I had a very similar conversation with a Winchester rep, at a trade show, over twenty years ago. (Back then they had NO handgun data for WST) He kept going on about the cost of developing load data and the SAAMI “standards” for canister grade shotgun powder being more relaxed and they can get away with more lot to lot variation. (huh?) If that were true, why did they develop handgun data for WSL & WSF? (again, huh?)

After stepping back and thinking on it for a few weeks, I came to the conclusion that Olin was taken over many years ago by a bunch of college edumacated bean counters who (IMO) know nothing about ammunition or powder and that’s ok, because they only care about the bottom line. (and that’s something they know, very well!)

Over the last 30 years, Olin has only really catered to the shotgun crowd (and occasionally the military, if there’s enough money involved) and that makes a lot of sense, if you look at it from a simply monetary standpoint. The average 12 ga. target load uses around 18-23gr. of powder, per load! That’s less than 400 rounds per pound. My 45 acp load with a 230 gr. FP is only 4.2 gr. So…therefore, shotgun shooters use (buy) more powder, and selling more powder, increases Olin’s bottom line.

I can only imagine what it would cost for Olin to develop loading data for every handgun caliber and bullet combination WST is suited for. It would have to be staggering, and for what? Take 9mm for example, max velocities are at least 50-75 f.p.s. LESS than what you can get with 231/HP38. Besides, speed’s the only thing anybody cares about anyway…right? Forget cleanliness or recoil impulse or even accuracy, it’s all about the numbers…the, bottom line.

Handloaders have know for years that most of the best “handgun” powders are actually shotgun powders, and when we can’t find loading data, then by god we’ll develop it ourselves, and that’s what has happened with WST over the last twenty years. We extrapolated data from the old 452AA (same load data in my test’s) and worked up. Oh, Olin got a clue back in the mid 90’s and released data on loads we were already using for the 38 Spl. and 45 acp, but I think they dropped the ball on not working up data for the 9mm as well. I mean they went and developed data for the 40 & 10mm, why not the 9?

Jeff