Hornady .45 Caliber Crimp-On Gas Checks (Hornady part no. 7140) are small gilding-metal cups that crimp onto the base of a cast lead bullet before it’s loaded. Hot propellant gas erodes and melts exposed lead at the base of a cast bullet as velocity climbs, which is what causes leading in the bore; a gas check shields that base and lets cast-bullet handloaders push .45-caliber loads faster without fouling the barrel. Sold 1,000 to a box, this is a bulk supply for anyone casting and loading their own .45-caliber bullets on a regular basis.

Key Specifications

• Sized for .45 caliber cast bullets.
• Made from gilding metal, a copper-zinc alloy tough enough to withstand propellant gas without melting.
• Crimps onto the base of a cast bullet during the bullet-sizing and lubricating step, ahead of loading.
• Shields the bullet’s exposed lead base from hot propellant gas, reducing gas cutting and erosion.
• Helps cast-bullet handloaders run higher velocities with less bore leading than an unprotected base.
• Sold in bulk boxes of 1,000 for handloaders who cast and load their own bullets regularly.
• Only fits cast bullets that are designed with a gas-check base shank, not plain-base cast bullets.
• A standard accessory for cast-bullet handloading, alongside a bullet sizer/lubricator.
• Using a gas check is one of the most common ways to reduce bore fouling when shooting cast lead bullets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a gas check actually do? It’s a small metal cup crimped onto a cast bullet’s base to protect the exposed lead from hot propellant gas, which reduces bore leading at higher velocities.

Do all cast bullets need a gas check? Only cast bullets designed with a gas-check base shank need one; plain-base cast bullets aren’t set up to accept a crimp-on gas check.

Are these bullets, or just the base cup? Just the base cup. These are gas checks only — you’ll need your own cast .45-caliber bullets to crimp them onto.

Buy Hornady .45 Caliber Crimp-On Gas Checks

Cast-bullet handloaders pushing .45-caliber loads to higher velocities should keep a bulk supply of gas checks on the bench. Order them from Hornady and browse the rest of our reloading bullets from a Lubbock, Texas gun shop for fast, insured shipping.