fiocchi flake powder

[ddhotbot]

i have been tearing down alot of fiocchi golden pheasant 1 3/4 oz shotshells that are bad. the powder used in these loads is a flake powder very similar to 800x. fiocchi uses 30gr of this powder in front of 1 3/4 oz nickle plated lead shot. i was mainly after the shot when i started this project but i am up to 8lbs of this powder with more to tear down. what do you think?

[burntpowder]

you just say the shells are bad then want an opinion on the gunpowder we need more info. why are they bad?

[ddhotbot]

mostly bad crimps or bad brass sizing

[burntpowder]

Ok-Here we go.When I've worked with old shotgun powders the first thing I look for, how badly it is compacted in tne shell. Sometimes old shot gun shells will detonate when fired usually with bad results. If your powder pours freely from the cases smell it .It should have a pleasent smell your eyes should not water when your close to the powder smelling it.Since these appear to be reloads I would use two containers to remove the powder from the shells. Like when you crack an egg in a seperate bowl in before you dump it in with the full bowl of good eggs.Whoever loaded these may have used more than one type of powder.It sounde like you have a good idea what your powder is and if it appears to be good dry powder-- great find * pounds bet your bottom dollar I would use it.Course I'm a cheap old loader.There are more things we can look at if you have further questions. Good luck. Burntpowder

[Rocky Raab]

If the powder was loaded "on top of the shot" it's no wonder the shells are bad, huh?

Powder for that class of shotshell is going to be in the slow to very slow range. My practice is to load a few rounds of test ammo as if it were a known powder, using a book load and compare the velocity I get with what the known powder would give. That gives me an approximate burn rate.

Example: using .38 Special cases in a .357 revolver, I'll load 3.5 grains of the mystery powder under a 158 cast bullet. If I get substantially less velocity than Bullseye would give, the powder is slower than Bullseye. Then I'll try 5.0 grains of mystery and compare it to what I'd get using Unique. Ditto for Blue Dot and then 2400, as needed until I zero in on a "close to" burn rate.

With this powder, I'd start with a Unique load because it's clearly going to be much slower than B'Eye. With good manuals, you can eventually get VERY close to an exact burn rate equivalent just by comparing delivered velocities.

[ddhotbot]

i guess i should have said 30grs behind 1 3/4 oz of lead. these are factory shells not reloads. some of the powder is caked inside the brass and doesnt want to come out without scraping, it smells ok . i am working with it in a 20 ga since 20 ga uses a slower burning powder than 12 ga. i wish fiocchi would tell me what powder they use in these shells but no luck. thanks

[Rocky Raab]

It wouldn't be a powder you'd recognize or find data for, anyway.

[9.3X62AL]

Fiocchi usually does better work than that with their ammunition. Powder compression is common with shotshells, esp. if loaded with fiber or felt wad columns rather than one-piece modern plastic shot cups. That nickel-plated shot is premium stuff, all right. The advice related above regarding the powder is appropriate, also.

[onceabull]

8 lbs.collected already and more to go ---- Factory seconds,or freight damaged salvage ??? Whatever ,1 & 3/4 oz payload sounds like 3" 12 G.. ipso, that powder is more likely to be in the Blue Dot, AL-8, speed range that anything faster..LIkely just a tad faster than #2400,though... Great find.... Onceabull

[GrizzLeeBear]

Holy cow! If you have over 8 pounds of powder, how much SHOT have you recovered at 1-3/4 oz. per shell?!!!!! With the way shot prices are these days, the shot is more valuable than the powder, the nickel plated shot even more so.

[swheeler]

I would say you hit the jackpot! With factory load density you list your powder should be on the slow side of HS6/WW540, any start data for that powder should be safe staring point for you. Good find and good luck, although it sounds like your luck is just fine.

[ddhotbot]

yes i have collected at least 100 lbs of nickle plated shot in #4,#5 and #6 . that is actually what I am going to sell. this is a hobby , small buisness of mine. I am retired now and it keeps me busy lol. anyboby need some nickle plated lead shot? I also recoup the primers and wads.