I just used my first sample of this powder in a 7gr charge in .41spl under 215gr swcbb. I see it is listed by Alliant, in both the .44spl at 8grs under the Speer 240gr swc, and in the .38spl in regular at 5.4grs, and +P at 6grs under the speer 158swc. The performance is impressive, at least on paper, and It meters very well,and seems clean with cast bullets. I was wondering if some of you have some info to share, as there seems to be a wealth of knowlwdge here. Brian Pearce also listed it at some very impressive velocities, with 200gr bullets in .45acp standard pressure loads in the new Handloader. THANX in advance for sharing.

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

I understand that it was invented for use with 9x19s. I bought it after reading that it throws 95-gr .380 bullets the fastest with factory-approved loads.

I've used it with all sorts of things (.41, .40, .45 ACP/AR, .38s, 357s, .45 C), and find - as you do - that it meters really well and burns pretty cleanly - and that it's nicely versatile and provides ballistics as promised (or even a bit more than promised) by the factory. I think of it sorta like a better-metering Unique. Downside is that it seems pretty flashy - WAY flashier than Unique.

Anyhow, I like Power Pistol a whole lot, and intend to keep using it.

I am also interested in a fairly stout load for 44 special using the laser cast 200 gr rnfp. any suggestions?

ditto #2. I use it for jacketed though.

The flashy part has me worried, has anyone else noticed this?

A buddy of mine bought a pound of Power Pistol for use in .357 mag loads and didn't like it. He gave it to me a few weeks back. I'm going to try it in 9x18 Mak. If it works for 9x19 and .380 it ought to do fine for the 9x18. Not alot of data for it in that caliber though.

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Andy

along this line.... I was doing some load testing for a new 1911 and had 3 different loads with PP and noticed erratic chrono readings on the first load until I moved the unit further (about 3 feet) away from the gun and then they went to "normal". So there must be more flash since all of my other loads were registering fine with the chrono about 6 to 7 feet away.

Ironically the most accurate load I found in that gun was with PP and it had pretty consistant readings as well.......

Oh, yes. Loud blast, too. My trial pound of Power Pistol in 9mm regularly got me asked: "What ARE you shooting in that thing?" Especially at the indoor range.

I use Power Pistol for a 135gr 10mm loading I really like, and yes it does have plenty of blast and flash. I don't mind the flash so much although if I wanted something with less of that I would use a different powder.

I want to work up some loads in 9mm and .38 Super with this powder soon.

I use Power Pistol in:
.380 auto
9MM
10 MM Auto
.45 ACP
.357 magnum

All with great results. Meters fine using a 550B press.

It's my #1 choice for .40 S&W loads though it does have a bit of muzzle flash. I've tried it in .45 colt loads and didn't get consistent velocities.

Meters well and burns clean.

Hello Dixie,

The Power Pistol in the Special 41 is on my to do list as soon as it warms up abit around here. What did you get for FPS ? if you like to keep it in a PM thats fine too.

Thanks again for the Brass it is "Special"

-2sigs

I tried it in .45 acp about 7 years ago and have been using it ever since. I have also given up on Unique and replaced it with PP. So, I'll be loading .38 Spl, .44 Spl and .45 acp.

My thoughts are it's a great powder. It is a heck of a lot cleaner then Unique and meters very well. Tough to beat it in the right cartridge.

I want to follow up on my post up-thread (#2) and say that PP gives me really minimal spreads/deviations. It's a great powder (hey, I compared it to Unique! ) - it's just not magic.

Power pistol was a bulk powder used as a go to powder in commercial reloading which called it bullseye 84

You gotta love it, a little slower then Unique, meters better, while burning clean. WIN-WIN

I've yet to try it in a revolver cartridge, but ALL my full power, jacketed loads for my autos are runnin it.

I am very impressed with the velocity, versus pressure readings in all pressure tests. I'm a big Unique beleiver, showing my age, but what I"m reading makes me think PP may be MAGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

I use Power Pistol exclusively for highest velocity 9mm and .45 ACP revolver loads. The loads I have developed for my 940 are at the very least +P+ equivalent and will meet or exceed +P+ velocities of all factory loads I have tried so far. The bonus is ease of extraction with the moonclips, which doesn't always happen with the factory loads. My .45 ACP loads are basically the equivalent of .45 Super and are meant for use in my 625s only. I load the bullets long so they won't chamber in the autos. As others have said, muzzle flash is very intense. I have not yet tried it in any of the rimmed revolver cartridges but I have been wondering how it compares to the notorious SR4756 in .38 Special with 158 gr. bullets.

Dave Sinko

I've used it in .38 Spl with very good results. Haven't done .44 Spl yet but I have no doubt it will perform well there too.

Funny about the flash, I've just never noticed it outdoors but I believe there is a fair amount of flash from PP.

This has become my go to powder.
Cleaner then Unique, meters much better !
I use it everywhere I used to use Unique.
Only possible negative is the intense flash !
I like it !! and consider it a huge plus however some may not.
It works for me in,380acp, 9mm, 10mm,38 Super, light 357 mag
heavy 38 Special you all get my point.
I like better then anything other then #5 and #7 accurate
and they have been too hard to find and Power Pistol works well either
way.

This shows my Power Pistol load. I posted other powders here also in an earlier post.
For my 3" barrel, this is a good velocity (1007 fps) with 240 Cast.

Smith model 696 (3” barrel) Cast-bullet loads .44 Special Use at your own risk. (December 2009)
253 grain hard-cast, Keith design
Several loads below are well above SAAMI pressure levels.

Powder grains avg veloc Veloc Spread MAD Recoil
(fps) (low to high) (perceived)

Power Pistol 9.0gr. 1007 fps 984-1023 0.95% 8.0


MAD = Mean Absolute Deviation. WLP primers used for all loads.
253 grain hard-cast, Keith design, used in all loads. Leadheads Bullets, Kansas.
All cases new Hornady or new Starline. Five cartridges used with each new loading.
Tested velocity difference between case manufacturers was less than 2.5%.
Powder charges weighed: desired weight, +0.1/-0.1 grain.
Some loads based on the .44 Special article by Brian Pearce,
in Handloader magazine #236, August 2005, by Wolfe Pub. Co.
Perceived Recoil: 6-7.90 = mild, actually pleasant, 8-8.90 begins to feel heavy
9.0-9.9: heavy, unpleasant recoil 10+: severe recoil
Always easily extracted five cases with one palm-push on extractor rod.
No primer flattening noted. Case expansion not measured.
These loads seem to be safe in my gun; they may NOT be in yours.

In Brian Pearce's article, 8 grains is 15,500 psi. My 9 grain load may be 22,500 or even 25,000 psi; no way that I can be certain. However, Brian says my 696 is safe "well beyond" the Category 3 loads of 25,000 psi. My recoil was on the edge of being unpleasant, and I don't think I would go any hotter, with Power Pistol, than my 9 grain load. Each person needs to set his own limit, as nobody wants an overload.
I am more likely to go to HS-7, Blue Dot or Accurate Arms #9, if I want to continue my experimentation with .44 Special.
Sonny

Power Pistol was designed for small cases with high pressure such as 9mm, 40, and 10mm but is much more versatile than that and seems to burn clean even in low pressure calibers.
Also it's great for hot rodding 38 and 45acp in the appropriate revolvers.

Has any one tried a +p .38spl w 158gr swc w PP?

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Yes. My standard .38 PP load is a +P load: 6.0 grains with a 158-gr TVB LSWC. It's accurate and flashy in low-light. Here are details at Oldfella/Pete's forum:

Pro-Gun Forums - The "NM FBI Load"

Look at top of Page 3 for the low-light shooting.

Erich,
What was the weight of PP compared to the FBI load of Unique. Have you found there to be a conversion, perse, to convert a Unique load to a PP load?

Thanks for the link, Erich. I really enjoyed the discussion by the "usual suspects".

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Glad it was of interest, Dixie. Shovelwrench, the PP load was as I posted; the Unique load is somewhat above present-day maximums so I won't post it. I use it a lot, though, and have never had any sort of problem with it.

I also like PP but do not like the excessive flash. If you like PP and don't want all the flash you can also give Hodgdon Longshot a try. It's similar and works well in all the calibers PP does. My son like's it best in the 9mm and we have tried A LOT of powders in the 9mm. I think Longshot is better than PP for jacketed bullet and HS-6 works GREAT for lead rounds.

Please be careful when loading Makarov ammo with Power Pistol. There is a common misconception that the 9X18 is a high pressure round, it is not. Even though there is no SAAMI listing for the 9X18 Makarov I think the common limit is only 24,000 psi but more commonly kept around 20,000 psi so be careful not to push the pressures too high when using PP in that caliber. W231, Unique, Bullseye and sometimes HS-6 are more commonly used in the 9X18.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I just tried some Power Pistol for the first time with some .38 Special testing lately;

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...g/01-20-10.jpg

Look at target #16.. One of the better groups that day..
5.1 Power Pistol
Lyman 358212 weighing out at 145grs. (the target says Lyman 358242.. I goofed..)
4" 686
25 yards

Nice first post, RDub; welcome.

Would I be close, if I were to assume that the TFBI load of Unique would have two 5s in it?

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Not quite so much. Almost, but not quite.

I also like PowerPistol. The only problem is - do not leave it in your powder measure if it has a plastic hopper. It will etch the plastic, at least on a RCBS one. And I mean in a short time - like a couple of hours. Not one of my better moments.