Clean Powder for 38 Special

T

tfn41

Inactive
I've been loading 38 special, 41 magnum, and 45 long colt with Unique. I like the results, for the most part. My chief complaint is the extra effort to clean my firearms after a trip to the range, not to mention my hand and fingers.

I've recently picked up a few cans of Accurate Arms #9 for the 41. Lyman's 46th recommends this powder. I don't plan to use this for the 45 or the 38. Can anyone recommend a clean powder for these calibers? In 38, I'm using 158 grain JSP or LWSC. In 45LC, I'm using 255 grain LSWC or 230 grain FMJ-B. Unique is a good powder for both of these, but I'm looking for something a bit cleaner. How does Bullseye do? What about 231? Are those clean powders?

Thanks in advance...
 
I have had good luck with Trail Boss in light 357 loads, just try finding some.

Tin Star runs clean for me in .45acp, .45 Colt and light .357 loads.

WST is supposed to be a clean burner in .45acp and .38 Special. I haveen't tried it yet.

N320 is great in .45acp.

I am a fan of VV powders, accurate and clean. Also expensive and sometimes hard to find...

I would use 231 before unique any day
 
Clean is a relative term. This will be a subjective conversation.

I don't plan to use (AA#9) for the 45 or the 38.
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Good. Don't. Neither cartridge develops enough pressure for it to burn right. Not even close.

Can anyone recommend a clean powder for these calibers? In 38, I'm using 158 grain JSP or LWSC. In 45LC, I'm using 255 grain LSWC or 230 grain FMJ-B.
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Good. Heavy bullets generally deliver cleaner burns.

Unique is a good powder for both of these, but I'm looking for something a bit cleaner.
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Unique can run clean. But you gotta drive it fairly hard. Unique is known for its versatility. But that doesn't mean it runs clean throughout its entire load range. Unique is an intermediate burn rate powder; and I believe that many tend to treat it like it's faster than it is. I also believe that this lends to its reputation for running dirty. In 38 Special, for Unique to run right - even under heavy 158's - you need to pump it up to velocities in the 900 f/s range. These would be full-power rounds for 38 Special.

How does Bullseye do?
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Bullseye is excellent stuff. It makes great target rounds. But clean? . . . not really. It's - as I say - "residuey." I don't think it's what you're looking for.

What about 231?
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Yes. It has a well-deserved reputation for running clean. And it makes great ammo for both cartridges. It's too fast to deliver the velocity that Unique can though. (Although I suspect you're not loading Unique to its full potential anyway. If you were, you probably wouldn't have saw a need to post, because your Unique-charged rounds would be running clean.)

Remember, any propellant will run sooty and leave behind unburnt powder if you underload it enough. And any propellant will run clean when you load it in its wheelhouse. The biggest difference is that fast powders clean up easier (they're more often being used as designed). And slow powders are more likely to run sooty (they're more often not being used as designed).
 
Clean burning but difficult to locate..

I use 5.1 grs of W231 with a Hornady or Winchester 230gr RN FMJ for my (45ACP), velocity is 750FPS + or - a bit with very good grouping. Winchester 231 is as good a powder as is available for the calibers you mentioned in your post. At least in my area (Central Arkansas) I haven't seen any W231 or Hodgdon's HP38 at any of our LGS outlets, the two powders are the same, Winchester sells W231, Hodgdon the HP38.. I have no idea where you live but the last powder I found was in Ashland, Ohio at Fin Feather and Fur outfitters, try an internet search, you may get lucky!! Sorry about leaving out 45 ACP info, it was late and I was tired! William
 
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I use 5.1 grs of W231 with a Hornady or Winchester 230gr RN FMJ, velocity is 750FPS + or - a bit with very good grouping.
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Mr. Watts: are you talking 45 ACP, or 45 Colt? I just want to verify.

tfn41: As Mr. Watts said, W231 and HP-38 are the same propellant. So look for either one. After looking for two years, I found HP-38 at Cabela's on line this past January. Bought 4 #'s. I covet it so much, I rarely use it - rather ironic, I suppose. I have other fast powders that I bought waiting for 231 to show up, but I don't like as much. So I'm using them up first.

I use W231/HP-38 for 45 ACP mostly. And also for 158 LSWC's for 38 Special. Good stuff. And yes - clean.
 
Might want to try some Universal Clays, same burn rate as Unique but it meters better, burns cleaner and requires a little less powder for the same performance.
 
Trail Boss is the one to use for clean. None will burn cleaner at the pressure range the low pressure round run at. Just not they will have great accuracy, though some sacrifice of velocity is going to happen.

Trai Boss is my go to powder for .44 special, and .38 special. I run cast in most of handguns.
 
So far, I've not found any cleaner burner than Hodgdon Clays, with all other components being accomodating, of course.
Never tried Universal Clays, though.
 
You aren't gonna get anything that is "clean" using cast bullets, the bullet lube is what makes the black mess not the powder. Wst is clean burning but everything still gets the black all over it in the revolvers. I shoot the 45ACP with lead bullets, it gets black junk in it too but it's from the bullet lube. These calibers also operate at lower pressure than the mag or the 9MM. The 9 is cleaner with cast than the revolvers or the .45 ACP. Even Unique burns in the 9MM.
This being said my pet load of 3.4 of 231 with a hbwc lead bullet is very accurate but leaves a lot or ash, I shoot it anyway. I clean my guns after shooting only 250 to 300 rounds so they aren't too dirty. I don't get any malfunctions that is they do have black on them but it'll wipe off with Hoppes or Breakfree CLP.
 
You aren't gonna get anything that is "clean" using cast bullets, the bullet lube is what makes the black mess not the powder.

I was just getting ready to post this same statement. I shoot lead and plated both about every week and I don't care what powder I use I don't have dirty hands when I get home unless I'm shooting lead.

Never with plated unless I shoot about 200 of them, even then I don't see a lot. With lead the top of my right hand and my fingers are a mess.

I doubt it's the powder at all, if it is your loading your ammo to light.
 
It depends how you define clean. I made and ran some 300 grain tumble lube bullets off Trail Boss in the .45 using brand new Starline brass, and I swear I could not tell the extracted case had been fired by the look of the case interior. Still bright yellow. Did the bore still need cleaning? Sure. It had lube and a little lead in in it. The next cleanest is Hodgdon Universal as mentioned, also.

One thing those two powders have in common is they don't have a graphite coating. I've shot over 2000 rounds of H&G 68 type semi-wadcutters through my combat 1911 without cleaning at a rate of about 750 rounds a day for three days in a row. Using Bullseye, my hands show graphite dust where it has blown out from under the edges of the grip panels and forward around the trigger and back around the grip safety. In other words, it was coming out about anywhere there was a small crack or crevasse. I don't get that with the graphite-free powders. However, there is still barrel metal fouling and lube fouling.

In the case of Trail Boss I note the MSDS include potassium nitrate. This is to supply extra oxygen to the nitrocellulose combustion which is an oxygen-deficient reaction (the reason it leaves carbon behind), and that helps supply oxygen to burn the carbon leftover by the nitrocellulose burn.
 
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