gas checks and Leading

[David R]

I was out shootin groups today. I am using a 311466 GC boolit. I had some 130 grain M1 carbine boolits I cast just to try. I shot 5 of the 130 plain base and pulled out the bolt to see lead in the barrel. I shot 5 Gas Check boolits and looked again. Lead GONE. Must be they do scrape out the lead.

[beagle]

GCs will normally clean moderate leading. If it's really plated, you still got problems./beagle

[Bass Ackward]

I was out shootin groups today. I am using a 311466 GC boolit. I had some 130 grain M1 carbine boolits I cast just to try. I shot 5 of the 130 plain base and pulled out the bolt to see lead in the barrel. I shot 5 Gas Check boolits and looked again. Lead GONE. Must be they do scrape out the lead.

David,

Yes. The effectiveness of lead removal depends on the space available in the groove just ahead of the check. Once this space fills up with scrapings, it sizes down and no more lead is removed.

Veral Smith always said he made wide GC grooves for HV bullets so that it would remove leading. But the caveat here is that the bullet that leads, loses balance. So accuracy is gone long before the GC starts leaving lead behind that you can see in your bore.

So the ability of a GC to remove lead simply helps you with cleaning.

[locutus]

Almost all of my rifle boolit moulds are gas check. I've had VERY good luck with GC designs in rifles over the last 40 years, so I've stuck with them.

I also use 'em in .454 Casull, .44 Magnum, and "hot" .45 Colt loads.

I know a lot of folks get good results without them, but when I find something that works for me, I stick with it.

[Shuz]

In my experience,gas checks are not needed until you reach a certain "magic velocity". That velocity is dependent on alloy hardness,bullet fit,phase of the moon; therefore, the "magic velocity" can be different! I have not found gas checks to be necessary for "normal" handgun velocities up to 1400 fps. However, since most of my rifle shooting is with boolits going faster than the "magic velocity", I use gas checks on them. I only use gas checks on revolver boolits if I wanna remove minor leading because I have exceeded the "magic velocity" for a soft alloy or I have poor boolit fit. They do remove minor leading as Beagle has said.

[locutus]

In my experience,gas checks are not needed until you reach a certain "magic velocity".

I agree! The "magic velocity" for most of my guns is around 1300 FPS. I GC all loads going faster.