Your Thoughts on Power Pistol

[rustybayonet]

In my area powder isn't hard to find, the hard thing is to find what you want. I picked up 4# of power pistol $22 a pound so I figured I give it a try. There is a lot of data out there and with 4# I will be able to work up a load. 

What are your thoughts on it, dirty, smokey, too fluffy?

[EngineerEli]

Are you going for a minor PF load or major for open. I have tried it for minor PF when I was first getting started. At those levels it wasn't building enough pressure because of how slow of a powder it is, and was very dirty, leaving un-burnt powder all over the place. Your results may very though...

[Wayne Dobbs]

Likes to be loaded to full power and shows great accuracy potential.  Very "blasty" and gives best velocities at standard pressure loadings.  Love it in 9mm, .38 Special and .44 Special full power loadings.

[Taroman]

+1 on what Wayne reported. PP excels in my 38 Special +P silhouette loads as well in 44 Special pin loads.

Extremely accurate with very low shot to shot velocity variation,

Forget about loading it down, however.

Now working up heavy bullet loads in 9MM, 357 Sig and 38 Super.

[GrumpyOne]

Agree with what was said above. It also works great in 40. It is loud and flashy though. I tried to make it work in 38 super, I started getting pressure signs well before the gun would even run...but the camera flashes were damn funny.

[pbcaster45]

I've had nothing but good result with Power Pistol and it really does well with one of my favorite 9mm loads - very accurate.

 

Bullet:  Bullet Works 147 gr. Plated RN
Powder:  Alliant Power Pistol 4.3 grs.
Primer:  Federal 100
Case:  Federal
LOAL:  1.145
Average Velocity:  916.41 fps 
ES:  30.58
SD:  10.04

Gun:  Glock 17L with Lone Wolf Barrel.

 

When I want to impress people at the indoor range I use this in my Trubor .38 Super.  The flash above the comp is IMPRESSIVE!

 

Bullet:  Montana Gold 124 gr. JHP
Powder:  Alliant Power Pistol 7.6 grs.
Primer:  Winchester Small Rifle
Case:  Starline 38 Super +P
LOAL:  1.240 (.976 with Stoney Point)
Avg. Vel.:   1374.22 fps 
ES:  44.61 
SD:  13.56

Gun:  STI Trubor

 

This Youtube video by NicTaylor00 gives similar fireballs (using VV 3N37, which is similar in performance)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2017 by pbcaster45

[DudeRick]

Power pistol does make an impressive fire ball!

[Shadowrider]

What little I've used it, tells me what others have said.  It's not a light target powder.  It seems to excel when you hot rod it.  It's scary accurate at a max load in .45 with 230 XTPs in a couple of my guns.

[thormx538]

I use PP for self defense type loads in 9mm (147 JHP, etc). It is "flashy", but not too bad. In the future if you like the performance, try BE86 -- very similar burn rate and performance but it is less flashy.

[Gooldylocks]

I've used it for 9 major, and I personally think it's okay/pretty good for that. I shot it for a little while in my limited gun (40) during the big powder shortage a couple years ago, and I can not recommend trying that. Loading it down to only around 170 pf with 180s was horribly dirty, tons of unburnt powder. If the light was right you could actually see the sparkles of powder coming out of the muzzle while you were shooting.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SOA1911]

I like Power Pistol and the Hornady 124/125 gr. XTP/HAP bullet in my 1911s chambered for the 38 Super Auto. In addition, I have found in works very well with the Hornady 185 gr. FMJ SWC .45 ACP.