Do "plain-based" Gas Checks reduce smoke?

[Dannix]

When I switched from j-words to boolits in 9x19mm, I immediately noticed the greater smoke. Is that smoke mitigated or decreased if "plain-base" gas checks are implemented?

[uscra112]

The added smoke is coming from the lube on your boolits. Changing to gas checks will not help much if at all. Changing lubes will. Only if you shoot indoors is it much of an issue, IMHO.

[375RUGER]

same powder?

[Dannix]

Good point, uscra112. I'm using Randy's TAC#1 lube. So I guess this is as good as it gets. I'll try different powders accordginly.


same powder?
Yup, ceteris paribus.

[fcvan]

For a while, I was using home made loob which was bees wax and olive oil with some STP. Pretty smokey stuff but zero leading in my Vaquero 45 Colt and my H&R 1871 Classic Carbine also 45 Colt. For grins and giggles, I loaded some with corn meal filler to see if my SD was reduced and if the higher pressure helped the Unique would burn more cleanly. SD was down considerably, groups were tight, bore was clean as a whistle, and smoke was gone - like shooting a jacketed bullet. I suspect the filler was removing excess loob from the bore so that the gasses were not burning the loob. Oh ya, the boolit I was shooting was the Lee C452-300 RF without gas checks.

Lately, I have been shooting Lars BAC with and without plain based gas checks. They both smoke about the same. I'm probably going to modify the 300 grain mold to plain base as I really like the was the PB CheckMaker works in my weapons.