Abstract: An improved spiral wound gasket is disclosed that deters and redirects buckling. The invention includes the following: an integral inner ring, a gasket element, outer wraps and a outer guide ring. The integral inner ring is a winding of a thin strip of metal of at least seven revolutions that is overlapped over itself and secured to itself. The gasket element is wound around the integral inner ring and includes a second thin strip of metal and also a thin strip of filler material so as to form alternate layers of the thin strip of metal and filler material. The outer wraps are a winding around the circumference of the gasket element of a thin strip of metal. The invention also discloses a new outer guide ring that has a inside edge that, together with the outside circumferential edge of a spiral wound gasket, defines apertures. These apertures or expansion zones allow filler material to displace radially outwardly rather than radially inwardly to form buckles.