Gator gas checks on Lee bator bullet

I don’t have the bator mold but I have 4 other .224 gas check molds (Lyman, MP, and 2 NOE-no Lee) and a Lee .225″ push through sizer. Only checks I’ve used at Hornady and they work great.

I just sized 300 bullets from a NOE mould and used Gator checks and had 2 that were not keepers. I think your problem could be the Lee push through sizer. I am not familiar with the Lee unit so I can’t be sure that is your problem.  I apply gas checks with a Saeco sizer and then size and lube them. I have few problems with the Gator checks…a lot less than with Hornady or Lyman checks. But I also make my own top punchs for my Saeco sizer. I make a flat punch with a rounded bevel on the tip which is the correct size to fit into the gas check and flair the top of it. This allows the bullet to fit into  the check fully and then be pressed onto the bullet shank when it enters the die. If you use a Lyman or RCBS sizer a top punch of this style top punch would also work.  This is only something that would work for a flat nose type bullet and not for a spritzer shaped one.

I GC my .224 RCBS clone bullets with my Lee sizer with no problems. I started out with that Bator mold, and before I even used it once I traded it off and got the RCBS clone from NOE. Very happy I did that. They cycle everytime thru my AR.