is the 'copper' a couple of mm away from the edge of the bore? sounds like it has been wire rung, the wire needs to protrude slightly to bite into the fire ring of the gasket,preferably using a gasket without solid fire rings.

what power are you running? you'll probably find that a standard gasket will be fine for around 330bhp. A Grp A gasket will take more punishment but the fire rings are harder and you may have trouble sealing at the edge of the gasket causing oil or water leaks.