powder landing on me?

[shovel919]

Hi everyone, I'm new to open, just got a used open gun a couple months ago and still learning my way with it. I was at the range today and on a couple rounds I fired I felt like there was a dust landing on my right arm, as if it was powder from the ejected case, is that what it is? Is it unburned powder or powder in the middle of burning that was landing on my arm? Is this something I have to worry about?

I'm using 7.2g of autocomp, once fired federal brass, OAL 1.165, 124g armscor fmj bullet, winchester small rifle primers, through a limcat dragoncat.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Hi-Power Jack]

Marconi, your load is pretty standard 9mm major - very similar to mine except I use

JHP's instead of FMJ's to reduce leading of the comp, and I don't need as much

WAC to make major - your might be over PF 175?? What's your chrono reading?

I've never had "dust landing on my strong arm" with it = shouldn't be much, if any,

unburnt powder. Sorry I can't help with the "dust" - good luck - I'll follow this to

see what it was.

p.s. wish I had a Dragoncat - I have only a TruBor

[shovel919]

Thanks for the reply Jack, I got a lot of good data from the forum, and I picked out the most common one I saw and started with it. I rechecked my ammo hat I shot today and I quoted the wrong OAL, its a box of 1.17-1.172. When I chrono'd it I got PF 170, I'm wondering if its just the gun, it has many ports (turbo comp), that the power factor comes out a little lower than what everyone else gets with the same load. I also wonder if maybe when the OAL gets a little longer the decreased compression causes some of the powder not to burn and land on my arm, just a thought.

[Hi-Power Jack]

I think you're right - all the ports probably lowered your PF.

I've shot similar loads from 1.145 " to 1.175" and haven't noticed any unburned powder.

Probably because of all the ports that you're getting powder on your arm - but not

really sure about that - my gun has only the standard ports for a TruBor barrel.

Maybe someone with a lot of ports/holes will chime in here soon.

[Parallax3D]

I think you're right - all the ports probably lowered your PF.

Compensator ports do not lower the PF. Once the bullet leaves the barrel, it's going as fast as it ever will. The only "ports" that would lower your PF would be popple holes in the barrel that bleed off gas before the bullet exits the barrel.

That said, sometimes variances in PF from one gun to another have more to do with the actual barrel. No two barrels are exactly alike, no matter how tight the manufacturing tolerances. Fire the same load through two identical guns and you probably will not get the same results.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Parallax3D

[shovel919]

I think you're right - all the ports probably lowered your PF.

Compensator ports do not lower the PF. Once the bullet leaves the barrel, it's going as fast as it ever will. The only "ports" that would lower your PF would be popple holes in the barrel that bleed off gas before the bullet exits the barrel.

That said, sometimes variances in PF from one gun to another have more to do with the actual barrel. No two barrels are exactly alike, no matter how tight the manufacturing tolerances. Fire the same load through two identical guns and you probably will not get the same results.

Thanks for reply, I agree that no two guns are alike, and it makes sense about the compensator ports, I was under the impression all the holes would lower the PF. This gun does have popple holes, it has 6. Does wear on the barrel bleed PF over time? I would assume so, but I wouldn't know how much, after how many rounds. I'm not sure how old the gun is, but I think she has seen better days.