Cleaner powder, why?

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Steve H

Steve H

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Myself, like the majority here always clean their guns after a session at the range. There seems to be many conversations about using a powder that is cleaner than another. If you are faithful in your cleaning why be so worried about how "dirty" a powder is?
 
Because some of them make it hard to clean up. If i shoot light loads of w231 in my 45 half of the slide is covered in soot after about 100rds and it gets all over you.
 
Steve H said:
There seems to be many conversations about using a powder that is cleaner than another. If you are faithful in your cleaning why be so worried about how "dirty" a powder is?
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For me, accuracy is everything.

Often, slower burning powders (Unique and slower burn rate) don't build more consistent chamber pressures until high-to-near max load data, which translates to more consistent muzzle velocities and then into more consistent shot groups (accuracy). I shoot a lot of lower pressure target loads utilizing mid-to-high range load data and found faster burning pistol powders (W231/HP-38 and faster burn rate) to maintain shot group accuracy which I deem results from consistent enough chamber pressures (I believe it is for this reason why I get very sooty/dirty loads for some low start charge loads).

Because I shoot mostly at two nearby indoor ranges, when I am doing pistol powder work up and refined load development for target loads, I can't setup a chrono to compare muzzle velocities. So I will use shot group accuracy and cleaner/dirtier burning trends to identify my ideal target loads.

Some powders do burn cleaner with certain bullet/powder charge combinations but I usually clean my firearms after each range session, so fouling clean up is less of an issue for me as long as accuracy is maintained. Over the years, I have gravitated towards loads that are accurate and more cleaner burning. One of many reasons why I like W231/HP-38 is that it is cleaner burning at mid-to-high range load data for most of my 9mm/40S&W/45ACP loads. There are some powders that may be cleaner burning than W231/HP-38 like Clays but it is not as flexible of a powder for the calibers, bullet types and weights I load for.
 
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i only clean the barrel of my guns afther a shooting session and i leave the action dirty until its starts to jam or about 1500 rounds(most guns reach this number without issues) ... since i only target shoot and practice IPSC i dont really care about... but when i have a match i clean them the most i can

like bds said the chamber pressure its the main factor that makes a powder load shoot clean or dirty but some powders are cleaner than others in the needed pressure to burn clean ...
some powder are designed for light target loads and other for magnum loads you have to choose the powder for what you plan to do ...

most powder tend to have poor burning at starting range load data ... last day i tried 3.9 grs of W231 with 125 gr plated bullets(9mm luger ) and left unburned powder all over the place even in my face :O
 
Because some powders are so filthy you look like you've been mining coal after you return from the range especially if you're shooting an auto-loading pistol.
 
Some are so dirty that you can't shoot an extended range session without cleaning along the way.
 
I clean my guns regularly, but infrequently. (Call it once a month or every 500-1,000 rds or something like that.) I tend to use fairly clean-burning powders and wouldn't really want to change to something that would gum up the works in the small number of rounds I go through between cleanings.

I have in the past stumbled upon some powders that left enough unburned powder crumbs around to actually cause function issues with a revolver. Sure don't need that!
 
For a "range session" it likely won't make any difference.

I went with "cleaner" powders in my competition loads because the last thing I want to do is worry about function or stop mid match and clean a gun.



I would have to ask "Dirty powder, why?"

Why expose your firearm to more grit and grime if you don't have to?
 
Steve H: "If you are faithful in your cleaning why be so worried about how "dirty" a powder is?"
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What do you mean by faithful? For some it's every 4,000 rounds or bi-annually - whichever comes first! If you mean up to 200 rounds or so, don't worry about it.
 
Some leave some pretty nasty crud... Some powders gunk up gas operated rifles pretty quickly too. Also, the cleaner powders, in my opinion, burn everything and have minimal flash too. My cannon loads, they blow three foot flames and the barrels look like tiny alleys filled with trash. Sure I'll clean them, but if I go to shoot a few hundred rounds I don't want to have to stop and clean two or three times along the way.

I like Viht 3N37 for 9mm, I don't think there is a better powder, really. N340 works well so far for bigger calibres for target loads. Overall, Viht makes some of the cleanest burning powders out there in my experience.
 
I went with "cleaner" powders in my competition loads because the last thing I want to do is worry about function or stop mid match and clean a gun.
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+1

All I need in the middle of a competition is one more thing to worry about.
 
Strykervet, I also use 3N37 for my 9mm and have the same results. It cost more but is worth it.
 
Clean burning powder is a big plus when shooting a revolver in a Defensive Pistol Match. Less chance of getting unburned powder inder the Ejector Star during a reload. I have been loading quite a bit of Clays for this reason.

Bob
 
Also, cleaner burning powders take longer to completely fog over your optic, if you're shooting with a dot sight or scope. I also have the problem if I'm shooting a pistol with a flashlight on it.

Like others, I have some very tight match pistols that gum up easily. I need them that tight to hold a 3 inch X ring at 50 yards. I need them as clean as possible throughout a bullseye match.

I'm all for cleaner burning powders.

-John
 
As some have already said, a dirty powder can cause excessive fouling and could compromise accuracy. If you are shooting a match and the gun becomes dirty enough it could cause a failure and that's not good when shooting a match. Even if you're only shooting at the range who wants to get soot all over everything?

I try to use a powder that will achieve the velocity I'm looking for and will do so up near the top of the pressure range. No matter how clean a powder is it will be even cleaner at the higher end of the pressure range. That's why I use so many handgun powders. Even Unique which is considered a "dirty" powder will clean up considerably when the pressure is right.

I currently have and use these handgun powders:
W231/HP-38, W296/H110, W540/HS-6, Lil'Gun, Trail Boss, AA#5, and Power Pistol, sometimes Clays and 2400 too.

And have used these handgun powders at one time or another:
Universal Clays, HS-5, W571/HS-7, 4227, AutoComp, AA#2, AA#9, Unique, Red Dot, Green Dot, Herco, Zip and True Blue.

If need be I could do all my handgun reloading with my "Powder Trinity" of W231(HP-38), W540(HS-6) and W296(H110).
 
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