Hodgdon has a new powder

[Argonnakid]

I saw on one of the Firearm news sites I go to that at SHOT show Hodgdon is going to start making a pistol powder called "CFE Pistol". It is supposed to be just like CFE 223.

Now for the bad news, the guy they interveiwed from Hodgdon's said he thought it will be about a year plus before powder supplies across the board will get back to normal.

 

[jwalts27]

I think that has been in production for about a year or so, but hasn't been imported yet. I could be wrong

 

[Nevada Ed]

"Copper Fowling Eraser" coming into the pistol world ??
That might be interesting..................

 

[venomballistics]

I have read about it, and immediately thought "what a stupid time to do a new product launch"
While it may be a fine powder, which remains to be seen, from all indications, they'll be hard pressed to get it to shelves while working out of a backlog of pre existing shortages.

Personally, it kinda has me scratching my head.
CFE 223 makes some sense due to the blistering velocity involved which tends to hasten metallic fowling buildup.
The first time this became a documented problem was with the 1903 springfield, with its then bleeding edge hot rod 30-06 caliber.
this lead to the use of alloys instead of pure copper jackets as well as the now obsolete IMR 1/2 powders which incorporated tin.
It wasn't an issue at all before the 06 broke past the 2700 FPS mark.
What pistol does this kind of velocity?

 

[jwalts27]

i know if it meters and shoots as well as CFE223 i will buy a ton.

 

[Engineer1911]

^^^^ that'll wear out a few guns and cost a couple of bucks!

 

[Bkreutz]

^^^^ that'll wear out a few guns and cost a couple of bucks!

About $40,000 at today's prices. Who knows what the price will be, maybe at VV's level.

 

[rwsmith]

Hate to sound ignorant...

But what are the characteristics of a CFE powder??? I gather that it is potent stuff.

 

[TAROMAN]

What's the point?
Just another powder that we won't be able to find anywhere.
What we really need is a "LFE" Lead Fouling Eliminator.

 

[venomballistics]

But what are the characteristics of a CFE powder??? I gather that it is potent stuff.

Not entirely sure ... I think Im leaning towards calling the CFE feature hype and snake oil in this case .. in a pistol, its a solution to a problem that just don't exist.
performance wise ... I'd buy in if its something like Alliants power pistol, which I think is about where the new stuff is positioned

 

[venomballistics]

What's the point?
Just another powder that we won't be able to find anywhere.
What we really need is a "LFE" Lead Fouling Eliminator.

Now someone gets it

 

[SgtLumpy]

I'd like them to market something like -

AOS-38 (Actually On Shelves)

RA-Target (Really Available)

or

WHT-Group (We Have Tons)


Sgt Lumpy

 

[Nemo288]

And the even more elusive Carbon Fouling Eliminator.

Wonder what it's like trying to clean uranium out of the big guns?

===
Nemo

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

They've had it listed in their on line loading data for some time.

 

[MichiganScott]

It's not like copper fouling is an issue for pistol shooters. For that matter, most rifle shooters don't shoot enough for it to be an issue for the average hunter either.

 

[tlay]

It is not all hype. I have used it in my Ruger AR for awhile. Before if I shot 3 to 4 hundred rounds In one practice section I would have copper fouling. Now with the CFE I have much less, to the point of not seeing any. I also like the way it meters.
But I don't see the point in handgun loading. I have not had any copper fouling in any of my guns.

 

[venomballistics]

It is not all hype. I have used it in my Ruger AR for awhile. Before if I shot 3 to 4 hundred rounds In one practice section I would have copper fouling. Now with the CFE I have much less, to the point of not seeing any. I also like the way it meters.
But I don't see the point in handgun loading. I have not had any copper fouling in any of my guns.

Exactly...
Unless it brings the important goods to the party, CFEis more sales gimmick than performance enhancement in the pistol game.

 

[Argonnakid]

If I remember right, they said it is a sphereical powder. That was the only charateristic I remember them saying in the interveiw. Gimmick or not, I just want to see some powder on the shelves that I can use. Which I might be getting soon. A new firearms store/shooting range is opening up right down the street from me. A place called Colonial Shooting Academy. They have another location in Richmond, VA. that their website has pictures of. They say they will have reloading supplies. Here's hoping!!

 

[MichiganScott]

The best things about the CFE powders is that they are ball powder so they meter well and are not temperature sensitive. The temperature sensitivity of the older ball powders have caused some shooters to drop them in favor of newer powders, like the Hodgdon Extreme line.

I still use the older powders simply because some of my favored loads were worked up decades ago. However, being a inveterate handloader and experimenter, I look forward to trying the CFE Pistol. The CFE223 works well in my AR's.

 

[RV4driver]

They are eliminating PB and about three other powders, taking final orders soon. The others were 4 digit numbered powders, I can't recall which ones, as I checked and I didn't use any of them.