Old vs New Unique

Are you talking about the "change" they made a half decade ago?


There was also a change in packaging that makes these powders even more indistinguishable and even more critical to keep only one powder within reach on the loading bench.


"New Unique" produces a little less soot when loaded up to good pressures. When under pressured, light loads (like most powders) are still smokey and sooty.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you like the qualities of "old" Unique (bulky, low/no nitroglycerin, smooth pressure curve without any "spikey-ness"), you'll be satisfied with the "new" Unique. Are there better powders nowadays? Maybe, but usually with a compromise in bulkiness, more nitroglycerin, or cost with some improvements in metering, less residue and/or availability.

According to Alliant the burn rate is the same but they did something to clean it up. I'm not sure if it's really cleaner, some say yes, some say no. I'm sorry I can't give my opinion, I have not used it in a very long time.

I'll let you know in another year or so, when I use up the last of my old cardboard cartons and move on to the new stuff.

Heard about the non-smokey version, and I haven't used any new enough to see the difference. (using old stock first)

I have not ever seen Unique with low/no Nitroglycerin in it.....neither has the FBI database. Must be ancient history? (Thought I was ancient) I guess listing it first may not reflect it's share of the mix.....used to the list on food labels

http://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sea...h_max=&s_len_avg=&s_len_tol=&display_image=20

Same as the MSDS which lists Unique has having 4-40% nitroglycerin (??!!). Bullseye has nearly 40%. American Select has 2%.

Is that FBI database a vestige of their attempt to forensically determine the source of a shooting by the powder residue?

I used up the last of my "old" Unique many years ago, but still had some rounds loaded with it that I've shot recently. I can definitely say the new is cleaner burning in 9mm and .40S&W, in .45ACP the new seems to leave a lot more unburned flakes on the table in front of me when shooting than the old, but as far as overall ammo performance I can't tell the loads apart from their impacts on the target.

Bullseye was also made cleaner.

mdemetz said:

Bullseye was also made cleaner.

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So was Green Dot.

If you want clean burning powder around Unique burn rate, there's BE-86.

And the new Sport Pistol has "Clean Burning" on the label.

I still have a bit of unique that is old enough it's in the little square metal cans. I'm hard pressed to tell the difference between it, the next generation that came in the big tall round cardboard cans, and the new stuff in the plastic cans.

Don McDowell said:

I still have a bit of unique that is old enough it's in the little square metal cans. I'm hard pressed to tell the difference between it, the next generation that came in the big tall round cardboard cans, and the new stuff in the plastic cans.

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Given that you say that, I'd be willing to bet that you like to load it fairly stout, in the upper end of the spectrum where it runs happiest.

I like to build zippy ammo, and have never noticed a problem with the "flaming dirt" issues I hear about.

Nope, I load for accuracy. In the 44 special 7 gr. works wonderfully well, in the 45 colt 9 gr. with all but one gun and it prefers 8.5. 32-20 no difference nor with the 45 acp or 38 special.

Ironicaintit said:

Given that you say that, I'd be willing to bet that you like to load it fairly stout, in the upper end of the spectrum where it runs happiest.

I like to build zippy ammo, and have never noticed a problem with the "flaming dirt" issues I hear about.

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Even the cousin of flaming dirt Herco, burns clean when loaded to pressures.

In 40S&W, Herco burns clean enough to leave even the inside of cases without fouling - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-for-lead-plated-bullets.743416/#post-9344512

Years ago, I used a bunch of Unique and Herco, especially in 9MM. In 9MM I tended to load toward the upper end of the spectrum, e.g., 115 and 124 /125 grain jacketed bullets at approx 1250-1400 FPS. At that level, never had a problem with Unique or Herco being dirty.......ymmv

Unique was invented in the late 1890s, and remained unchanged until 1959 when Hercules reduced the nitroglycerine content a bit. The next change to get cleaner burning was in the late 1990s, when they changed the coating some. I think it speaks well for any product that continues to be made virtually unchanged for over 100 years. It is just one of those very few products that just works always.

There used to be a bullet company that had a short video of two identical loading one using the old Unique and the other used the new Unique. There was an obvious observed lower level of smoke from the new Unique load. I looked on YouTube but no luck. I think the video was on the Ranger Bullet's website but the company and their website no longer exists.