Intune
Member
I'm getting quite a bit of unburnt leftover flakes in my Hodg Univ Clays mild/mid loads in .44mag & .45acp. Crimp?
Universal flakes leftover
- Thread starter Intune
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That's telling you the load is too light, some powders won't burn all the powder till they reach a certain pressure, I have had the same thing happen in 357 using 2400. Normally increasing the powder charge will eliminate the problem, you just have to find the magic point.
I use WW 231 for mid range 45 acp loads, works great!
I use WW 231 for mid range 45 acp loads, works great!
I have had no combustion problems with Universal. I use it for two of my standard loads:
1) .40 S&W, 5.9 gr. Universal, CCI500 primer, 165 gr. Rainier bullet. Very clean, very uniform velocities (@1100 fps), but not near max. NO unburnt powder
2) .45 Colt, 7.9 gr. Universal, WLP primer, 250 gr lead FP. Very clean, very uniform velocities (<800 fps.). NO unburnt powder. This load is intended to duplicate the classic 8.0 gr. Unique, which it does, but is much cleaner.
I have stayed away from Universal for use in the .45 ACP. My standard load (4.3 gr. Clays, WLP primer, 200 gr. Rainier FP) has nearly ideal characteristics in my 1911, and is softer recoiling than my previous load of many years, 5.3 gr. 231.
I believe that the other comments on this thread are pretty much on the mark as far as trying to load down this particular powder. I have never tried loading down Universal, so I have no personal experience with doing that. Some powders seem to have a much wider load range in a particular case than others, but I don't pretend to know why.
1) .40 S&W, 5.9 gr. Universal, CCI500 primer, 165 gr. Rainier bullet. Very clean, very uniform velocities (@1100 fps), but not near max. NO unburnt powder
2) .45 Colt, 7.9 gr. Universal, WLP primer, 250 gr lead FP. Very clean, very uniform velocities (<800 fps.). NO unburnt powder. This load is intended to duplicate the classic 8.0 gr. Unique, which it does, but is much cleaner.
I have stayed away from Universal for use in the .45 ACP. My standard load (4.3 gr. Clays, WLP primer, 200 gr. Rainier FP) has nearly ideal characteristics in my 1911, and is softer recoiling than my previous load of many years, 5.3 gr. 231.
I believe that the other comments on this thread are pretty much on the mark as far as trying to load down this particular powder. I have never tried loading down Universal, so I have no personal experience with doing that. Some powders seem to have a much wider load range in a particular case than others, but I don't pretend to know why.
Are the loads doing what you want? Are they accurate and consistent?
Unless performance is suffering don't worry about unburned powder or dirty vs clean. Sometimes we tend to make a big deal about very little, if your not going to be able to clean your gun for several years then by all means pursue clean shooting loads, otherwise look for accuracy and consistenct instead.
Unless performance is suffering don't worry about unburned powder or dirty vs clean. Sometimes we tend to make a big deal about very little, if your not going to be able to clean your gun for several years then by all means pursue clean shooting loads, otherwise look for accuracy and consistenct instead.
Rico567:
I think that we are in agreement. I consider 168gr hitting 1100fps to be a pretty healthy load. I never had problems with Universal when loading that heavy. I just could not get my standard deviation down. I suppose that this isn't a real problem in a pistol round, but the charge deviation drove me nuts. It certainly influenced my accuracy far less than my own variability in being able to hold on target. I don't have load variation with Titegroup and it isn't an issue when loading for the shotgun.
Is your primer selection a matter of what you have around, or is it is by design?? I have had fewer priming problems and light strikes since dumping CCI. I'm not informed sufficiently to choose a primer based upon other factors
.
I think that we are in agreement. I consider 168gr hitting 1100fps to be a pretty healthy load. I never had problems with Universal when loading that heavy. I just could not get my standard deviation down. I suppose that this isn't a real problem in a pistol round, but the charge deviation drove me nuts. It certainly influenced my accuracy far less than my own variability in being able to hold on target. I don't have load variation with Titegroup and it isn't an issue when loading for the shotgun.
Is your primer selection a matter of what you have around, or is it is by design?? I have had fewer priming problems and light strikes since dumping CCI. I'm not informed sufficiently to choose a primer based upon other factors
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Mark whiz
Member
That's pretty normal for Universal . ..... I get a few leftover flakes from my .38s, .357s, and .32ACP. These loads are medium to pretty hot(in the case of the .32ACP) but give me the best accuracy for the .38cal cast bullets and the little JHPs in the .32
GaryH:
I use both CCI and Winchester primers, smal and large, rifle and pistol, and have no trouble with either, except for the occasional seating problem, usually in a .223 case that hasn't had a military crimp adequately removed. The only time I had light strike problems wasn't primer-related....I stuck a reduced-power hammer spring in a Ruger revolver that was TOO reduced.
I use both CCI and Winchester primers, smal and large, rifle and pistol, and have no trouble with either, except for the occasional seating problem, usually in a .223 case that hasn't had a military crimp adequately removed. The only time I had light strike problems wasn't primer-related....I stuck a reduced-power hammer spring in a Ruger revolver that was TOO reduced.
Rico567:
All of my revolvers have light hammer springs, so light strikes isn't any revelation, but the problem pretty much went away with my switch to Winchester primers. As mentioned, CCI primers can be a bit of a tight fit. I understand that Federal primers are even softer... No news flash there..
All of my revolvers have light hammer springs, so light strikes isn't any revelation, but the problem pretty much went away with my switch to Winchester primers. As mentioned, CCI primers can be a bit of a tight fit. I understand that Federal primers are even softer... No news flash there..
I used to be in law enforcement and shot PPC matches with a custom PPC revolver, they are converted to shoot double action only, and to get the trigger forces as light as possible the hammer spring is lightened. When I picked the pistol up the gunsmith told me to use only Federal primers, the gun was set up for Federal primers only. On one occasion I picked up a box of wadcutter ammo loaded with Winchester primers, I didn't notice it till I started practice and was getting about a 50% failure to fire, then I looked I discovered it was a box of ammo I loaded before I got the pistol, and they were loaded with Winchester primers, from that point on I only used Federal primers in 38 special loads. I fired around 40,000 38 special wadcutters thru that pistol without a single failure to fire on a Federal primer. There is no doubt in my mind that the Federals have the softest cup material.
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