Pat's Reloading

[LAH]

He has this:

SMP-231, New Pistol Powder, 6 lbs-$84.00. Any comments?

Creeker

[Lee]

Good question! I've not heard of that one before. I wonder if the "231" implies a clone of WIN231?? If so, it would be a reasonably good all around powder. I've loaded it in a lot of different calibers. Not had a problem.
However, 6#/$84 comes to $14 per #.
Natchezz shows WIN231 for $106 per 8# and that's $13.25 per #.
Course' shipping and hazmat really throws the old stinkeroo into powder purchases, unless you can meet up with Pat at one of the gun shows. He's from Ohio, think he hits the Medina/Berea show(s). And I am told he will bring along a special filled order, thus saving on the hazmat and shipping charges........
Just my $0.02 ................................................Le e:wink:

[felix]

Practically a clone in speed, performance. Genuine 231 is a ball type, whereas the SMP version is a flake type. ... felix

[LAH]

Flake type of 231. Thanks Felix.

Lee:

Powder Valley has HP 38 [W231] for 96.85 per 8 lb. Shipping & Hazmat included comes to 12.95 per pound. Please note I had other powder and primers on that order.........Creeker

[BD]

The Surplus 231 equivelent I have is HPC-18. This is a small flake powder which is just slightly slower than canister 231 and a bit dirtierand harder to light. It came 6 pounds in the same size jug that usually holds 8 lbs. I think I paid $48/6 pounds, but that was a couple of years ago. I've gone through about 8 lbs of it so far with good success. I recomend the Winchester large pistol primers with this powder if you can get them. BD

[BD]

Just as a side note, lacking a source of surplus powder under $10/lb, the least expensive way to feed a .45 acp I've found is to go together with a couple of friends and buy Titegroup from Grafs. The last time I did this we bought four 8 lb jugs of titegroup, (this gets you free shipping and hazmat from Grafs), and 10,000 large pistol primers which can ride in the same package as the powder without going over the 50 lb weight limit, (so no hazmat or shipping on the primers either). This totals over $500 which gets you another 5% discount from Grafs on the total order . I don't know what the current prices are, but the last time I did this the Titegroup came in at just over $12/lb this way.
BD

[Lloyd Smale]

im not up much on suplus rifle powder and the cost effectiveness of them but i buy quite a bit of surplus handgun powder. A guy really needs to take a look at the overall economics of it. Take 820 for an example. To me it has proven even more accurate then 110 its more flexible. You use a smaller charge and its cheaper to boot. Its probably the best bang for the buck in handgun powders for mag rounds. But when you start comparing it to hs6 or 2400 alot of the cost savings evaporate. I use alot of pr200 which is aa2. I first bought it thinking it was a bargin looking just at the price. But compare it to bullseye which needs less to get the same velocitys and its not such a bargin and i would have quit using it but ive found it to be a tad more accurate in my 45acp comp loads then anything else so i stocked up before they ran out. But in all reality you can buy aa2 just as cheap or close to it. If i guy is just looking for plinking loads at low velocitys the cheapest powder to use is usually the fastest burning powder because you use less of it. If a guy is looking for plinking loads an 8 lb keg of bullseye is probably going to be a better value then surplus 231. I guess i came to the conclusion that i dont buy surplus to save money. I buy it because some of it works best in my guns and if it didnt saving 10 bucks wouldnt mean much to me.