Clean burning powder - 45ACP

hawk223 said:
I've used W231 and I'm going to check on load level and cleanliness as it may help. Has anyone used CFE Pistol? I'm wondering if switching would be a good idea.
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I just loaded up some rounds with CFE pistol haven't had a chance to shoot them yet though.
 
Graphite is what is used.
"Graphite ( /ˈɡræfaɪt/), archaically referred to as plumbago, is a crystalline allotrope of carbon, a semimetal, a native element mineral, and a form of coal.[5] Graphite is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Therefore, it is used in thermochemistry as the standard state for defining the heat of formation of carbon compounds."
 
saskcop said:
W231 isn't dirty if you step up your loads a bit. If W231 is run on the weak side, it does in fact seem to be a little dirty. Increasing your charges even just a bit often makes a big difference. I load my .45 on the high end of W231 and find my loads completely safe and very clean.
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This^.

Light loads / low pressure loads of an y powder burn dirtier. Powder burns more efficiently at higher pressures. So the cleanest powder depends on what you're trying to do. If you want max velocity, powders like Power Pistol, 800x, Unique, CFE Pistol will get you there within their clean(er) burning range.

If you're looking for lower velocity light target practising loads, then faster powders like Titegroup, Bullseye, 700x, etc. will produce low to medium velocity with a higher cleaner burning pressure range than the slower powders. Unique will work here too but gets dirtier as the pressure drops. Any powder will burn dirty and leave residue if the load is too light.

If I could only have one pistol powder it would be Unique because it's consistent and versatile across a broad range of cartridges and pressures from low pressure antiques to modern +P semi autos. If you're a serious shooter with more than one gun then you need a bottle of Unique on the shelf anyway.
 
Another vote for Vhita Vhori powders.

The difference is night and day compared to others, whether they are loaded hot or not.
 
I've been using titegroup, bullseye, unique, and 700x. When it comes to low power loads, either 200gr or 230 gr I get the cleanest burn by far from 700X. At higher pressures they all burn cleaner but for the lowest pressure loads, 700X is it for me. It meters well in my Dillon but not so good with a regular powder throw.

It just so happens to be one of the cheapest powders available too!
 
NorthernPF said:
Hey guys!
I used to reload some 45acp a few years ago and used Win231. I found it to be pretty dirty. Is there any powders that burn cleaner or would 231 be my best bet?

Thanks
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Heya OP,
Here's some notes from a few loads tested this morning out of my Glock 41. Today was another WST day and I'm pretty much at the end of testing and honing in on the load I want, so all of these loads are perfectly usable for the range.

It's worth mentioning - given the theme of this thread - that each and every one of the ~150 casings were not blackened(pretty much spotless actually) when I collected them off the floor at the range, and that the muzzle of the pistol always seems to get a tad sooty no matter what I load for 45, so I just live with that.

Targets at 10yds, standing hand held riding the trigger reset, and "excellent accuracy" is subjective: It means that 10 rounds grouped within a 5 inch square, which is the best I can shoot - on a good day - with a tactical oriented pistol like the Glock 41.

230gr Plated Round Nose @1.260"
4.8gr WST - Stout Load. Excellent Accuracy. No unburned powder in casings or action.

230gr Plated Round Nose @1.260"
4.6gr WST - Moderate Recoil, Excellent Accuracy, no unburned powder in casings or action.

230gr Plated Round Nose @1.260"
4.4gr WST - Mild Recoil, feeds/cycles perfectly, Excellent Accuracy little bit of unburned powder in casings, none in the action.

200gr Plated Truncated Cone @ 1.155"
4.4gr WST - Reminds me exactly of 4.4gr of Bullseye. Great Range Round! Mild Recoil, Feeds/Cycles perfectly, Excellent Accuracy and no unburned powder visible.

MuthaFunk said:
I've been using titegroup, bullseye, unique, and 700x. When it comes to low power loads, either 200gr or 230 gr I get the cleanest burn by far from 700X. At higher pressures they all burn cleaner but for the lowest pressure loads, 700X is it for me. It meters well in my Dillon but not so good with a regular powder throw.

It just so happens to be one of the cheapest powders available too!
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I've been meaning to try this powder but I keep forgetting. Thanks for reminding me.
 
I run 231 for all my non magnum pistol loads and have no issues with it being "dirty". I do run hot which could be why I don't find it to be "dirty"at all. In all honesty, if you want to see dirty shoot blackpowder. Smokeless powder of any kind is not dirty at all. Never in my life would i consider "dirtiness" as part of my load development
 
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