A study has been made to determine the average duration of dc arcs in various gases at slightly higher than atmospheric pressure. These arcs were drawn between ¾‐in. copper contacts with power being supplied from a 125‐V dc generator. The experimental vessel, which contained about 1 liter volume, was provided with two liquid‐nitrogen traps through which gas was admitted and withdrawn. The gases studied were hydrogen, helium, argon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur hexafluoride. It was found that in the current range studied (about 1 to 45 A) arc duration was always statistical and finite. This behavior is similar to that observed earlier for metal vapor (vacuum) arcs. For a given current, average arc duration increased for those gases in the order listed above. In the case of the latter two (O2, SF6), arc stability is believed to have been strongly affected by arc reaction products. It was concluded that for each of the gases studied, arc duration was greater than that found for a copper vapor arc at the same current, using the same generator source. It is believed that the gases blanket the cathode surface during the arc and reduce the loss of metal vapor from cathode emission sites below that occurring in the vacuum arc. There has been strong evidence in earlier work that abundant metal vapor at the arc cathode enhances arc stability.