anybody try Lil'gun for 7.62x39?

[sansone]

I'm playing with an AR chambered this way and I want to see how tight I can get the groups. I got some AA1680 that burns a little slower than Lil'gun but I would love to use up the Lil'gun if anybody has had good groups with it in 7.62x39

 

[rcmodel]

Lil' Gun is real slow as pistol powders go.
But it is real fast as bottle-neck gas-operated rifle powders go.

It might be possible to use it with some sort of reduced loads with cast bullets or something.
I don't know.

Hodgdon shows no load data for it in that caliber.

rc

 

[sansone]

I did find data using IMR4227 which is close in burn rate which gives me the idea Lil'gun should do well. I believe with the 123gr pills 16.5gr Lil'gun should be OK. Maybe start with 15gr and work up. My 1894c Marlin did real well on Lil'gun but those numbers won't help on the 7.62x39

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO even though Lil'Gun and IMR4227 are similar in burn rate they are completely different powders. Just because the burn rate is similar doesn't mean they will both do a similar job. Remember, Lil'Gun is a fast shotgun powder and shotgun powders have completely different burn characteristic than a very slow burning handgun/very fast burning rifle powder will.

I think the fastest powder I would use in the 7.62X39mm is H4198 or IMR4198. When a caliber can perform well with powders as slow as BL-C(2) using a fast shotgun powder is probably ill advised...

 

[steve4102]

Because it is a very fast powder I'm pretty sure it will not produce enough port pressure (gas) to cycle to action of your AR.