Bulk powder question

QuietMike

QuietMike

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Jan 23, 2019
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I got some of this new, but unbranded powder labeled WPR-291 “similar to Accurate #5”
However it does not meter like accurate #5 does. using Lee’s disk system the disk at says to use for a particular charge for AA #5 is about 3 disk sizes small.
Should this concern me, or is it just that this powder burns similar to AA#5 but is just physically different and meters differently?
 
NMexJim said:
Ball Powder® Propellants - Saint Marks Powder (gd-ots.com)
WPR would indicate a ball powder made by General Dynamics at their Saint Marks facility. I've attached the page. I can't find WPR291 listed however, Hodgdon is a major distributor for these powders. You may be able to call them and get loading info.
Click to expand...

Calling is a good idea, might be good information, if not, then nothing has changed. Still, I doubt they have extensive reloading data.

Use a chronograph and see what velocities you get. If you are pushing a bullet over published values, assume pressures are excessive.
 
NMexJim said:
Ball Powder® Propellants - Saint Marks Powder (gd-ots.com)
WPR would indicate a ball powder made by General Dynamics at their Saint Marks facility. I've attached the page. I can't find WPR291 listed however, Hodgdon is a major distributor for these powders. You may be able to call them and get loading info.
Click to expand...
Shooter’s World’s burn chart puts it on par with Auto Pistol and Lovex DO36-03. They don’t show a Hodgdon equivalent but, that’s not really indicative. Burn rate charts aren’t loading tables and vice-versa. I think a load workup could probably be done pretty easily starting with mid-point weights for the nearest fast powders.

I always start development assuming a powder is faster than the charts say it should be.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Shooter’s World’s burn chart puts it on par with Auto Pistol and Lovex DO36-03. They don’t show a Hodgdon equivalent but, that’s not really indicative. Burn rate charts aren’t loading tables and vice-versa. I think a load workup could probably be done pretty easily starting with mid-point weights for the nearest fast powders.

I always start development assuming a powder is faster than the charts say it should be.
Click to expand...
Shooters World is lovx and they give you the numbers for the cip load standards. 357 is 5kpsi higher... I don't need the velosity for Silhouette so I haven't bothered testing up that high. Besides no need to beat up the heirlumes.
 
https://americanreloading.com/reloading-pistol-powder/4617-wpr-291-smokeless-powder-4-lbs.html

So, American Reloading says, as you say, “similar to AA5”. There is no contact phone number just an address in MO and [email protected]. I would suggest you start with the email. I would imagine there has been no extensive testing run with this and any use will be at your own risk and “similar to” might be as good as it gets.

I can find no other reference to WPR 291. I did stumble on this site which was interesting but no 291 https://www.theballisticassistant.com/smokeless-powder-catalog/

You could (how’s your luck lately?) start with a minimum load by weight using AA5 specs and work up.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
I'm only quoting n what Winchester and St. Mark's Powders have said. If you know better than them, well... Besides, all W540 is old since it have been discontinued for a good while now.
Click to expand...
Yah W540 was discontinued when I started reloading in the late 1990s. But it some times turns up at yards sales and gun shows for cheap.
 
I didn't look that closely. It appeared to be a flake powder. I'll examine it closer to see if it's flattened ballpowder.
It burns kind of dirty like a powder with a lot of nitroglycerin, if you don't load it near max.
 
So I shot some of these today,
The first 10 or so left the primers very round, must have been under pressure because I had several hang fires, and then a squib.
the load data shows from 6.1-6.8gr for aa#5 - this powder is “similar to” so I guess it might not be exact even though the charge was in the middle.
My batch was 6.4gr, So I need to go higher on the charge I guess. -how much does crimp play a roll?
 
For the bulk powder, with the hundred or so pounds my friends and I have burned up over the past couple of decades, we used weight always unless it was specifically stated to use volume. This is rare but not unheard of. With pull down or surplus powder it can go either way.

I'm only quoting n what Winchester and St. Mark's Powders have said. If you know better than them, well... Besides, all W540 is old since it have been discontinued for a good while now.
Click to expand...

In the late 70's early 80's I loaded thousands of Winchester shot shells using 540 for heavy field loads. That got put in the closet due to life and having to work 2 jobs. Sometime in the late 90's or early 2000's I set things back up only to find 540 had been discontinued. I called Winchester's customer service and was told that W540 and HS-6 were the same powder only it had been dropped by Winchester and was now/then being sold by Hodgdon and that my data was interchangeable.

That said, since then I have loaded both to exactly the same weight charges for both 12g and 45 Colt with no issues. When in doubt however always refer to the manufacturer.
 
QuietMike said:
So I shot some of these today,
The first 10 or so left the primers very round, must have been under pressure because I had several hang fires, and then a squib.
the load data shows from 6.1-6.8gr for aa#5 - this powder is “similar to” so I guess it might not be exact even though the charge was in the middle.
My batch was 6.4gr, So I need to go higher on the charge I guess. -how much does crimp play a roll?
Click to expand...

If you're running a straight wall cartridge that headspaces on the case mouth like .380, 9mm or .40, then a standard taper crimp (remove the flare you put in to help seat the bullet) will be good enough. If you're shooting a cartridge that headspaces on the rim like a .38 or .357, then a standard roll crimp will be needed. Either way, follow the die set instruction.

Trouble starts in when you (stand by for some comments on this) try to roll crimp or overpressure a taper crimp or when you do not roll crimp rimmed cartridges although I have used very light crimps to no-crimp in some cases with these with light charges. It's really just when you over-crimp any of them.

We really do need to know what caliber and what bullet you're shooting. Then we can give you more specific advice.
 
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