Opinions on .45acp Powder Type

Alliant American Select is a bulky, low-nitroglycerin content flake power that is slightly slower than Bulleye and burns much cleaner with virtually no muzzle flash (unlike Bullseye and especially Unique).
Click to expand...

I don't even see that listed on the Alliant website. No longer available?
 
Clays

I run "Clays" in 1911 with 230gr LRN[Speer] and Hornady 200gr XTP's.
This is a VERY clean burning powder. Not to mention accurate. If you can get some, try it. I do believe you'll like it.
 
W231 is perhaps the ultimate 45 ACP propellant. Runs great with pretty much any bullet weight - lead, plated, or jacketed. Will do pretty much any job, save for full power rounds. And it has a well-earned reputation for running clean.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above, with exception to the full power round statement.
Back in my pin shooting days I had 45 ACP loads that well surpassed +P+ loads and they were loaded with W231.
W231 best powder choice for the 45 ACP in my opinion.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
WW 231 is, always has been, and likely always will be my go to powder, not only for .45 ACP but for just about every other handgun round I load.

I've gone through a lot of it since I started reloading in the early 1980s.

It's the only powder I've ever used in my .45 ACP rounds, and I see no reason to change.

I shoot a lot of lead, so no matter what powder I use it's going to be dirty from the lube and such. A good cleaning takes care of that.

There are only two cartridges that I load for which I do not use 231 -- .44 Special and .45 Long Colt.

In my .44 Special I use exclusively Trail Boss. It fills the case and gives tremendous accuracy.

In my .45 Long Colt I use Universal. It's a bit bulkier than 231 and allows me to easily duplicate original ballistics and take things a bit hotter if I want.
 
Believe it or not, Tin Star is very clean burning in .45acp, under 200gr cast swc.

It is somewhat expensive and hard to find though, but quite accurate.

Works very nicely in .45 Colt.
 
I think Hodgdon now gets something they call "Clays" from IMR Canada.
Not only was supply from ADI interrupted by the fire, they plan to reformulate their pistol/shotgun powders with no exact equivalent of AS30N/Clays.

They also get something they call "700X" from Alliant instead of IMR.

I am sure they have impressed their new suppliers with the need to maintain the same "burn rate" for the label. Almost.

Table of one application, Australian Clays, Canadian Clays, and Alliant Clay Dot in .45 ACP at:
https://forums.1911forum.com/showpost.php?p=8267889&postcount=21
 
One of the biggest determinants for how clean a powder burns is the nitroglycerin content. The higher the content the sootier the residue will be. If you want the cleanest powders use single base propellants with no nitroglycerin. The best are made by VihtaVuori, and they are priced accordingly, but they sure do run clean.
 
my top 2 faves for .45(&9mm) are Power Pistol and BE-86

CFE Pistol is ok but dirty below 75%

HP-38 and titegroup work ok too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top