Is Unique really “dirty” ?

The last formulation about 20 years ago was known among reloaders as "flaming dirt". Unless it was used at high pressures it burned dirtier than Black Powder and left a lot of residue behind. Things are much better nowadays believe me. I used to run Blue Dot in 38 SPL loads as that was what I had a pile of and it was dirty at low speeds in SWC loads as well. Now I use other things that burn cleaner.

Yes, but it's a clean dirt. I use primarily HP38 and HS-6 for handgun loading, and I use unique for a few specialty loads. It is noticeably dirtier than the other 2. Kind of a soft, greasy (with lubed cast) soot that cleans off easily. Also noticeably more smoke than the 2 sphericals. I have also noticed it seems to run cleaner as the pressure and/or barrel length increases.

It is tolerant of high case volume, so it gets use in soft .41 and .357 magnum and it is my choice for target loads in .357 rifle.

I use it solely for 45 Colt. Yes it seems dirtier, but my loads are on the light side. I've run some W231 in the 45 Colt and it seems cleaner for comparison.
I keep a couple pounds of Unique on the shelf as you can use it in so many pistol loads. A friends dad uses it for all pistol calibers and says its all you need.

-Jeff

FROGO207 said:

The last formulation about 20 years ago was known among reloaders as "flaming dirt". Unless it was used at high pressures it burned dirtier than Black Powder and left a lot of residue behind. Things are much better nowadays believe me. I used to run Blue Dot in 38 SPL loads as that was what I had a pile of and it was dirty at low speeds in SWC loads as well. Now I use other things that burn cleaner.

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No no no, Flaming Dirt is BLUE DOT! (a cousin of Unique)
Unique can get dirty (not burn well) at lower charges but so can a lot of other powders.

Random 8 said:

Kind of a soft, greasy (with lubed cast) soot that cleans off easily

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This is how I would describe it, as well. The good news is that it wipes up easily, unlike some other powders that leave a burnt crust that's harder to clean off.

Rule3 said:

Unique can get dirty (not burn well) at lower charges but so can a lot of other powders.

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That. ^^^ I've been using Unique since I've been handloading, it has it's moments, of course, but generally speaking I didn't know I had a problem with it until Al Gore invented the internet and everyone told me I did. Personally, I don't find it any worse than any other pistol powder I use... the caveat to that is, I've always been happy with Unique so my experience with other pistol powders is fairly minimal.

I did try BlueDot once. Only once. I used it incorrectly (light .38SPC loads) and it WAS a filthy powder... but that was my fault. People cheer W231/HP38, I have found it as dirty as Unique in the .45ACP.

Coming away from a shooting session with a 'dirty' pistol is just such a non-issue with me... it would be like going dirt bike riding and complaining about mud in the fenders.

Rule3 said:

Unique can get dirty (not burn well) at lower charges but so can a lot of other powders.

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^^^This. Whenever I go to the range, regardless of what powder is in my ammo, I end up with dirty guns, especially the revolvers because of the cylinder gap. No big deal, it wipes off easily. What concerns me more is the performance I get from that ammo. The biggest complaint by many is that Unique does not meter consistently, because of the big flakes it has. But I've found it to meter well by volume, even if the charges are off +/- a tenth or so by weight, and Unique burns consistently when measured by volume.

If it works well for you, gives you accuracy and shoots consistently, what's a tad more carbon and unburnt powder?

Don't really pay much attention, it all just wipes off. It baffles me the number of people actually worry about this. And I don't even "clean" my guns after shooting them, I just wipe them off.......usually.

I find Unique to be dirty at reduced loads, somewhat dirty at medium loads and as good as other powders at full power loads. IMO. hdbiker

Hi...
I use a lot of Unique in .44Spl, 44Mag, 41Mag and .45Colt with a firm crimp.
I don't find it appreciably dirtier than any other powder.
I may not have enough experience with Unique though... I've only been using it for 35-40 years. I buy it in 8lb containers if that gives you an idea of how much I use.

I mostly use Blue Dot in .357Mag...been using it the same amount of time. Buy it in 8lb jugs as well.

Same with Bullseye in .38Spl, .45ACP and .45AutoRim...

I do use other powders...a lot of 2400 in heavy loads in the .45Colt, .41Mag and .44Mag as well as H110/W296. Typically buy those powders in 1 or 4lb containers

Use Power Pistol and Titegroup in 9mm, 10mm. Always keep a supply of Herco around as well. Generally buy those in 1lb containers because I don't use quite as much...small charge weights in 9mm and 10mm. Only use Herco occasionally, same with 4227 and #9.

Again, I have only been reloading for 35-40 years so I may not have enough experience to have a valid opinion.

I am still working my way through a case of mid 1980's Unique. I really like the powder and it is leaves residue on the cylinder or the frame, I wipe it off. This might be residue from a load of 8.5 grains Unique, 240 LSWC, 44 Mag cases



Or it could be residue from firing 22.0 grs 2400 with a 240 LSWC, but I think the day at the range I took the picture it was Unique.

There are those who shoot rapid fire in self defense games, and a powder that leaves a plume out in front of the muzzle will obscure vision, I have seen plumes with Unique, and 2400. Can't recall seeing plumes with Bullseye in the 45 ACP, and I regularly shoot that round in 2700 Bullseye. On a very still day it is amusing to see a powder plume drift.

In my opinion, the primary motivation for complaints about "dirty powders" is from shooters who do not want to clean their firearms. I am always surprised by the number of slovenly shooters who never clean their guns, never lubricate their guns. Times have changed, it used to be you would often see wrench turning home mechanics working on their vehicles. But that was the past, I think I am the only one in my subdivision whom you will find, under my vehicle, turning a wrench and having a drive shaft fall in the face. The rest are at Jiffy Lube paying someone to do the maintenance on their vehicle, so they won't have to get their hands dirty.

FROGO207 said:

The last formulation about 20 years ago was known among reloaders as "flaming dirt". Unless it was used at high pressures it burned dirtier than Black Powder and left a lot of residue behind. Things are much better nowadays believe me. I used to run Blue Dot in 38 SPL loads as that was what I had a pile of and it was dirty at low speeds in SWC loads as well. Now I use other things that burn cleaner.

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Just how much black powder have you shot.

jski said:

I’ve been loading some creampuff .45 Colts using Starline’s Cowboy Special brass, .41 Specials (again Starline brass), and 38 Specials +P using Unique and haven’t really noticed it being any dirtier than other powders. I know it now says on their 1lb jar, “cleaner burning”. Not sure that means anything in particular.

What’s the consensus?

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45 Colt brass won’t expand fully or quickly enough with low pressure rounds. You will see gas plume staining down the side of the case which also means more gas and smoke staining on the revolvers recoil shield and the rear of the top strap.

Cowboy brass ? Is that shorter in length.?

Shooting guns creates powder residue buildup. Doesn't matter what you use.
Every now and then you have to clean them.
I don't find Unique to cause me to have to do a deep cleaning any more often than other powders.

I guess I have not shot as much BP as some here but enough to know with my two Pietta revolvers after about 5 cylinders full I need to take things apart and remove a bunch of crud or they will not function for long after. It may not be due to the BP but rather the lube but I need to take the cylinders out and clean things. I Remember my grand father and uncle calling several shotgun powders flaming dirt due to the soot and crud that ejected onto the shooting bench years before I was old enough to reload. I have observed there are several propellants that do not burn clean until they are near max load but it is not really a bother to clean things up after a range session. Might take an extra rag and another hand wash though. YMMV

I bought a pound of Unique once. It is so inconsistent through my powder measure that I still have about 3/4lb of it sitting here.

It baffles me that people put up with poor metering powders when there are modern equivalents out there that flow much better i.e. IMR Unequal and Hodgdon Universal.

I feel it's a case of "stuck in my ways."

FROGO207 said:

I guess I have not shot as much BP as some here but enough to know with my two Pietta revolvers after about 5 cylinders full I need to take things apart and remove a bunch of crud or they will not function for long after. It may not be due to the BP but rather the lube but I need to take the cylinders out and clean things. I Remember my grand father and uncle calling several shotgun powders flaming dirt due to the soot and crud that ejected onto the shooting bench years before I was old enough to reload. I have observed there are several propellants that do not burn clean until they are near max load but it is not really a bother to clean things up after a range session. Might take an extra rag and another hand wash though. YMMV

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Naw, it’s just the soot from the charcoal, unburned carbon I guess. Much like a fireplace or chimney or flue after a winter of wood burning. Plus it’s hygroscopic. The wax in my lube does get deposited also.
I don’t know if smokeless contains any carbon, but judging from the unburned powder prescient on the ranges concrete floor it won’t combust completely under some circumstances.

My 44 Mags using a slower powder like H110 require
A heavy roll crimp to achieve full power.

Oh yeah, Starline cowboy special brass that is just under an inch long to help with erratic ignition in 45 colt revolvers using light lead loads. Kind of like 44 SPL brass.

FROGO207 said:

Oh yeah, Starline cowboy special brass that is just under an inch long to help with erratic ignition in 45 colt revolvers using light lead loads. Kind of like 44 SPL brass.

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Off thread, apologies to the op.

That brass sounds like it will fill another need, being able to load some bullets to the crimping groove and still be short enough to load into a conversion cylinder.

I started reloading with Unique "pre-web" and didn't know it was "dirty". For many years I used indoor ranges that had fair to excellent ventilation so smoke was never a problem. I had shop rags in my range bag so if my hands got a bit sooty, I could just wipe then, and my guns, to remove any "powder dirt". Plus I never went shooting in my white tux wearing my kid skin white gloves, so I didn't notice. Then came reloading forums on the web that I discovered in 2005-2006 and found out Unique was "dirty" and that seemed to be a major concern with newer reloaders. I did a bit of checking/testing and found Unique did display some more soot, un-burnt kernels when used in lighter loads and burned somewhat "clean" when I used mid to upper loads, but again I didn't notice much, and never had a gun fail to function from "dirty powder". When I shoot at a range I can clean up in the provided restroom and when I'm shooting up in the hills I bring water, paper towels and rags to clean up after shooting. Having owned a black powder revolver that had to be disassembled every 20 rounds to clean so it would continue to function, I think "dirty powder" is just overthinking...

mrawesome22-250 said:

It baffles me that people put up with poor metering powders when there are modern equivalents out there that flow much better

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It baffles me that people care about 0.1 or 0.2 difference in a large capacity straight walled pistol case. If you use it in small capacity cases, I can see that.
I care about good metering powders in rifle stuff. That's why I like H380 so much. Set it and forget it.
But for .45 Colt and mid level .44 magnum, I love Unique, and my Uniflow will get it within the range I'm comfortable with.

Arkansas Paul said:

It baffles me that people care about 0.1 or 0.2 difference in a large capacity straight walled pistol case.

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I used to... until I did the math.

mrawesome22-250 said:

I bought a pound of Unique once. It is so inconsistent through my powder measure that I still have about 3/4lb of it sitting here.

It baffles me that people put up with poor metering powders when there are modern equivalents out there that flow much better i.e. IMR Unequal and Hodgdon Universal.

I feel it's a case of "stuck in my ways."

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I only get stuck in my ways, when what I use works....and continues to work over and over. Inconsistency through my Uniflow isn't enough to even worry about. I can't tell the difference between the high or the low charge of the so-called "inconsistency" on the target.....better than factory, IME, imperfect metering and all. As for dirty......I heard that first on the internet forums.....after 40 years of not noticing....but I then I don't see the point of prissy loads. Get use to self defense loads or shoot a BB gun.

If I seem to be a little testy today not your fault....blame it on the D house and their Destroy-Trump mental illness.

GW Staar said:

I only get stuck in my ways, when what I use works....and continues to work over and over. Inconsistency through my Uniflow isn't enough to even worry about. I can't tell the difference between the high or the low charge of the so-called "inconsistency" on the target.....better than factory, IME, imperfect metering and all. As for dirty......I heard that first on the internet forums.....after 40 years of not noticing....but I then I don't see the point of prissy loads. Get use to self defense loads or shoot a BB gun.

If I seem to be a little testy today not your fault....blame it on the D house and their Destroy-Trump mental illness.

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Isn’t it amazing. How did we ever get here with out the internet and forums in our youth.

Only powders I’ve ever had problems metering are those nasty little stick powders.