4 gr Unique through my Uniflow?

[posigian]

I sat down tonight to load up my very first batch of SWC. The Speer book calls for 158gr L-SWC over 4 grains min. & 4.7 grains max. of Unique.

I went to set the Uniflow powder measure when I ran into trouble. Turning the adjuster down low enough to measure 4 grains causes it to jam up and failure to throw a concistant measurement.

Any suggestions?

Guess I should find a powder that will work better?

Ok, Im putting off this batch until I can figure this out? And Im not going to use my powder trickler for 50 rounds.

 

[Archie]

Unique is a good powder, but...

being a "flake" type powder, it does tend to hang up in measures. Some more than others.

The best measure I've used for Unique is the old Pacific Pistol measure. It uses inserts in a charge bar (like a shotgun reloader) and flake powder doesn't bother it much. Pacific was bought out by Hornady, and the measure is re-incarnated in the same name. See www.hornady.com, check "Products" and look for the powder measures.

The other option is a different powder. W-231 works in just about all pistol rounds from light to pretty stiff. It is a ball powder and works in about any measure. (Leaks from the Lee Disk variety.)

 

[MADISON]

Lite throws of Unique

Several years when I was working up "CITY" loads using UNIQUE for my 223 and 22-Hornet, I had the same problem with my RCBS Uni-Flo powder measure.
It seems that I was trying to throw too little powder.

I had a couple of Lyman ACCU-MEASURES on hand so they are set up to consistantly throw 4.1 and 5.6 grains of UNIQUE. Another thought is a HORNADY PISTOL POWDER MEASURE. It requires a busing for each load. If you go that way...add 11% to what the bushing chart indicates. I usually go UP to numbers.

 

[Southla1]

posigian, I would be willing to bet that you have a new style "uniflow". The old style that I have I bought new in about 65 or so and at that time it came with ONE cylinder. That one cylinder threw a maximum of about 60 grains of IMR type stick powder. Later they came out with a larger cylinder. Today the cylinder is different from both of these I THINK, but it has a large capacity. I delayed so long in buying the larger cylinder that they were no longer being made. No problem I found one on e-Bay . Anyway the old type cylinder threw unique in as little as 3 or 4 grains. Bullseye as little as 2 grains. The larger style does not go that low with any accuracy.

 

[WESHOOT2]

EASY ANSWER

Switch to Hodgdon Universal Clays, the ballistically-equivalent, clean-burning, EASY-METERING modern choice.

You can use your Unique data; just REDUCE your Universal Clays charge by .1g to be safe.
Plenty of data for this powder.

 

[posigian]

The problem might be solved. I emailed RCBS late last night to share with them my problem and their reply is listed below.

"We'll send a small measuring cylinder and screw to cure the problem.
Thnx"

So I will wait and see

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I used to routinely throw 4.0 grns of Unique for my 380 auto loads. With the small adjustment screw and a careful cadence with my pro2000, I could dump between 3.9 and 4.1 all day long. Since 4.2 was the Seirra book max for the 90 jhp's I was using, I felt ok.

I have since given up on Unique because it is so dirty. Universal clays has now replaced it on my bench. Although I hear the new Unique may be cleaner.

 

[Southla1]

posigian, I can vouch for RCBS's reputation for backing up their product. As I mentioned earlier I purchased my Uniflo in the mid 60's with the only cylinder which was avaliable at the time which was the small one. The large one I found on e-bay. The only reason I wanted the big one was for loading the 7MM Rem mag where some loads run into the 70+ grain range.

The plastic hopper on mine after 35 years or so of life was all cracked where it is pressed into the body. This was probably due to age and exposure to nitorglycerine in some of the older double base powders.

I sent an e-mail to Mr. Jay Postman at RCBS inquiring about purchasing a new one. I received an answer within 2 hours asking which type I had. If it was the new model or old one. The e-mail told me how to know which model it was (old one naturally). I answered him and with 1 hour he replied that they do not stock the old model hoppers but were taking a new one and machining it to fit the older style measure that I have. I had the new hopper in 4 days in my mail.................no charge!

When RCBS says a lifetime warranty that's EXACTLY what they mean.

 

[Ala Dan]

I'm with WESHOOT2 on this one,

H. Universal Clays or Bullseye shouldn't be a problem.

Regards,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.

 

[Southla1]

I have to agree that Unique is one dirty burning powder.......... mix it with the lube from my cast bullets and poo-yie you got a mess chere. I guess I am still paying for the fact that quite a few years ago someone made me an "offer I could not refuse" on a combo of 4 pounds Unique and 4 pounds Herco. I used the last of my Herco a couple of weeks ago. I had originally bought it for 12 gauge loads but discovered that WW-540 was much better in the 12 bore and that the Herco was a real barn-burner in my S&W "N" frame with 141 grain hard cast SWC's. I still have almost a full pound of the Unique left. As I said its dirty but makes for a good load in my 45 Colt. Now when it runs out I am not sure if I will switch or get more of it. I may have to do as WESHOOT2, and Ala Dan recommend.......give Hodgdon Universal Clays a shot (pun intended )

 

[WESHOOT2]

"NEW" UNIQUE

Designed to be cleaner in SHOTGUN loads; same sooty smokebomb in handguns.

 

[keano44]

"And I'm not going to use my powder trickler for 50 rounds."

Here is a solution I have used to speed things up a bit- Find a dipper, such as Lee's, which comes close to your target load, and then trickle the rest. Dosen't take long to load 50 rounds this way, and you've weighed each charge, so you end up with very consistant ammo.

 

[Stan]

I use the uniflow powder measure on my Hornady projector, and i use 4.7gr of unique for 38cal 158gr swc. I dont have any problem with the powder measure jaming. Sometimes it will bind a little because of the lay of the powder. I bought a powder baffle and I dont have no problem dumping the powder. All it takes is a little muscle, not much.If you change to a ball powder you wont have that problem.

Stan

 

[posigian]

Stan, binding up is the problem. It causes a lot of inconsistency between charges. It was too much inconsistency for me to be comfortable with the rounds.

I have since solved the problem with the help of RCBS. They sent me a small cylinder which gives me 4 grains of Unique with a lot of accuracy and NO binding

RCBS has help me everytime and sent parts each time free-O-charge.

 

[MADISON]

E-Mailed RCBS

Thank you posigian:
I have the same low end throw problem you do. I E-Mailed RCBS and got a "WONDERFUL" reply back that a cyclinder was in shipment.
Thanks again.
MADISON