Unique powder

[alanwk]

I recently was able to find some bottles of Unique powder. Been looking for a long time. Now I find that in my Lee Manual there is almost no recipes for 9mm Lugar and Unique. I am very disappointed since I really like the Lee Modern Reloading Manual. So then I go online to the Alliant website and pull up some 9mm info. They list the charge weight for a load using Unique. But it doesn't say if it is the min or max load. Just the one wt. I have sent them a question but why would they not have that info on their site? Sorry for the rambling, guess I am just venting.

 

[Tex929rr]

Just checked my ancient manuals. Unique info in all of them. This one is some deal someone used to sell at gun shows. I think they pirated tables from everywhere else

 

[lbbf]

What grain bullet? I use 124 grain blue bullet with 3.5gr to 4.3gr showing in one of my manuals. Another shows 4.5gr to 5gr. Funny thing is they are the same manual just different additions. I've put tens of thousands of rounds through my glocks with 4.7gr of Unique and never had a single problem.

 

[Eastexasrick]

Grab a Lyman or Speer manual there is a Unique load for just about everything ever chambered

 

[alanwk]

Grab a Lyman or Speer manual there is a Unique load for just about everything ever chambered

In my Speer #14 manual there are no listings for 115g lead bullets just GDHP or TMJ RN.
In my Lyman 49th ed. Unique is shown only for 147g TMJ. That's all.

Alan

 

[xkon]

Just curious, why were you specifically looking for Unique powder if you don't already have a load for it? Assuming you use it for other calibers already?

 

[alanwk]

What grain bullet? I use 124 grain blue bullet with 3.5gr to 4.3gr showing in one of my manuals. Another shows 4.5gr to 5gr. Funny thing is they are the same manual just different additions. I've put tens of thousands of rounds through my glocks with 4.7gr of Unique and never had a single problem.

124g Berrys hybrid HP. They say

• Cast or jacketed data with the same grain weight and profile will work with our bullets.
• I also use Missouri Bullets 115g RN coated lead bullets

 

[wakosama]

https://stevespages.com/355p_4.html

 

[alanwk]

Just curious, why were you specifically looking for Unique powder if you don't already have a load for it? Assuming you use it for other calibers already?

I learned with Unique years ago and have not reloaded for a long time. Getting back to it but my formulas have vanished. So starting over so to speak. Good question.

 

[lbbf]

In my Speer #14 manual there are no listings for 115g lead bullets just GDHP or TMJ RN.
In my Lyman 49th ed. Unique is shown only for 147g TMJ. That's all.

Alan

Strange. In my Lyman 49th ed Unique is shown on pages 341 and 342 for every 9mm load except 120gr #2 alloy.

 

[TexMex247]

I have some unique but it's set aside for colt45 loads. It shines in that caliber. Always seemed too sooty in everything else I put it in. I gravitate to titegroup for the 9mm. Loads over 1500 rounds per pound. Feel like I get my money's worth with it.

 

[deemus]

I have some unique but it's set aside for colt45 loads. It shines in that caliber. Always seemed too sooty in everything else I put it in. I gravitate to titegroup for the 9mm. Loads over 1500 rounds per pound. Feel like I get my money's worth with it.

You should try Nitro100 for 45 Colt.

 

[alanwk]

Strange. In my Lyman 49th ed Unique is shown on pages 341 and 342 for every 9mm load except 120gr #2 alloy.

Yes they have 125gJacketed. But no 124g

 

[Here4TheChix]

When I loaded 9mm to 124gr NATO (hot) specs w/Unique, I noticed I got (extra) unburnt powder flakes in the air...
Backed the charge off a bit, and all was well...

Unique was the first pistol powder I ever bought.
Chasing velocity seems silly, now.

 

[deemus]

Yes they have 125gJacketed. But no 124g

Low end charges on that page should be good.

 

[mkupka]

I have some unique but it's set aside for colt45 loads. It shines in that caliber. Always seemed too sooty in everything else I put it in. I gravitate to titegroup for the 9mm. Loads over 1500 rounds per pound. Feel like I get my money's worth with it.

Same here on TiteGroup. I use it for 9mm, 45ACP and 300BLK.

300BLK 6.0 great TiteGroup with Berry's 220gr plated bullets.

AVG 984fps
ES. 6fps
STD. 2fps

 

[Texasjack]

Unique is an old powder and used to be extremely common. Most people moved to other powders because the original version of Unique burned extremely dirty. (In fact, I've seen it referred to as "burning dirt".) A decade or so ago they changed the formula and it's supposed to be a lot cleaner.

When a manufacturer lists only one load, they usually mean that to be the max load and expect a reloader to start 10% below that. This defies human nature. Give someone a choice of potential loads and they will start with the highest one - and wonder if they can push that a bit.

If you can catch a new reloader in a moment of sanity, work to convince him to load for accuracy, not for velocity.

 

[deemus]

I switched from Unique to AA powders in the early 2000s doe to how dirty it burned. But some still like to shoot it.

 

[Moonpie]

I shoot a lot of Unique in lower power level cowboy loads w/cast bullets.
It shoots filthy.
Add in some homemade lube I'm using and you get smoke almost as bad as blackpowder.
IMO, for cleaner results you need to load Unique up near max load for cleanest burn.
The lower power level stuff doesn't cause brass expansion enough to get chamber seal with resulting blow back along the case/chamber walls. This is why it fouls up a gun.
Its just something you learn to live with when using the powder.
A better powder for auto calibers is Power Pistol.

 

[35 Whelen]

www.loaddata.com

27 loads for the 9mm with Unique and a 124 gr. bullet.

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