Gas check and soft steel barrel wear

[pjogrinc]

Shooting old rifles, pre 1890s with soft steel barrels, will the gas checks damage or wear down the rifling ??

[Ben]

I can't picture it happening at all.

[edsmith]

probley after you put 100,000 rounds thru it.

[sqlbullet]

Would depend a bunch on the composition of the gas checks. Normal copper checks are not going to wear the barrel any faster than jacketed ammo, probably not as fast.

If you are punching them yourself from Al or steel, they might wear a little faster. Still, it would be many thousands of rounds before a difference in wear would become apparent.

[Ben]

If you are punching them yourself from Al or steel, they might wear a little faster.


Steel gas checks.....Ummmm ? ? , that is certainly a new one on me, I've never seen or heard of anyone making gas checks out of steel ?

[Le Loup Solitaire]

I too have never heard of anyone using gas checks made out of steel. Nor have I as yet heard of a barrel being worn out by the use of copper gaschecks. Aluminum is relatively soft stuff and that too would seem improbable/unlikely. Yes, some pre-1890 guns did have barrels made out of softer steel; I have a couple and after many thousands of rounds none are showing any visible sign of wear nor deteriorating accuracy. I don't think/believe the use of copper or aluminum gaschecks is of any concern even over long term use. LLS