UNIQUE FOR 40 MAJOR

[JSCHIEFEN]

Any one tried the new Unique for 40 Long Major. The new Unique is much cleaner in a 45? Does it have any potential in 40 major?

[HSMITH]

Works fine, a little "pushy" feeling to me but works fine. When I go back to Limited I will probably buy or cast a PILE of lead bullets and Unique will be under them when I load them. I absolutely wouldn't hesitate for a second to use it for match loads.

It is a lot cleaner than the 'old' Unique, but is still fairly dirty compared to some of the other selections you have. I wouldn't specifically buy Unique to use in 40 Major loads unless I was shooting lead, if using jacketed or plated bullets there are other powders that feel the same but are still a lot cleaner like Super Field, Power Pistol or Universal. All three of them suck with lead bullets but with plated or jacketed work fine.

EDIT: Unique is THE powder for lead bullet loads in most guns.

Edited August 7, 2007 by HSMITH

[Joe4d]

Compared to several faster more apropriate powders, Unique will give you more flash, more recoil, use more powder, more dirt, and inconsitent at high pressures, other than that it works fine.

[revchuck]

It's much cleaner than the old version, but still not the cleanest out there. I haven't tried it in .40 S&W yet, but it's the right burn rate for it and should work fine. It's my choice for .357 Mag loads for IDPA - at those pressures it burns very well. I've loaded some 9x19 147 grain loads and got a little unburnt powder; it works okay for factory-equivalent hardball loads in .45 ACP but may be less satisfactory for 165-170 PF loads in .45 ACP. It's way cleaner than HS6 - but then 3F black powder is cleaner than HS6.

[5252]

Compared to several faster more apropriate powders, Unique will give you more flash, more recoil, use more powder, more dirt, and inconsitent at high pressures, other than that it works fine.

That sure as heck isn't the Unique I know. Then again, I use it for full power 10mm loads and I'm sure the pressures are up there. Clean, low flash and acceptable recoil.

[Coach]

I have only used Unique in the three years I have been loading. I used it for .45 and .40. I have not noticed the recoil problem that was spoke of earlier. But at the Illinois Sectional in the bleak house I had flames serious enough to light cigars. It works well enough that I have never felt the need to change, but I resist change more than most people.

[Joe4d]

getting on the slow side for our sport in non comped guns, hence the flames, probably about ideal for 357 , 10mm, slightly reduced 44 mag, and large cases. It takes up a decent amount of room in the case .1092cc's per grain if I am reading the unit of measure right. would be a good general all around powder if 45 colt 10mm or other large cases were in the mix and 40 for general blasting. Would probably be good for a comped 9mm. If you were trying to come up with a dedicated .40 limited 168pf load I'd go with a faster cleaner powder.

[Kosh75287]

getting on the slow side for our sport in non comped guns, hence the flames, probably about ideal for 357 , 10mm, slightly reduced 44 mag, and large cases. It takes up a decent amount of room in the case .1092cc's per grain if I am reading the unit of measure right. would be a good general all around powder if 45 colt 10mm or other large cases were in the mix and 40 for general blasting. Would probably be good for a comped 9mm. If you were trying to come up with a dedicated .40 limited 168pf load I'd go with a faster cleaner powder.

I've been accused of being too conservative about "newer" "better" "super-whamo-dyne" "gee-whiz" pistol powders, because even after I've tried them I got back to using Unique for most things. I've used Unique since I first started reloading (back when that SUM-bitch, CARTER was trying to wreck my country), and have always found it to give at least satisfactory and usually outstanding performance in any pistol caliber to which I applied it. This spectrum runs from the lowly .32 ACP up to .44 Mag. It IS true that one can only get about 75 to 85 percent of maximum performance when using Unique in the larger-capacity magnum cases, but for most purposes Unique's economy compensates nicely for the slight power deficit (and so does the decreased recoil and muzzle blast, compared to max loads using, say, Alliant #2400, or Hodgdon H110).

Yes, it is true that both the "old" and "new" formulations of Unique burn less cleanly than many of the quicker burning alternatives, but what they enjoy in clean burning characteristics is oft offset by their generally lower versatility. Secondly, I've also noticed that Unique tends to burn most cleanly for me with weightier bullets, magnum primers, heavier crimps, and higher pressures (go figure). Will all of these things make Unique as clean burning as, say, Hodgdon Clays, IMR 700-X or WW231? Probably not. But these measures may make Unique "clean" enough that any difference in cleanliness is made up for by its considerably greater versatility. Besides, cleaning solvents are generally less expensive than a pound of some different sort of gunpowder. This is especially true if one mixes their own gun cleaning solvents, a la "Ed's Red".

I DO own more than one type of pistol powder, but it's more because I like to try new products than because I'm dissatisfied with Unique's performance/cleanliness. I've said it more times than I can count, but I'll say it once again: "If I could have only one pistol/shotgun powder for all pistol/shotgun applications, it would be (Alliant) Unique."

Edited August 26, 2007 by Kosh75287

[ReAX222]

My higher load Unique rounds feel softer than my heavy w231 load. I didn't spend as much time developing load with unique, so I don't know if it gets worse. I think Unique can do exactly what you need and if you use enough of it the smoke should be minimal.

[Tokarev]

This guy is selling canister/surplus Unique at a darned good price.

http://www.iidbs.com/hitech.zkb?root&G...mp;object-menu6