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Old June 17, 2007, 09:14 PM   #1
actionflies
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Unique powder question for 45acp

I just shot 100rd. of 45acp using 5.1gr. of Unique powder with 230gr. LRN and it was very dirty and smoky. I'm also noticing some unburn powder and was wondering if it was because of light crimp. Is this right or not?
I have it crimp at .4720 using Lee FCD and 1.260 oal.

Last edited by actionflies; June 17, 2007 at 10:31 PM.
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Old June 17, 2007, 10:49 PM   #2
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Your crimp is fine. Unique is just a very dirty powder. I get the same thing when I use it for light loads in my .44 Special.

I use Bullseye for all my .45 ACP loads. It's a lot cleaner than it was in the old days and is pretty inexpensive. Some feel it's still too dirty and use WST and similar powders.
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Old June 18, 2007, 02:24 AM   #3
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Unique does not burn efficiently at lower pressures like 12,000 psi, but at 17-18,000 psi it burns cleaner still a little sooty but Whiskey Tango Foxtrot it shoots well
I agree with cdrt, Bullseye would be a much better choice for target loads. Save the Unique for your hot rod loads.
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Old June 18, 2007, 09:45 AM   #4
JoeHatley
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Quote:
230gr. LRN and it was very dirty and smoky
Unique is a "sooty" powder compaired to some, but much of the "dirty and smokey" is the lube on on your lead bullets. Try some jacketed or plated bullets and I'll bet a lot of the smoke will go away.

Good Luck...

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Old June 19, 2007, 01:40 PM   #5
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I am loading 45 auto with Unique and plated bullets. It doesn't seem to be too dirty, but I also load some middle of the road 38s for my wife with Unique and it is pretty dirty in her S&W.

Good post and good ideas, Thanks fellas.
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Old June 20, 2007, 11:34 AM   #6
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I noticed that if I set the OAL right down to the minimum for a load/bullet combo. Unique is not to dirty at all. If I set the the OAL up around the max it is very dirty. This is for 9mm but I would assume that it would be the same for .45

I guess that goes along with what jibjab is saying about low pressure/ high pressure.
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Old June 24, 2007, 06:38 PM   #7
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Unique is just so versatile

There's always a couple cans of Unique around my bench, not only because it works so well in half a dozen handgun calibers I load for, but primarily because it patterns so well in reasonable shotgun loads (what folks used to call live pigeon loads). Great for .45 ACP if pressures are warm, it's even better in 3/4 throttle loads for the .44 mag (10.0 to 10.2 gr under anybody's 240 gr HP). Since I often shoot 200-250 rounds before heading home, I would worry about serious fouling...this is not the case with Unique. Accuracy is great, recoil very managable.....so what's a couple of unburned grains among friends?
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Old June 24, 2007, 07:03 PM   #8
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700X may give you want you are looking for and be cleaner.
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Old June 25, 2007, 02:12 AM   #9
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All powders burn best in the top end of their range...

Unique is best suited for upper end .45 ACP loads. When loaded to light or moderate levels, it doesn't burn correctly and leaves crud behind.

Bullseye burns cleaner because it is faster and suited to small charges; it's burning at the upper end of it's burn rate. 700X is a similar fast powder.

This is why - in general - slower powders like 2400, H110, W296 and Blue Dot are not recomended for 'light' loads.
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Old June 28, 2007, 11:59 PM   #10
Dave R
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I shoot Unique in .45acp and the others are correct. It doesn't like light loads. Its cleaner at higher pressure. And even though its sooty, the soot cleans easliy.
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Old June 29, 2007, 08:57 PM   #11
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Try some IMR powder, they seem to be cleaner than most, especially Unique. 700X, 800X, SR7625, and SR4756 have always been among my faves. SR 4756 is my powder of choice for most of my midrange to light heavy [oxymoron] loads. I buy it by the keg to keep my 12 gauge happy.
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Old June 29, 2007, 09:37 PM   #12
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I like 700X & 231. They both burn clean in my Colts, just a little shadow on the muzzle (satin nickle finish) that wipes right off.
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Old June 29, 2007, 10:26 PM   #13
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Ditto the above comments about Unique. The one comment about seating deeper makes it burn cleaner because pressure goes up substantially when you seat deeper into a short case.

The fact it is dirty means it isn't burning completely, so you are wasting powder in that load anyway. Rather than the other powders mentioned, I recommend you look at Hodgdon Universal Clays, a newer formulation far cleaner than the other older mixes. It has no graphite, which helps. Try about 4.8 grains for equivalent pressure.

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