Unique "smokeless powder" yeah right

well, I'm noticing my other powders (2400 and Power Pistol) are starting to smoke a little too.

I am pretty much reloading over and over the same two dozen cartridges for experimenting apart from the 500 or so reloads I've done on a mass scale for just target shooting.

1) would the using of these cartridges over and over have something to do with the smoking
2) have NEVER since I started reloading used any lubricant. Although the tube and pad are at my table. I was told it wasn't necessary to lube .38 Spl. only if you are reloading rifle such. Could this have something to do with it?
 
No, the brass has nothing to do with it. I can not remember, did you mention what bullets you are using> If lead, it's the lube on the bullets. What primers? Just shoot a empty case with a live primer and see how much junk comes out.

Did you shoot on a day there was a cold snap?? I doubt it was very cold in Louisiana.
 
well, the lowest it's been during my shooting is between 35 and 42 degrees
I am using Midway LSWC and Speer LRN bullets. Primers are Winchester Standard Small Pistol
 
Doug,
Are the Speer LRN swagged? Do they have a "criss cross" pattern on the outside of them? Dry lubed?

If so, the smoke you are seeing is from that soft lead and lube. All powders with that combination, well, maybe not Trail Boss, are going to smoke. Just the nature of the beast. If you want to reduce the smoke, get a good cast bullet, one that fits your particular firearm correctly that isn't too hard of soft and run them with 4.5gr of Unique in a 38Spl case, 5.0gr in a 357Mag. I will almost guarantee you that the smoke will go away.
 
Jack Flash said:
One thing I have not seen explicitly addressed in this thread:
Has anybody compared the "new improved" Unique to the older Unique? Is there that much difference?

In fact, is everyone talking about the same Unique, or are some comments about one and some comments about the other? :confused:

I have a can of the old stuff I'm trying to use up and an unopened can of the new stuff. I never thought the old stuff was all that dirty, especially if a good crimp is applied to each round.
Click to expand...

I have actually conducted that test as my old Unique is 20 years old.
The load is 6 grains of Unique under a 240 SWC in 44 Special.
The new Unique is marginally cleaner burning. Less smoke but I
still get unburned flakes on my hands unloading the shells.
Same performance on targets. The only difference I can tell is
the new stuff has more solvent to get high on <j/k>.

I am careful to not leave the powder on my sweaty hands as I have
had nitro headaches from that. Not good. My Dad took nitro and
I studied up on it's effects back then.

4in624Target.jpg

4in624Target2.jpg


---
Nemo
 
Like the others have said, it's the lead bullets and the lube they are using causing the excessive smoke you are experiencing. In general, the best way to prove to yourself it's not the powder causing the smoke is to load a FMJ bullet with the same powder to near the same pressures. You will see very little to no smoke from those loads compared to the lead bullets.
 
Rule 3, it is usually micro-crystaline wax.... and it works very well at low to moderate velocities.
 
Doug.38PR said:
Like, ow my gaaash, this powder, like, really suuucks. I mean, like, really this is just, like, really dirty powder. Couldn't they, like, make a powder that, like, didn't, like pollute the air and dirty my, like, gun so much? I mean the, like, second hand ssmowke is, like, dangerous. This should be a, like, smoke-free powder. ;)
Click to expand...

I LAWL'D! :D

Seriously though, Unique is a popular midrange in the "powder trinity." It's also known to be a bit dirty.

It's right next door on the burn rate chart to another popular midrange powder, W231/HP-38. Might give that a try.
 
I have tried supposedly "clean(er)" burning powders with no better or worse results. It all depends on charge weight, bullet type (and/or lube) and other variables mentioned in the other posts. Just as with Unique.
No matter what, I still have to, and would anyway, clean my gun. I have had Universal, TiteGroup, 231 and many others produce a "cloud" in front of me with many different loads. I find Unique to be no worse in any case.
I am, however, straying away from Unique for no other reason than it sux trying to meter it to a definite charge. Sure, you can pick some middle of the road charge and hope for any consistency. But, I like low SD numbers, and I cant get those with Unique. Unless that is, I weigh each and every load by hand. I have done that, with 50-100 rounds, and I won't do it for any more than that.
WSF and Universal work great for me as replacements to Unique.
 
Unique was my favorite for quite a few years, I lived with the smoke. What made me leave it behind were the Dillon presses. I seem to be the only one to admit it but I had trouble with Unique in the Dillon powder measure.

I tried Power Pistol and Universal and found them to work better.
 
No, Joed, I admit it and then went on to fix it! ;)

I use Unique and a surplus version of it in my Dillon measures with +/- .1 accuracy. Good enough for the loads I use it for! :)
 
for me there is two pistol powder's that I keep on hand unique and 2400, they've been around for ever and work great, I've tried the new stuff and keep coming back! can't stand power pistol!
 
I've been working on some up close and personal defense loads for my 44 mag snubbie. Shot 100 rounds with loads of 7.0-7.5 gr Unique today.

6291dirty1.jpg


6291dirty2.jpg


6291target.jpg


13.5gr of Blue Dot was brutal to shoot out of this gun. But I could've easily shot 100 more rounds of this load of Unique! Great accuracy at 7-10 yds as well. And nowhere near as dirty or smoky as BD!
 
Skip Sackett said:
No, Joed, I admit it and then went on to fix it! ;)
I use Unique and a surplus version of it in my Dillon measures with +/- .1 accuracy. Good enough for the loads I use it for! :)
Click to expand...


OK. I'll bite. Tell us how you fixed it Hoosier Daddy? :D

As mentioned previously, my Redding measure seems to be one
of the few that does well with Unique. Yeah some of the grains
stick and are cut. You just have to be firm and use the same
stroke every time.

---
Nemo
 
zombie44 said:
I've been working on some up close and personal defense loads for my 44 mag snubbie. Shot 100 rounds with loads of 7.0-7.5 gr Unique today.

6291dirty1.jpg


6291dirty2.jpg


6291target.jpg


13.5gr of Blue Dot was brutal to shoot out of this gun. But I could've easily shot 100 more rounds of this load of Unique! Great accuracy at 7-10 yds as well. And nowhere near as dirty or smoky as BD!
Click to expand...

NICE gun! what's with the hole cut in the top of the barrel? that looks man-made. Doesn't that take away some of the pressure?
 
Nemo288 said:
OK. I'll bite. Tell us how you fixed it Hoosier Daddy? :D

As mentioned previously, my Redding measure seems to be one
of the few that does well with Unique. Yeah some of the grains
stick and are cut. You just have to be firm and use the same
stroke every time.

---
Nemo
Click to expand...

I will have to find the picture.............Headed to the deer woods this morning so.................

Basically, it is the Dillon Low Powder system with a weight added to the top to keep constant pressure on the powder.
My weight is a 3" long 1/2" drive ratchet extension. Fits over the end of the "rod" and keeps a little extra "push" on the powder................
 
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