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Author Topic: Pistol Powder Question  (Read 389 times)

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Offline bub524

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Pistol Powder Question
« on: October 27, 2007, 08:23:21 AM »
Bought some Win 231 this morning to try and the label says Ball Powder but the powder is actually a wafer type like Unique. Is this the right stuff? I called the dealer and he said all the other canisters have wafer powder in them as well. He wasn't sure about this as he never used it before.
Anyone here using it?
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Offline iiranger

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#1 & #2 Re: Pistol Powder Question
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2007, 08:30:04 AM »
Short answer, probably, 99% the right stuff. Winchester container?

Longer answer... Smokeless powder is based on cellulose from some source, cotton, wood, etc., treated with nitric and sulphuric acids, (not unlike nitroglycerin, but that is glycerin). You hear names like "gun cotton" or "nitro cellulose." It comes out a putty. I have seen European powders that looked like it was rolled flat and cut into random shapes. IMR shoves it thru holes to make spaghetti. Exact buring rate is determined by size and then by coatings. (Obviously they knew what the composition was when they blended, treated it.)

Olin/Winchester came out with a process just before/during WW II. They mix in a bit of nitro glycerin and solvents to make a soup. The exact grain is made by spinning this soup to fly off a spinning disk a certain size. Again, the exact burn rate is made with coatings and if it gets a bit "squashed, no big deal. If  it is in  a factory container, you are about 99% safe. Odd containers, surplus powder require alot more care. luck.
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Offline stimpylu32

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Re: Pistol Powder Question
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2007, 09:59:40 AM »
bub524

This may awnser your ??

Spherical or Ball Powders are usually round balls, but in some the grains are flattened to form discs, which slows burn rate. Ball powders range from fast pistol powders to very slow rifle powders. All are double-base and tend to be harder to ignite than other powders. Thus, magnum primers are recommended for some loads. Burn rate (energy release) decreases over time, as the size of the burning grain decreases.

stimpy
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Offline Luckyducker

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Re: Pistol Powder Question
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2007, 11:16:45 AM »
Yep, that is what my W231 looks like and I have used several containers of the stuff, it all looked like what you described.  Hope you like this powder as much as I do.  I don't use it in  all my pistol loads but when I find a load that works using it I will keep using it as I haven't found another powder to fill it's niche.
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Offline bub524

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Re: Pistol Powder Question
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2007, 11:37:12 AM »
Alright, Thanks guys. Was afraid to use it until I found out it was okay.
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Offline Lone Star

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Re: Pistol Powder Question
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2007, 05:16:08 AM »
There have been several spherical powders that are flattened, W231 is one of them.  You are okay using it.
BTW, flattening a spherical power actually speeds up its burning rate, not slowing it down.  This increases the amount of surface area versus volume, allowing each grain to be consumed more rapidly.

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