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new project: power pistol and 40S&W
- Thread starter e-bear
- Start date
ligonierbill
New member
It is all I use in 40 S&W. When I get home I will share some loads and data.
Can't say as to 40, but I have loaded it in 9mm, 38spl, and 357. It's my go to powder. It is louder than some other powders I have used, and will give you bright yellow fireballs. Over all I have found it to be versatile loading 9mm 124s to subsonic ranges, up to 1250 at max. Makes nice 38s at 900fps. And 120g 357s up above 1500.
ligonierbill
New member
The only 165 ioad I have is a slow practice round, but I did load 155 Speer GDHP to duplicate Winchester Ranger ammo:
8.4 PP, 155 GDHP, COL 1.125, 1,196 avg. For some reason I did not record Std.
By comparison, the Ranger go 1,172 avg.
Now I load 180 Hornady XTP over 7.1 PP, COL 1.125, 1,069 avg/5.9 Std.
All CCI 500 primers . Fired from a Glock 23. Have fun.
8.4 PP, 155 GDHP, COL 1.125, 1,196 avg. For some reason I did not record Std.
By comparison, the Ranger go 1,172 avg.
Now I load 180 Hornady XTP over 7.1 PP, COL 1.125, 1,069 avg/5.9 Std.
All CCI 500 primers . Fired from a Glock 23. Have fun.
Shotgun Slim
New member
I tried PP years ago as I am a 40 kind of guy and am always experimenting with components looking for a great load. Did not like PP to the point of giving away most of the pound that I had. Way noisier with more blast than other powders for similar power levels. Lots of muzzle flash. Noticeably more recoil,very sharp compared to other powders. Accuracy for me was not it's redeeming feature. Others love it in 40 so YMMV. Keep your loads safe by not varying from published data,especially COL. Be safe,have fun,shoot well.
What are you saying, specifically? There is no reason that Power Pistol should be any more problematic than -ANY- powder that is specifically in the correct burn rate for this cartridge.Never loaded Power Pistol and from all Ive read it can be a bit problematic in 40S&W with over pressure.
If you overload it, it’s definitely a problem — like every smokeless powder on the market that’s capable of proper .40 S&W loads.
In the event some are not aware… Power Pistol was specifically developed as a powder to create lots of gas and energy, it was marketed as a fantastic choice for guns with compensators, meant specifically for competition and speed games. So if it seems loud, energetic and flashy then, well, sweet, because that’s exactly what they were aiming for when they marketed this powder.
ligonierbill
New member
I should mention I also use Power Pistol for .32 ACP, .380. .38 Special, 9x19, and 9x20 SR (aka 9mm Browning Long). Meters pretty well. I never noticed a remarkable muzzle flash, but I don't really look for it either. They're all noisy, but I'm with Clemenza on that.
I don't load 40 S&W, but I load 10mm. I've loaded 165's with Power Pistol with excellent results (10mm). I see no reason why that combination wouldn't work well in the 40 S&W too.
Power Pistol (one of my very favorite propellants, btw) is highly energetic. Bullseye is known for its high energy and PP is a derivative of Bullseye. So it stands to reason they would have similar characteristics. They even look identical. (Yes, PP is considerably slower than BE.)
So that high energy characteristic could also be phrased as "problematic," I suppose. Power Pistol is spunky stuff and thus, less forgiving than other propellants in the same burn rate neighborhood (HS-6, AA#7, Unique - I know, PP is a little slower than Unique, but still kind of close).
Like always, start low and work up. You'll find a good performing charge weight.
Power Pistol (one of my very favorite propellants, btw) is highly energetic. Bullseye is known for its high energy and PP is a derivative of Bullseye. So it stands to reason they would have similar characteristics. They even look identical. (Yes, PP is considerably slower than BE.)
So that high energy characteristic could also be phrased as "problematic," I suppose. Power Pistol is spunky stuff and thus, less forgiving than other propellants in the same burn rate neighborhood (HS-6, AA#7, Unique - I know, PP is a little slower than Unique, but still kind of close).
Like always, start low and work up. You'll find a good performing charge weight.
Power Pistol is my go to powder in .357mag and I've used it in every other caliber I load for. There is nothing dangerous about it in .40 or any other cartridge.
It downloads very well for use in weaker loads.
I'm working on my last 4lb jug of it though, I haven't seen any powder for sale around here for a year now.
I have an 8 pounder of BE-86 to use until I find some more.
It downloads very well for use in weaker loads.
I'm working on my last 4lb jug of it though, I haven't seen any powder for sale around here for a year now.
I have an 8 pounder of BE-86 to use until I find some more.
Power Pistol is my go to powder in .357mag and I've used it in every other caliber I load for. It downloads very well for use in weaker loads.
I'm working on my last 4lb jug of it though . . . I have an 8 pounder of BE-86 to use until I find some more.(abbreviated)
I could have almost written that ^^ myself.
Power Pistol is my go-to in 357 Mag with 125gn bullets (I don't load 110's, otherwise it would be there too). But for 158's, I move to 2400.
I too have used Power Pistol in every (pistol) cartridge I load for; and with good results, btw. In low pressure 38Spl and 45ACP however, I am only pleased with the results using heavy bullets (158, 230) and full throttle. In higher pressure cartridges, yes, it downloads fairly well. This favorable downloading characteristic goes hand in hand with its high energy content - two sides of the same coin, so to speak.
I too am working on a 4# jug of Power Pistol. But I just opened it and I'm not loading or shooting right now - my life is in limbo as a new home is being built in Idaho and my wife and I are holed up in a 1-bedroom apartment.
I too have BE-86. But only a barely used 1# container. I really like the stuff though. In any application where Power Pistol may not download well, I bet BE-86 can step in and fill the bill. I've only experimented with it a little, but am quite pleased with its performance thus far.
larryf1952
New member
I've been loading the 40 since it was introduced in 1991. I no longer use it, but I formerly used Power Pistol a LOT in 9mm and 40 loads. I finally moved away from PP because it produced a very loud report, quite a bit of flash and a recoil impulse that was half again what most other powders in those same calibers produced.
I used PP primarily with 155 and 165 grain JHP's, not plated bullets. I prefer fast and light bullets, so I never use lead or plated. I pulled up Alliant's load data off their online loading guide, but beware. Alliant lists 9 grains of PP as the maximum load for the 155 grain Gold Dot JHP at 1213fps.
The Gold Dot is not exactly like a regular JHP (they tend to be slicker), but it should be close enough to draw a comparison. I pulled back my starting load to 7.8 grains, and even this load was a blaster. I dropped all the way back to 5.9 grains in order to achieve a velocity of about 1100fps +/-. Even with this load, primers looked OK, but recoil and flash were still a big deal. Ultimately, I settled on #5 and WSF as my favorites for the 9 and the 40 and I cut PP loose.
Power Pistol can be a very useful and versatile powder, that's why I used it for a long time. But, in my experience it was the powder that demanded the most careful attention with actual testing and not just believing what the book says.
I used PP primarily with 155 and 165 grain JHP's, not plated bullets. I prefer fast and light bullets, so I never use lead or plated. I pulled up Alliant's load data off their online loading guide, but beware. Alliant lists 9 grains of PP as the maximum load for the 155 grain Gold Dot JHP at 1213fps.
The Gold Dot is not exactly like a regular JHP (they tend to be slicker), but it should be close enough to draw a comparison. I pulled back my starting load to 7.8 grains, and even this load was a blaster. I dropped all the way back to 5.9 grains in order to achieve a velocity of about 1100fps +/-. Even with this load, primers looked OK, but recoil and flash were still a big deal. Ultimately, I settled on #5 and WSF as my favorites for the 9 and the 40 and I cut PP loose.
Power Pistol can be a very useful and versatile powder, that's why I used it for a long time. But, in my experience it was the powder that demanded the most careful attention with actual testing and not just believing what the book says.
But, in my experience it was the powder that demanded the most careful attention with actual testing and not just believing what the book says.
Yes. That ^.
Power Pistol is spunky and unforgiving. Which is why I tend to discourage novice loaders from using it. I don't want to over-state this and make it more than it is . . . I'm just saying that it's better to cut your teeth with a propellant that is more lackadaisical - Like HS-6 or AA7.
Power Pistol makes bullets go fast. I love the stuff. It's my go-to for high-performance, save full magnum revolver stuff.