WIN 473AA powder

[Sevens]

Have you ever asked a question that you already know full-well the answer to -- but you asked it anyway, just because you didn't like the answer you knew was correct?!

I've got four pounds of Winchester 473AA. I used to shoot 8-10 rounds of skeet a week a long time ago. I would love to go out and dust some birds again but right now, it's not in the cards for me. Look me up in a dozen or more years and I may jump back in to it.

Back in those days, I loaded 20 gauge on a Mec-650, usually sticking to Win AA or Remington Premier hulls. All my shotgun ammo was perfect, never had even a hiccup, and I smoked a helluva lot of birds.

I've got four 1-pound cans of this powder and old Winchester guides from the 80s when they still made this powder. I haven't found one bit of data in any guide telling me any use outside of shotshell loading for this powder. So I already know the answer, but hell, it's the weekend. Why not ask it.

Has anyone ever used Win 473AA for any loads outside of shotshell loading? I'm not worried about keeping the powder... I'm quite sure I'll still be able to turn out more 20 gauge claybusters 20 years from now with the same powder if I don't use it elswhere.

But hey... makes me feel like an old timer when talking about discontinued powder that I still have a big stock of!

 

[Jim Watson]

It would probably make a good pistol powder, but I do not have any data for it.

I did find data for 452 and loaded several pounds' worth of .45 ACP when I came into most of a keg of that; I prefer 700X for 12 gauge.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Speer published loads with 452 and 473 for handguns.

Speer published loads with 452 and 473 for handguns. The list includes some of the cartridges in your signature line especially .45 Auto.

I don't recall off hand which number(s) of the Speer manuals - obviously when the powders were still around on the market place.

The data can be found from LoadData accessible from the Wolfe/Harris Handloader site for a fee.

 

[Sevens]

No kiddin'! Thank you, gents.

 

[45Marlin carbine]

473AA powder

I had a pound of it I got when I cleaned out a widow womans garage and found data for .45acp it did great, clean burning.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Likely Speer #11 or thereabouts -

Likely Speer #11 or thereabouts - I saw a reference in Handloader magazine #139 May June 1989 - my copy of the Speer manual #11 is in dead storage some ways away - Propellant Profiles mentioned the Speer #11 manual for pistol cartridge data. In any event the Speer data for 452 and 473 and handgun cartridges is available from the Wolfe(Harris) website for a fee. 452 was quite popular for gallery loads for a few years.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Speer #11 for sure has 452 and 473 in several pistol cartridges.

Speer #11 for sure has 452 and 473 in several pistol cartridges. I dug out a copy and looked.

I checked .32 S&W Long shows 452; .32 H&R Magnum shows 452 and 473; 32-20 shows 452 and 473; .380 shows 452; 9x19 shows 452 and 473; .38 Super shows 452; .38 S&W shows 452; .38 S&W Special shows 452 and 473; .357 S&W Magnum shows 452 and 473; .41 Remington Magnum shows 452 and 473; .44 S&W Magnum shows 452 and 473; .45 Auto Rim shows 452 and .45 Auto shows 452 and 473.

I'm reasonably sure that I've seen one of the small - 5-1/2 page size freely distributed Winchester ball powder load guides with 452 loads for the .45 Auto. This would have been some years after the first introduction and IIRC as much in response to popular demand as anything - perhaps when 230 was being discontinued and 231 was up and coming - certainly when 452 was still on the market sometime around 1980 +/- or maybe not. I think 452 was sold as a Hodgdon powder under a different name and number with listings for handgun cartridges - I'm not so sure 473 ever was - but maybe I have that backwards.

There was a period 452 was popular for target/plinking/range loads in the .45 Auto as being noticably cleaner burning than Bullseye. All subject to my failing memory. I'm not so sure that Winchester ever listed loads with 473 in pistol cartridges but Speer does list a fair number.

Notice that Wolfe/Harris publications - Handloader Magazine - have a LoadData service - at about $30 per year that allows an online search of published loads by a number of criteria including powder type - a trial search without actual charge weights to see whether the desired combination is listed can be done for free but to get charge weights a subscription has to be bought and paid for.