Herco and Unique

[Ohio3Wheels]

Horseman's posting in the Question of the Month got thinking abput the two powders. And it just happened to show up after the wife and i spent a few hours at the range starting the break in on her new P938. Beside about 60 rounds of old WW white box 115 full patch I had about a hundred rounds of assorted hand loads from back in 80 and 81 all done with Heco back when Hercules was in business and put it in smallish cubic metal cans. ( I still have a few ounces of the last can I bought for 7.60) The one thing I noticed comparing the WW to the reloads was much greater muzzle flash from the Herco in both the P938 and the Browning Hi-Power. Enough that i don't think I'd use it loads that might be needed in a night fight. I don't believe I've ever used a full pound of Unique. I switched to Herco and later the sphericals because of better metering and gave the last half pound to a friend that wanted to try it.

Make smoke,

[RBHarter]

Unique does have an impressive flash . More so as the pressure of a load climbs .
It seems to be a pale thin flash rather than a bright dense flash ........ That makes sense to me . I think it has to do with the flame color more than the actual volume or density of the flash flame . Based on some night time hog hunting I can say that in some cases there is almost no visible flash at all .
Red dot and what ever FC uses in 38 special will make a SS revolver look like it was drug through charcoal bin in 60-70 rounds . While Unique is claimed to be dirty I don't see it . I cant vouch for Herco and it may be the old lot of Unique that I have .

[GasGuzzler]

Still looking for a use for Unique.

[farmerjim]

I have about 8 pounds of Herco that I used mostly for heavy 12 ga loads.from back in the 60's. I am now using it in many of my pistol loads (380,9,38 and 357) I also use it in subsonic 308 loads. It is a little dirty, but I have not noticed a large muzzle flash. I am Hi-Tek or powder coating all of my bullets, so there is no smoke from the lube to reflect the flash. I will have to go out at night and fire a few to check this out.

[Ranch Dog]

I was gifted two, one pound cans of Hercules Unique by unrelated "Uncle" after his death, along with a few reloading components. The fellow knew how to keep it simple but I admire that as I look at the monster my reloading room has become.

The is the old cardboard, metal top & bottom cans of Unique and I have spent twenty five years working through the first can and into about a tenth of a pound of the last. I have used it with the 25, 32, 380, & 45 Auto along with the 9mmX18 & 19. I've also used it in the 357, 41, & 44 Mag, along with the 38 Spl and 45 Colt

Hodgdon's Universal is probably my favorite pistol powder and compared to it, Unique is dirty. By dirty, I'm talking about carbon residue on the pistol inside & out and down the barrel. If I'm shooting quite a few rounds such as during training and a breeze is blowing towards me, that residue is all over me as well. I've gone through about 600 rounds of it in a day and it has never fouled my weapon but it is going to render a white T-shirt out of service forever when you clean it.

In all my pistol and revolver applications I have found that it typically produces the highest velocities and greatest case fill. I usually get tired of how it meters but it really doesn't matter on near max loads especially with the semiautos that are going to be used at short, self defense ranges. It can really have some really wild charge ESs & SDs but yet the bullet cut ragged holes at the range. I don't think it is a powder that I would buy as there are too many other good choices.

[daboone]

Hodgdon's Universal is probably my favorite pistol powder and compared to it, Unique is dirty. By dirty, I'm talking about carbon residue on the pistol inside & out and down the barrel. If I'm shooting quite a few rounds such as during training and a breeze is blowing towards me, that residue is all over me as well. I've gone through about 600 rounds of it in a day and it has never fouled my weapon but it is going to render a white T-shirt out of service forever when you clean it.

That is the most honest evaluation of Unique I've ever read! I almost spewed my coffee. Those kind of T-shirts are just fine with this old ugly ornery single grump. I ware them with pride in the shop or on desert walkabouts. Only my daughters complain.

I also buy and shoot a lot of Universal. It is an excellent powder for handguns.

Years ago I used Herco. It was a great powder. Unfortunately I haven't used it for a long time. I don't know why. I know I have some reload notes on it. Next trip to my local powder and primer store I will pick some up.

[mikld]

Wow! I guess I'm weird or sumpin'. I have used a lot of Unique in my handgun reloads. I have some hot .38 Special loads of Unique. Some .44 Special loads of Unique. I have a few favorite loads of Unique in my .357 and .44 Magnums. As far as "dirty", the only time I see "dirty" reloads is if the Unique is loaded on the low side, that with good pressure, it burns clean (but then clean is relative as everything that burns leaves some residue, from gunpowder to yak dung). I have used Unique in my 45 ACP and fired 300+ rounds in one session without any stoppages, misfires, or failures of any kind from "dirty" Unique. I guess I have diffwerent standards 'cause I don't wear my white tux when shooting and every range I've been to has soap and water available and when I shoot up in the hills, I take water and towels/rags with me. I clean my guns every time they are used, and honestly don't understand all the hoopla about "dirty" powders. If one doesn't want any gunshot residue, don't shoot any guns...

If you wanna talk "dirty" powders, try some black powder. Fill up a .38 Special case with black, lightly compress with a 158 gr, LRN bullet and see what dirty really is (I had a BP revolver that would only shoot one cylinder full without brushing the crud off the cylinder and frame).

[GasGuzzler]

I don't shoot .38 in my .357 capable guns and there's a dozen powders better for .357 than Unique.

Dirty doesn't bother me either. I like 2400.

My .38 only revolver sits with factory loads in it but I practice sometimes with reloads using Bullseye.

[Ohio3Wheels]

<snip>

If you wanna talk "dirty" powders, try some black powder. Fill up a .38 Special case with black, lightly compress with a 158 gr, LRN bullet and see what dirty really is (I had a BP revolver that would only shoot one cylinder full without brushing the crud off the cylinder and frame).

Yep! In a good year I go through about 2 pounds of black powder and that's a lot of cleaning, but it's the price that is paid to shoot black powder cartridge rifles. Dirt is as he says relative and it was more the muzzle flash in doors and a well lighted range. There are likely "better" powders than either Unique or Herco. For me right now H110, True Blue, Tight Group and Trail Boss seem to be getting a lot of work. To each his own way of making smoke,

[RBHarter]

Blue dot makes a nice flash also .