A puzzled Brit here! I've shot for over thirty years and commercially made cast bullets in linotype in 9mm using Hensley & Gibbs moulds.

I also owned and reloaded for a 6 1/2" S & W Model 29 using cast bullets of about 255 grains. Using the free to collect "range lead" from the buttstop.

I've never ever seen the need for any sort of gas check in 44 Magnum with these "range lead" bullets in the S & W Model 29. All bullets recovered having as cast bases it appeared to me.

So please what is the reason for a GAS CHECK mould in 44 Magnum calibre? I'm just buying a 1971 Winchester 94 in 44 Magnum with 20" barrel.

Do I really need a gas check cast bullet? I don't seem to think so! I'd be getting what? 1,700 to 1,800 fps muzzle velocity?

Or are these moulds for the "all got taller" 444 Marlin at 2,400fps? I can understand gas checks in cast bullet linotype bullets for say 303 British of 30-06 etc. But plain 44 Magnum in ANY barrel length? I don't understand it!

Please enlighted a puzzled Brit!

Several years back I had the privilege of speaking with Wayne Gibbs of Hensley and Gibbs. During the conversation, I specifically asked about gas check moulds. Mr. Gibbs told me that a properly alloyed and properly sized bullet could be shot at velocities up to 2000 fps without a gas check, so long as the proper lubricant was used. The only reason for a gas check, he said, was rifle bullets.

His explanation for making gas check moulds was in effect "we had customers asking for them, and we couldn't talk them out of the idea".

Thank you. It was a joy to use H & G moulds. I had five in total and how many today would close a company rather than sell it off and allow a cheaper product to trade on the name?

It was a company with a quality product - I had my moulds "custom matched" - and with true integrity. If no gas check is good enough for Mr. Gibbs it'll do for me! I used to use the black "Mirror Lube".

Thank you again for posting that info.

The only reason for a gas check in a revolver is when using softer lead. Jumping the gap can make soft lead skid the rifling and if the boolit skids too much so the grooves from the lands at the boolit base are larger then the rifling, gas channels are opened and accuracy goes to pot and you will lead the bore. The gas check will "grab" the rifling better but you can even exceed them working by starting a boolit too fast. The faster the powder you use, the harder the boolit needs to be.
Lead too soft with fast powder like Bullseye can deform so much in the forcing cone that lead spits out of the gap and will lead the OUTSIDE of your gun, the .38 with pure wad cutters is an example. If you get lead on the front of the cylinder and the frame, you have ruined the boolit. Make the wad cutter from 25 to 30 BHN and see how accurate the gun really is.
You can use softer lead PB boolits in a rifle as long as you don't exceed the rifling grip. As you make the boolit harder, the more you can increase velocity until you reach the point a gas check is needed along with a very hard boolit.
Do not use hard lube on the revolver calibers. Soft, sticky lube like Felix, LBT soft Blue, Speed Green, etc will increase accuracy and prevent leading.

Here is one of hundreds of lube tests. This is from my Marlin .44 at 50 yards.
Hard lube on the left and Felix lube on the right. This holds true from all of my revolvers too.

I was very educated by the two target comparisons. Thank you for posting them.

Do not tell anyone.... But early on in my 44 Mag days, we are talking mid 1970's...

I shot my cast bullets from a Lyman mold [before I went to H&G molds] that was a gas check mold WITHOUT GAS CHECKS

Never had a problem, accuracy was great.

I was shooting linotype.

quote:

Do not tell anyone.... But early on in my 44 Mag days, we are talking mid 1970's...

I shot my cast bullets from a Lyman mold [before I went to H&G molds] that was a gas check mold WITHOUT GAS CHECKS Eeker shocker

Never had a problem, accuracy was great.

I was shooting linotype.

Yes, sometimes it does work by just leaving the check off. But some boolits in some guns will lose too much drive band area and no longer match the twist. I have had boolits that shot nickels and pennies at 100 yards from a rest, keyhole at 50 yards by leaving the check off.
This is always something worth a try but sometimes it will not work.
Leaving the check off in the .44 usually just needs another powder workup to see what load it needs. The alloy might change too.
Everything is connected.

enfieldspares

"I also owned and reloaded for a 6 1/2" S & W Model 29 using cast bullets of about 255 grains. Using the free to collect "range lead" from the buttstop.

I've never ever seen the need for any sort of gas check in 44 Magnum with these "range lead" bullets in the S & W Model 29. All bullets recovered having as cast bases it appeared to me.

So please what is the reason for a GAS CHECK mould in 44 Magnum calibre? I'm just buying a 1971 Winchester 94 in 44 Magnum with 20" barrel.

Do I really need a gas check cast bullet? I don't seem to think so! I'd be getting what? 1,700 to 1,800 fps muzzle velocity?

Please enlighted a puzzled Brit!"

I've been shooting cast bullets in the .44 Magnum since 68. I've shot all sorts of them, commercial an home cast, from various moulds of various design and of various weights. I've shot them in revolvers with 4 to 8 3/8ths inch barrels, TC Contenders of 8 6/10ths to 14" barrels and in rifles o sngle shot, lever action and gas operated with 16 to 24" barrels.

Fo just "shooting" yo can do quite nicely with PB'd hard cast bullets out of most any .44 Magnum if you control the velocity. If you want to use softer alloys for expansion and improved killing when hunting on game then te GC is necessary for best accuracy at true magnum velocities. This especially applies to 6+ inch barrels where velocity will be 1400+ fps.

Also if you want th best accuracy out of your M94 at 1700-1800+ fps then you will want to use GC bullets. Hard cast PB'd bullets cab shoot ok approaching those velocities but the GC bullets, regardless of aloy, will always shoot more accurately.

If you pla on using the same loads in your M29 as in the M94 then load for accduracy in the M94 while not exceeding safe loades for the M29. Then just accept the accuracy you get in the handgun. May surprise you that the same load with a GC'd cast bullet will shoot vwery well in both. However many times an accurate magnum load in the revolver with a PB'd cast bullet will not shoot well at the higher velocities attained in the rifle.

Larry Gibson

Personally, I prefer a gas check to make boolits and loads more versatile in any gun.
It is the stupid cost of the things that are making me move to more PB boolits.
Sticker shock is too much to bear on SS.

I have a Marlin 1894 in 44 mag and have never shot a gas check in it. I bought it in 1978. Bought a Lyman 429421 mold. I cast w/w ac for slow loads, water droped for fast loads. With around 21.5 grs of 2400 I get no leading. 1 to 1.5 inch groups at 50 yds. The same load in my SBH and redhawk shoots a bit tighter groups at the same range. Only problem is occasional jams if I lever to fast.
Recently started working with a Lee 429-200-RF mold and water droped w/w's shoot just as good with the same 21.5 grs of 2400. Clean bore and tight groups. I lube the bullets with LLA
When I started out I tried a bunch of different lubes. I tried the LLA and gave up on all the rest. The LLA is easy to use, and the bullets shoot as cast, no sizing. Just tumble them and shoot them.