Alternate powder for 45 colt.

[Tackleberry41]

I know unique is a good powder, but had some position sensitivity issues with it last time I went shooting. A standard pressure load, going in my Uberti breaktop. I was shooting, Lee 230gr TL FN, using lee tumble lube, 9gr of Unique, middle of the road sort of load. Shooting over the chrony, they were all over the place, could feel them, tilt the gun back each shot, and they even out. Had the issue before with an 1858 conversion, so went to trail boss for that, but prefer a bit more velocity.

Maybe a different powder? Have 2400, green dot, universal, AA #2, AA #9, 800x, 5744, clays, Autocomp, Shilouette, blue dot. Not found blue dot to be very good at low pressures, unburned powder.

Or some sort of filler to keep the powder in the back?

[Outpost75]

Factory .45 Colts were loaded with Bullseye for over 100 years. No filler is needed. No position issues.

I use it for all of my Cowboy loads in .44-40, .45 Schofield and .45 Colt.

Use 4 grains in .45 Cowboy Special brass (.898" case), 4.5 grains in Schofield case (1.10" case) and 6.0-6.5 grains in. 45 Colt case or .44-40.

I get much more uniform velocities and better accuracy with Bullseye than with Unique or slower powders. Chronograph data from Colt New Service M1909 5-1/2" with 0.008" cylinder gap. Bullets as-cast and unsized at .455" which fit the Colt's throats, and lubricated with LSStuff 45-45-10:

Starline .45 Colt brass, Remington 2-1/2 primer, Saeco #955 1:30 Sn/Pb
5.0 Bullseye, 685 fps, 24 Sd, 84 ES, n=12 rds.
6.0 Bullseye, 823 fps, 17 Sd, 47 ES, n=12 rds.
6.5 Bullseye, 900 fps, 18 Sd, 44 ES, n=12 rds.

Starline .45 Schofield brass, Remington 2-1/2 primer, Saeco #955 1:30 Sn/Pb
4.0 Bullseye, 669 fps, 10 Sd, 29 ES, n=12 rds.
4.5 Bullseye, 736 fps, 12 Sd, 37 ES, n=12 rds.

Starline .45 Cowboy Special (.898" case), Remington 2-1/2 primer, Saeco #955 1:30 Sn/Pb
4.0 Bullseye 643 fps, 18 Sd, 47 ES, n=12 rds.

[ohnomrbillk]

I like universal and green dot. They seem cleaner burning that unique.

[bangerjim]

I use TiteGroup ( advertised as NOT position sentitive at all and I have proved it!) and ETR7 a lot.

Even have used Clays, 700X, American Select, and TrailBoss.

Basically use what you have/can find......according to the load data pages. Get EVERY cast load data book/site you can for various powders and loads.

Find some data listings and get 'er dun!

bangerjim

[M-Tecs]

I have not had the same issues with Unique as you are having. 8 grains of Unique under a 255 cast has been my standard since I was a kid loading for a reenactment club in the late 60's to late 70's. I loaded over 50 pounds of it in 45 colts & 45/70 during that time period and it is still my go to powder for plinking and light target loads in the 45 Colt and 45/70.


Some more info here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Unique-45-Colt

Never used a filler with it. Not sure why you are have issues with it. Maybe try a heavier crimp. Unique is noted for its lack of position sensitivity.

[Tackleberry41]

Well I have universal and green dot on the shelf, never used bullseye where I would have any. And like most things pistol probably in short supply. Any place I stop is the same selection of rifle powder, pretty much no pistol powders. Guess will try the green dot since I have a full bottle and not using it for anything else.

[bangerjim]

Sometime back I messed around with a tiny bit of Dacron fluff in 45LC cases with TiteGroup. That powder is fast and the fill volume is VERY small.

I could not see any difference....other that wasting time with stuffing the fluff in the 10 cases I tried.

Use the right powder......you do NOT need a filler.

If you are worried about having small-filled cases, get some Trailboss. OMG....that stuff is really bulky and normally fills the case.

banger

[Keyston44]

I've had great luck with Unique in my 45 colt. I even use it in my 45-70 without any problems. Besides Unique, Win 231 has worked well for me. lately I have been experimenting with AA # 2 and that shows a lot of promise.

Key

[jmort]

Unique is not position sensitive as that term is commonly understood.

[Hardcast416taylor]

For many years, and still today, the factory duplication for the 255 gr. boolet was 6 gr. of Red Dot. That is until the formula was changed and now it takes about 6.5 gr. of Red Dot to get about 900 FPS.Robert

[DougGuy]

Going to try 9.0 and 9.5gr Herco, first loads I tried in my Uberti were 8.5gr under a 244gr 454190, but the gun had some light primer strikes, some FTF from that, a couple of sooty cases and velocity was all over the place. I have since replaced the mainspring with a new non-cobra shaped spring, I have some new 454190 coming at 260gr (different caster, different alloy, different lube, same mold) so it will be starting from scratch again with a new load. Herco is good in the .45 Colt but I understand doesn't like low pressures either. More later on Herco in my .45 Colt...

[Tackleberry41]

Bought some 800x other day, friend raves about it. Load a few see how they do. Also have a large amount of solo 1000 be nice if I could use some of it.

Maybe Unique isnt position sensitive by definition. All I know is some would go pop, lighter recoil, bullet still came out the end, Chony reading was way off what it should be. Tilting the gun up before each shot, everything settled down. Be nice to find something that was a bit cleaner to shoot.

Trail boss does work, I had half a box I had loaded at some point, using some 200gr bullets I have no idea where I got them, don't have any more. Figured I would shoot em off in my new gun, along w half a box of the 9gr unique loads w 230gr.

[DougGuy]

Tackleberry, how stiff is the trigger in your Uberti? Sometimes light primer strikes can be totally responsible for low and/or inconsistent velocities. I tried the pencil test in mine and it shot a full length lead pencil dropped eraser first down the barrel, about 18" into the air straight up. I would have expected 3-4 FEET.

I just tried the pencil test with the new mainspring and it won't even clear the barrel with the pencil. Can we say "Hmmmmmm" now? The new spring -felt- only marginally stronger than the stock factory spring, but the pencil says it too is going to have some FTF so I'm not impressed at all with the new spring. Maybe I need to order out a Colt spring from Brownell's before I even take it out shooting again.

It's either that or try and straighten out the replacement Uberti spring and hope it gains some force in doing so.

[Tackleberry41]

It only had issues with the Unique loads. The Trailboss loads I had left over from my conversion gun all worked fine. And once I tilted the gun up before each shot, it was fine to. Avg of 867fps w the 9gr of unique behind that 230gr.

I would like a cleaner powder, unique sooted up that break top pretty bad.

Funny I bought the FN mold after discovering my RN 230gr mold were to long in my conversion gun, work fine in the blackhawk w a longer cyl.

[Tackleberry41]

Tried the pencil thing, had to find one between a 7yo and the dog, not easy to find a full pencil. Straight up they went maybe 2ft. Feels like theres a notch at half cock, theres a safety they put in there, pull the trigger it drops all the way. Let it down a little slow and it stops at half cock. I generally open a gun up to do some internal work anyways. Might just need some parts polishing.

[Tackleberry41]

I took it apart, I can see the obvious drag marks on the hammer from the rather roughly made spring for the latch. But also a gouge in the hammer where its hitting the frame. Guess I have to send it back to Uberti, tho may give me **** for taking it apart.

[MtGun44]

Never found any significant position sensitivity issues with Unique in any pistol
cartridge I ever tried it in, which is most of them.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

Chronograph testing Unique I have found it to clock at non consistent velocities but still provide good accuracy. Someone else posted similar observations, but I can't recall specifically who.

Firing position sensitive tests with a .44 Special 4 3/4" bbl Colt's SAA with 6.4 gr Unique under a 240 gr 429667 ww alloy the "muzzle up" powder position gave an average of 838 fps while the "muzzle down" powder position five (5) shot average was 784 fps. Using Starline brass and CCI300 primers, Lyman Alox lube.

All this is purely academic to me as I regularly cock the SA with the shooting hand thumb which positions the muzzle skyward before each shot anyway.

Bullseye is a very accurate powder in the .45 Colt but the light dusting of this fast burning powder isn't conducive to high volume loading in a large cartridge case on a progressive press. Unique is the powder I use the most in the .45 Colt at 800 to 850 fps pressures.

Tackleberry41, you mention AA#2 and AA#9, why not AA#5?

2400 launches a 250 gr 454190 boolit out of the .45 Colt at 823 average fps with 15 gr. I get a few unburnt powder grains but it would be silly to think these unburnt grains would tie up the action of a Colt's SAA, or any other action for that matter.

[Tackleberry41]

I don't have any AA#5, havent seen any for sale for a while, well most pistol powders really. So I use what I have. I was tempted to try some 2400, since I dug up an extra pound not long ago. But noticed 800x is at the top of the list with the 230gr cast. Thats the mold I have on hand. Havent had time to mess with it. Gotta get the gun back together, see if I will end up fixing it or sending it back.

Was shooting some blue dot out of my single shot the same day, some of those 225gr flex tips. Noticed quite a bit of unburnt powder, they shot fine, but blue dot seems to like some pressure to burn well. So will look for something else I have on the shelf. Gun store near me has 800x and 700x, that's it for pistols. Stopped in several places they all have the same rifle powders, rare to find pistol powder at all. You would think it would be backwards. A lbs of pistol powder generally makes a whole lot more rounds per lbs, than rifle. 1000rds of 9mm is less than a lbs of unique, while a 223 1000rds is not quite 4 lbs.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

I haven't tried Blue Dot in the .45 Colt. Blue Dot was the most pleasant surprise for accuracy in high pressure .44 Special loads.

Red Dot with the .45 230 gr 452374 in the .45 Colt shows 7.0 gr at 862 fps and very stable, consistent velocities. I have chronograph data with the 250 gr boolit if you are interested too.

I haven't clocked the .45 Colt with Green Dot or American Select with a 230 gr boolit either. I've got data with these powders with the 250 gr boolit. Most of my shooting with the .45 Colt is with the 250 gr boolit. I've found American Select not a favorite with full weight boolits but better with the lighter boolits so it would be worth looking into in the .45 Colt with a 230 gr boolit.

Herco in the 250 gr boolit 9 gr clocked at 884 fps in the .45 Colt, 8 gr at 747 fps.

Someone just gave me six (6) pounds of 700X and I haven't worked with very much yet but it looks like a real good powder for my needs.

The Schofield brass from Starline works very well with the 230 gr RN 452374. I've got data with Unique and Trail Boss but I shoot the long brass with the full weight boolit mostly and haven't tested other powders with this brass.