Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Gas checks on coated lead bullets?

Anyone use gas checks on coated lead bullets to prevent leading? If so, about at what velocity will leading start to occur?

You shouldn’t get leading on coated billets unless the coating is bad or you compromise the integrity of the coating when seating or crimping.

I think any plain base bullet has it's limits, whether it's coated or not but it does take a lot of velocity to get you there if bullet fit is correct. The only bullets I GC are my 327/s & my 357 Maximum's because I run them hard & they shoot best with GC's. All other's go plain base with no problems & I can run them pretty fast. Oops, forgot, I GC one 41 magnum bullet also, although it doesn't need it, I use them because it's a GC design.

Dick

Yes, for certain applications that have a gas port, or ported barrels. An AR10/15 is the most common example; I've found that gas cutting of the bullet base can happen as it passes the gas port, so I use copper gas checks to prevent that. Incidentally, the aluminum gas checks are not adequate to prevent that issue. Ported barrels in certain revolvers can have a similar effect, depending on the load and port configurations. Note that I am talking specifically about ported barrels (like Magnaport or factory versions of same), and not muzzle brakes.

In most anything else though - bolt action, lever, single shot, etc - you shouldn't need gas checks with most loads, if your bullet size and hardness are approximately right for the load. That includes using gas check bullet designs without a gas check. With the right alloy, you should be able to easily exceed 3,000 fps in rifles with a plain base powder coated bullet without leading. If the alloy is too soft (or the bullet design not right), accuracy will fall apart before you see any leading as you push the velocity up; let the accuracy determine your upper limit on speed.

A few years ago my buddy & I knelt down behind his 4 wheeler on a mountain hillside & he busted a nice bull moose with his Red Hawk 41 magnum using a GC design bullet without the gas check. The bullet was running top end velocity & was very accurate, the shot was about 65-70 yds, don't remember exactly but he hit it dead center & it was down in 15-20 yds. With the 41 caliber you almost always have excellent bullet fit. Sometimes using a GC design without a gas check works, other times you're rolling the dice, you just have to try it & see. One things for sure, powder coating has allowed us to do some things we never thought possible not to long ago! I still love the looks of a classic lubed cast bullet, but they are as obsolete as a 2cent stamp, my opinion.

Dick

Having a clean, sharp, and perfect base on a cast bullet is essential for accuracy. Installing a gas check does that and all my PC'd bullets have them if they're so designed.

Thanks, Dinny