts: 1125
Joined: 20 Dec 2013 11:09
My Press Choice: Single Stage
Location: Arizona
Location: Arizona
Has thanked: 688 times
Been thanked: 328 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by larryw »

AlaskanGuy wrote:sorry Larry.. i think the freechex is history... unless you can find one used.

i am just dang glad I got all the ones I needed years ago... one thing I did notice was the copper coils are tuff to find as well.. i pretty mush use alum for everything these days.

AG
Howdy AG, thanks a bunch for the reply. Unfortunately, I agree with you, I'm not seeing anything but
Very old ad's marked sold.. Gonna try new angle, gonna see if I can trade my 30cal Freechex for
A.357 for my cast slugs?? Hey, I can hope. Take care & be safe..
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
User avatar
RBHarter
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 2065
Joined: 13 Mar 2014 19:45
My Press Choice: Single Stage
Location: The green hell 90 miles north of Texarka
Has thanked: 76 times
Been thanked: 674 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by RBHarter »

I think also that both gentlemen have retired or been retired .

The original , if that's the right lable , Sage of Sages that makes the gas checks passed away in October and his wife and son were struggling some to keep up with the business . He ran all of the tools and machines I guess . He spent what time he had to get his son up to speed .....

Moving forward . CB has at least 2 designs , specs and tutorials for check dies without a lathe to make the parts . Pretty simple and straight forward though I haven't done one yet myself .

The thing about the guys making the check tools isn't the tools to make the tools it's making the tools in 17,20,22,24,25,26,27,28,30,31,32,33/4,35,.366,.375, 40 ,41 ,43,43,45,48, and 50 cal . Then there's 35 cal .354-360 , and 43 rifles that aren't compatable with the 44s that are someplace between .426&.434 , 40 cal that is .401-3 and 408-410 , the 45s and 50s are just as bad .....
It seems like there's rushes on calibers too . Not a peep about 32 rifles for years then boom everybody has an 7.92×57 I (.318 groove ) to go with VZ24/48s in 7.92×57 JS (.323 groove) and a bunch of 32 WS and Rem crawl out of the woods (.321 grooves) the last 2 are interchangeable mostly but that first one wants its own tools because it doesn't actually know whether it's a fat 303/7.7 or a skinny 32/8mm .
Just a Red neck,White boy, Blue blood American.....
larryw
Founding Member & Supporter
Founding Member & Supporter
Posts: 1125
Joined: 20 Dec 2013 11:09
My Press Choice: Single Stage
Location: Arizona
Location: Arizona
Has thanked: 688 times
Been thanked: 328 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by larryw »

Good news, found a guy, has a Face Book page. He makes single pass Gas Chex tools that operate with reloading presses. Lee, RCBS Etc, Etc. Daves Mini Machine Shop on FaceBook.
$60.00 shipped until the first of the year then $80.00 shipped. Leed time about 4 weeks. Watched the videos & chatted with him a bit, heck of a nice guy & super knowledgeable.^
Needless to say, Ordered one for .357 & 9mm (same tool)..
YEE HAWWWWWW
A day late & A dollar short? Story of my life +guns
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 6461
Joined: 22 Jun 2013 17:16
My Press Choice: Progressive
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1618 times
Been thanked: 2851 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by Ranch Dog »

How about that!
Michael
Image
User avatar
GasGuzzler
Moderator & Supporter
Moderator & Supporter
Posts: 2070
Joined: 26 Jan 2016 22:39
My Press Choice: Turret
Location: Cooke County, TX
Has thanked: 332 times
Been thanked: 506 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by GasGuzzler »

I bought up several peoples' reloading room clean-outs for .30 and .35 gas checks - ALL Hornady. I tried Gator Checks and they were awful - tried them again years later, still awful. Never had trouble with Hornady so I bought thousands for pennies on the dollar.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from goin' insane.
User avatar
Ranch Dog
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 6461
Joined: 22 Jun 2013 17:16
My Press Choice: Progressive
Location: Inez, TX
Has thanked: 1618 times
Been thanked: 2851 times

Re: Free Chex Gas check making tool.

Post by Ranch Dog »

GasGuzzler wrote:I bought up several peoples' reloading room clean-outs for .30 and .35 gas checks - ALL Hornady. I tried Gator Checks and they were awful - tried them again years later, still awful. Never had trouble with Hornady so I bought thousands for pennies on the dollar.
Same thing GG. My TMT reloading software says that I have 30,300 checks in stock.
Michael
Image
Post Reply

Return to “Accessories and Other Tools”