Gas check?

[JCools]

hello do I need gas checks for 38sp and 40 s&w?

[snuffy]

NO NO NO 1-2-3-4-5- no.

[Shiloh]

+1 to the above.
Do they even make .40 cal gas checks?? Let alone a boolit that needs them??

Shiloh

[white eagle]

10 mm needs em'

[TomAM]

Gator gas checks available for 40, and some pistols cannot realize their full cast boolit potential without them. Custom mold makers provide suitable molds.

[Mavrick]

The easy answer is NO! But, there may be times when they MAY be used. ie, if you have a large-frame long-barrelled .38, and want to load it up, it might be useful. If you use a .357Mag, why would you use a .38 case?
A .40 is a loaded-down, auto-pistol...if want enough power to need a gc, buy a 10m/m.
Just IMHO FWIW,
Have fun,
Gene

[AZ-Stew]

Need? No.

Possibly useful? Maybe.

Worth the cost? Probably not.

The .38 Spl. is not about roaring velocity or high-pressure loads. Gas check not needed. Can you jack it up to near .357 Magnum velocities? Sure, but then you might as well get a .357 and reap the whole benefits. Even at that, the 358429 Lyman design can be driven to the limit from a .38 Spl. cartridge and not need a check. It doesn't even really need a hard alloy.

I'd say the same goes for the .40 S&W and the 10mm.

Regards,

Stew

[x101airborne]

I load for 357 mag with no gas checks. I dont see the need for them with the 40 or the 10mm. Lube, alloy, and size make all the difference.

[Bret4207]

Depends. Are you using a gas check design? Then probably you will. If you're still in the choosing boolits stage then it still depends. Some guns, loads and alloys need GC designs. Some don't. Depends on exactly what you're doing and you don't give that info.

[GP100man]

I`m in the process of removing the shanks as $$ allows on all my handgun molds .

[geargnasher]

Actually, the .40 could use gas checks in the upper end, it would solve a lot of problems. I'm sorry that the hand-cannon gallery feels that the .40 is a light round, that sort of disrespect for the pressures and velocities involved will lead to many problems if you try to load it using the same techniques that work for a .45 ACP or ..38 Special.

Gear

[noylj]

The only time I felt that I needed a gas check was when loading hot 7mm loads. Even .30-30 in a model '94 didn't "need" a gas check.

[gwilliams2]

I've never gas checked my .40's...

[Dannix]

Simple GCs are not enough. You need to go with full length gas checks.

[lwknight]

And it dont hurt a thing to shoot a gas check design boolit without the check installed

[RobS]

Actually, the .40 could use gas checks in the upper end, it would solve a lot of problems. I'm sorry that the hand-cannon gallery feels that the .40 is a light round, that sort of disrespect for the pressures and velocities involved will lead to many problems if you try to load it using the same techniques that work for a .45 ACP or ..38 Special.

Gear

+1 on making it easier for the upper end or better put upper pressures in the 40. I'm not stating that you can't run a PB bullet successfully at the max end, however, the upper pressures in the 40 S&W (35,000 PSI) and even the 9mm for that matter are at or nearly at magnum handgun pressures and is partly why so many people have more reloading problems with these two rounds. Alloy strength, bullet fit, bullet lube, powder selection etc. have to be examined more closely when pushing PB boolits at the upper ends with these two rounds; much the same as if a person were shooting a 357mag or 44 mag etc. I don't see any reason to GC for the 38 special though and with it's lower SAAMI max pressures it is similar to reloading other lower pressure rounds such as the 45 auto.

[sqlbullet]

10 mm needs em'

My experience is different.

I have two 10mm's. Both EAA, a Witness and an Elite Match.

They both eat Lee 175 gr SWC TL as well as 205 gr RFN from Mountain mold without issue. My loads have run the gambit from mild to max. Last range outing I was testing some 205 gr over a max load of AA#9, and only had carbon fouling to clean when I got home. Shot 150 rounds.

I had leading when I first started, before I listened and slugged my bore. Turned out my bullets were .401 as was the bore on both my guns. I quit sizing them, and quit water dropping my practice loads, and leading disappeared.

I would say if you are casting bullets lighter than 150 gr for 10mm, and running them full speed, you may need gas checks.

Also, each gun is different. My experience is obviously very different than White Eagle. If gas checks make leading go away, and nothin' else does, then you may need em in 10mm. But, given the expense, I would suggest you try softer bullets and larger bullets before you add ¢3 to each shot.