I'm loading primarily .38 specials, .357 magum and 9mm at the moment. I'm using Unique and am happy with the powder, I pull the trigger, it goes bang, but the cleanup afterwards is considerable. After firing a hundred rounds or so, the guns are filthy. Does anyone know what powders the factories use in their loads, which seem to burn a lot cleaner than what I'm currently using?:banghead:
What powders do factories use?
- Thread starter mugsie
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The factory uses whatever powder fits their present need and usually blend their powder to fit the purpose. You can`t buy the powders they use nor will they let out the type or charge. I had one buddy a few years ago that claimed he checked the powder charge in some rifle cartridges and found the charge varied by a couple grs between two different boxes (lots) of ammo with the same bullet. Likely not the same powder, but they appeared the same.
Try useing powders recommended for their cleanliness, such as the VV brand, clays, ect.
Keep the pressures up. Powders burn best usually at higher pressure, light loads will be dirtier. Use powders best suited to the velocity you want to achive in place of one powder doing it all.
Use jacketed bullets. The lead bullets are cheaper and shoot well but the lubes also contribute to the dirt on your pistol. Jacketed is much cleaner IMO
Unless the soot, ect is hindering the function I wouldn`t worry about too much. You have to clean the pistol sometime and a dirty one just reinforces the habit.
Try useing powders recommended for their cleanliness, such as the VV brand, clays, ect.
Keep the pressures up. Powders burn best usually at higher pressure, light loads will be dirtier. Use powders best suited to the velocity you want to achive in place of one powder doing it all.
Use jacketed bullets. The lead bullets are cheaper and shoot well but the lubes also contribute to the dirt on your pistol. Jacketed is much cleaner IMO
Unless the soot, ect is hindering the function I wouldn`t worry about too much. You have to clean the pistol sometime and a dirty one just reinforces the habit.
Jim Watson
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They use the same powder you do, out of the same factory.
All that business about factory load powder only applies to "burning rate" and pressure-velocity relationships. The chemistry is the same whether it is in the Winchester can or the Winchester ammo box. Just that what you get in the can is of standard specification, the stuff in the shells in the box might be off by 10%. Doesn't matter to the factory, they have the test gear to make it work. It can be carried farther than that. When I first got into handloading in the early 1970s, I read that Hercules graded every lot of Red Dot powder into Red Dot 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90. What you got in the can was Red Dot 30, the other grades went to the ammo companies marked for grade so they didn't have to retest themselves.
The reason the factory load is cleaner is because it is loaded in virgin brass with clean brass-on-jacket friction, and high tension for plenty of bullet pull, and a primer fully seated in a clean new primer pocket. That all goes to improve powder burn. Also, it is toward the high end of the pressure scale because that lets them use a lighter charge of a faster burning powder. Cheaper for them, more complete burnup of the load to leave your gun and empties looking nicer.
All that business about factory load powder only applies to "burning rate" and pressure-velocity relationships. The chemistry is the same whether it is in the Winchester can or the Winchester ammo box. Just that what you get in the can is of standard specification, the stuff in the shells in the box might be off by 10%. Doesn't matter to the factory, they have the test gear to make it work. It can be carried farther than that. When I first got into handloading in the early 1970s, I read that Hercules graded every lot of Red Dot powder into Red Dot 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, or 90. What you got in the can was Red Dot 30, the other grades went to the ammo companies marked for grade so they didn't have to retest themselves.
The reason the factory load is cleaner is because it is loaded in virgin brass with clean brass-on-jacket friction, and high tension for plenty of bullet pull, and a primer fully seated in a clean new primer pocket. That all goes to improve powder burn. Also, it is toward the high end of the pressure scale because that lets them use a lighter charge of a faster burning powder. Cheaper for them, more complete burnup of the load to leave your gun and empties looking nicer.
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