Notice:
This post is not for the crumdungeons that have not had to buy a can of powder since 1964...

Anyway...

On the new cans on Unique it states "cleaner burning" and I've shot some of it, and have noticed little or no change. Anyone else have an observation?

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I've used over a pound of it now and think it is somewhat cleaner.

I think they may have reduced the visible residue somewhat in response to some customer bitching, but basically, so what? There is still about the same amount of total fouling, and the visible flakes are the easiest to remove anyway.

Maybe the people who obsess about visible powder residue should shoot blackpowder guns for awhile?

I shoot a lot of Unique and started on "New" Unique about 6 months ago. I can't tell any difference. It might smoke less but I have changed bullet lube too.

Its a bit cleaner but I never thought Unique to be that dirty anyway. I guess its a matter of perspective after having shot Black Powder revovlers with real black powder, anything smokeless is clean.

I think it's at least a bit cleaner. You have to load at least medium velocity loads to get it to burn right. It doesn't like wimpy loads,

Swiss 3F is about as little a fouling black powder that I know of.

Anyway, Unique has got to be the staple in every pistol loader's powder cabinet.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

It's a little cleaner,but not a lot. Idon't think I used a bunch of the old stuff when the new one came out.

I use it in twenty Ga. reloads and some twelve Ga. also. I find that in shotguns it is much cleaner. I shoot Remington 1187 Premier and find that the dirt is much less in that guns gas system. Works for me, Captain Hornet.

It seems like it may be a bit cleaner in handguns but it certainly doesn't seem dramatic to me. They probably put 16 fewer molecules of graphite per pound of powder in so they could advertise "cleaner burning". Soot from Unique and Red Dot has never bothered me very much-it cleans up easily and never seems to impede function.

Seems to shoot a bit cleaner in the gun, but my hands still look like I've been rooting around in the coal bin! Still and all, it's the best powder for many of my reloading need's.

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Stay safe people!

My exact experience. Unique gets a bad rap for being dirty because peopel try to load light loads w/ it. Unique runds best @ midrange to full power loads. A bit less carbon & smoke than the older stuff. Still amazingly useful in a broad range of cartridges.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Sir, I've used both old and new and don't see much difference. Different loads seem to have more effect than vintage. As has been noted, warmer loads usually run cleaner than light ones.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Not for me! Unique ended up on my powder shelf only about a year ago when I was "shamed" into getting some to try.

It meters like boulders in my equipment and only works when loaded at the top of most data, which used to be the bottom of data for Unique!

Just never had the desire for a "one powder fits all" type of thing. I have found that "one size fits all" seldom fits most well. I know this could be construed as going against the "holy grail" of reloading for some folks but, in my opinion, Unique works adequately in most cartridges but it works well in few, at least with current data.

Not to say that there isn't some place for it, there is. Large capacity cases, heavy lead bullets and non-progressive type loading equipment. If those things match you and your needs, you will be good to go!

Well, there is nothing wrong with not liking it, or any other powder. I'm very happy there is many powders out there to try- what a boring time we'd have reloading if there wasn't such a good variety!

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I've been using the cleaner burning Unique ever since it came out. I've reloaded probably 10k rounds ir not more of .45acp with it. No complaints here.

I use it primarily for heavy loads in 45ACP with 225 gr LN's to duplicate factory loads for hardball practice. A touch of smoke, but no more dirty than anything else I've used. Bullet lube plays a significant part in the residue/smoke of any load, and that is just as true with Unique as any other powder.

However, I havn't tried it in jacketed loads yet. Can't say about that.

Flash

I'm curious if it will burn cleaner using small rifle primers in .38 special at a medium loading.

I don't see much difference but then again I never worried about it before. The guns still need to be cleaned after a trip to the range any way.

amen!!!!!!!!!

I have used unique in shotgun and pistol, it is a very good powder that yields very good results, it's not so clean burn is the downside to a good powder, everything must have a downside to it.

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If it flies it dies, if it run's it is done.

I have a can of unique with a price tag of $2.29 on it, so I am not sure how old it is, but at least a few decades. I never saw anything wrong with the "old" stuff.

Hello Fred
I Agree. if you want to load Light loads that shoot clean, Use Hodgen's "Tight Group"...Unique is very Consistent, meters well, and shows above average Groups when Loaded right...Hammerdown

I agree with you. Very little difference, either in the gun or in amount of smoke/commotion produced. My chronograph agrees as well.

Still shoot my old stuff I purchased many years ago. Some came in a metal square tin with pressure 'pop' top, other in a cylindrical cardboard paper can. All of it is Hercules.

I have used Unique since the late 1960's and continue to find it useful and reliable in all my midrange pistol loads, mostly 44 special and magnum. And, I have always found it to be dirty. As some earlier stated, my hands look like I have been working in a coal mine after a session at the range. Regardless, I never really cared about how dirty it was, but it sure became noticable when I started shooting stainless guns.

It remains a superior powder IMO but I am having difficulty finding it as I have begun looking while my supply dwindles.

I imagine there are other, superior, powders on the market today, but I have no motivation to change unless I can't find any in the future.

as was stated earlier It does burn cleaner in a shotgun and is cleaner in my 460 with 300gr cast. but I dont see any difference in a 45acp