Prove what kind of Powder?

[dave from mesa]

If you have seen/followed/posted on my other thread
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=770982

I started pulling the bullets today on non marked boxes. Bullets are 124 grn FMJ. I did weigh them. In dumping the powder it looks like Unique (have some and compared). All the boxes that are marked with 124 grn bullets say Unique on them.
Is there any way to be sure if it is indeed Unique by comparing them to the known powder? I know a lot of powders look the same but this seems exactly the same.
Was gonna toss the powder but if I can make sure it is Unique I may save it.
I pretty much know the answer I am going to get but you never know.

thanks

dave

BTW the powder weighed 5.8 grns in all the ones I weighed.

 

[rcmodel]

No way to know for sure.

But no reason to assume it isn't either.

5.8 grains would be about a max load with Unique and a 124 grain bullet.

So keep the powder, and put it back after checking all of them.

rc

 

[rg1]

5.8 grains of Unique in 9MM and 124 FMJ's is more than a maximum load in some manuals. Not saying it's not Unique but I wouldn't shoot them. Less stress on 9MM's with Unique and 124 FMJ's would be in the range of 5.0 to a maximum of 5.5 grains. You might do some load workups with your pulled down powder starting at 4.5 and I'd recommend stopping at 5.2 with your 124 grain bullets. I think it's worth salvaging the powder as long as you work up carefully.

 

[gunlaw]

I would not salvage the powder. You don't know what kind it is and ya can't tell by lookin. I know pistol powder is hard to get in some places but I'm sure that new fingers are even harder to come by.

 

[GLOOB]

I have found references to older data for 6.25 gr of Unique behind a 124 grain jacketed bullet. But this isn't first hand.

I have worked up to 6.25 grains behind a 124 gr XTP, seated to Hornady's recommended 1.060", which is very short. No problems in my Glock 19. This is firsthand.

If I had enough powder to bother with, I'd use it. But for a very small amount, it's probably not worth it. Unless you have an odd batch of bullets lying around for which you haven't been able to work up an accurate load, and you just want to use them up.

Honestly, if it was Unique, I would probably just shoot them. I'd wager a blind man couldn't accidentally get enough Unique under a 124 grain bullet to do catastrophic harm to a modern pistol. A dangerous overcharge would almost have to be deliberate. Of course you can't be sure it's Unique. But if it looks like Unique, it's labeled Unique, the charge weights are consistent with Unique, the reloads are all OCD-boxed-up in factory boxes, and the density is consistent with Unique, that would be good enough for me. Of course, he might have accidentally grabbed the BE on one of those batches.

 

[dave from mesa]

Thanks for the info.
Could be up to 2000 rnds. Not sure as some boxes are marked 124grn Unique and some are marked 147grn. Checked each unmarked box so far 124.
The 147 on marked boxes say #7. Assume that's Accurate 7 but don't care as I will toss those.

 

[mdi]

Finding powder can be tough, but it ain't too hard to find to resort to using an unknown powder for my reloads. Save it if you want, but be very careful using any of it in a gun you wanna keep...

Speculation is just another name for a Wild A$$ Guess!

 

[Toprudder]

How did he die? If he didn't die from an exploding gun, and still had both hands, 10 fingers, 2 eyes, then he probably made reloads you can trust. Most likely.

I say if you go to the trouble to pull all the bullets - toss the powder. Out of 2000 rounds, that probably equates to only $40. You are getting probably $160 or more in bullets, and $60 in primers - already in cases.

If you don't want to pull all the bullets, I like the idea of buying a Hipoint to shoot the ammo. I've seen the video of a torture test they did on a Hipoint. I'm not saying it is impossible to blow one up, just saying that it is less likely, and if it does - its a Hipoint.

My big question - where is all the reloading equipment?

 

[dave from mesa]

I got the gun from a guy that is storing his car trailer in my back yard. His SIL wanted to sell the gun after husband passed away. Cancer I think. They were down here for the winter and he got some kind of special VA flight back to Wisconsin where he passed away. Assuming that is where the reloading equipment is. He brought this gun and ammo and a newer Rem 45 and ammo to take my friend shooting. Never got to do it. Sad.
Paid 350 for the S&W Shield and about 2500 rds of ammo. Didn't know it was reloads till I picked up the gun.

 

[Dave P]

Here is a fun test:

Take maybe 1/2 lbs of the unknown stuff, and 1/2 lbs of Unique. Make a similar line of each, parallel, in your driveway. They might be a few feet long.

Light the ends of both lines simultaneously, and see if they both burn at the same rate.

If they burn at the same speed, great! If not, you had fun anyway!!

 

[Jesse Heywood]

There is a way to determine what the powder is.

A knowledge of quant. & qual. chemistry and a properly equipped lab are needed. The consumables for the test will cost more than a jug of powder.

 

[Mad Chemist]

Unique in 9mm is analogous to Trail Boss in everything else. You just can't get enough powder in the case to cause a KaBoom.

If the OAL is reasonable, I would shoot a few. That load will be a little bit brisk in a Shield. If you like them, shoot em but only slow fire practice.