Canadian Rifle Powder 4740

[grumpy one]

I came by a pound or so of this 4740 and would like to burn it up if I can find a sensible use for it. Can anyone tell me approximately where it sits in the burn rate tables, or what is the nearest civilized equivalent? Incidentally the container also has "MAL" on it - don't know if that means anything or not. It's a dark grey-black stick powder.

[squints]

gday grumpyone
this is uncany but i also have a tin of the 4740 and dont know any thing about it.
i shoot western action i have just loaded 10 rounds of the 4740 in some 30-30 cal
i put 10gr behind a 150gr lead projectile. i am shooting at nowra this sunday and i will try it out. if they are no good i will pull them apart and i will burn off the powder

[Bob B]

I would save the powder until I found for it.I never distroy powder unless it has gone bad.Bob B

[squints]

i fired thoe's 10 rounds i loaded up and used them to day.
they shoot fine with out a problem hitting steal targets at 100yards no problem
i could have loaded them up a touch more. they are soft to shoot with a soft load. there a good close range target load. they had a 165gr projectile with 10gr of powder
squints

[quentin]

I have quite a bit more than one tin :-)

The professional reloader in Wellington informed me that IMR4740 was very similar to IMR3031 and I use it as such.
To check this - a lot of this powder is from pulled .303 canadian daylight tracer ammo. I have pulled a few myself and its a slightly compressed load (can not now remember the weight, sorry) in a 303.

I have used it in almost everything from 7x57 to 308, its nice powder.

Cheers
Q

[smokemjoe]

Is this a course stick powder, I have some CMR 100 and is great powder. Joe

[grumpy one]

quentin, your advice that 4740 is similar to 3031 is very interesting. I've done a few tests with it in my 30-30, and behind a 175 grain GC bullet my best results were in the range 20-27 grains, which compares with the ADI BM2 recommended range for jacketed of 25.3 to 27 grains. BM2 is the same speed as 3031, according to ADI data. In other words, the results are consistent with your advice. However accuracy was rather disappointing - my best group at 55 yards was 1.5", with 27 grains. It didn't do any better with jacketed bullets. I can do at least as well if not better with 26 grains of AR2201, if we're talking surplus powder. Not that I have any 2201 any more, I've used it all up. The main point is that the accuracy was poor compared with a target-type load of 17.5 grains of SR4759 behind the same cast bullet.

[twotrees]

I got some of this a few years back and have tried to get loads for the 308 going with it, but results haven't been too promising.

But I did try it in a reduced 30-30 load with a Lyman 311291 sized 309 WOW !!!

In 2 rifles ( 340 Savage and a trapper 16" barrel Winnie)Both shoot it great.

Load 18 gr of CMR100 with a tuft of dacron under the gascheck.

CMR 100 was said to be the same as 4895 but reduce loads 15%. This load came from an OLD Lyman reloading manual of 21 gr of 4895 then the 15% reduction.

As soon as I get off my duff and order the RCBS or Lyman .358 200 gr bollit mold, I'm going to try it in my wifes 35 rem.

I don't know the powder # your asking about, but check and see if it's the same as CMR100. Jeff Bartlet is where I got mine.

Good Shooting

TwoTrees

[Four Fingers of Death]

I just picked up a large tin of 4740 with some old ammo. My mate said his father reloaded his 270 and 243 with it. Not the best choice for those calibres by the look of it, but his dear old departed Da was a bushie and needs must.

Might make a good plinking load in the 30/30.

[Mike H]

IT is a surplus military rifle powder,years ago,1950/1960’s it was the main powder available,as others have said it is like 3031,the old Australian reloading manuals,Reloading Simplified and I think the first Nick Harvey one had loads for most rifle calibres in them.Amazing what turns up,there was a time when 4740,4831 and Shotgun Ballistite were the main powders for Australian reloaders.

[john.k]

I remember Jack Stacey at Redcliffe used to sell 4740 and ballistite from bulk fibre barrels behind the counter.......1/6d a lb,he would scoop out a scoop of powder ,tip it into a brown paper bag,put it on the scales,and it would be close to right .And he always had a rollie cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth.303 surplus primers in a fold of cardboard were sixpence for 150 or so...The ballistite was from mortar rounds,extra charge in a small paper bag was stuck in the fins and held with a rubber band.To many extras would bulge the barrel.....The modern H4895 is pretty close to 4740,I think in the sixties ,3031 was equivalent.....4740 was used in all aircraft 303 MG rounds.,which still had to comply with ignition timings for firing thru the prop,WW1 style.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Wellllllllllllllllllll, I won't try the propellor trick, but I hav several 303s, so that's a good pplace to start, thanks.

[indian joe]

I remember Jack Stacey at Redcliffe used to sell 4740 and ballistite from bulk fibre barrels behind the counter.......1/6d a lb,he would scoop out a scoop of powder ,tip it into a brown paper bag,put it on the scales,and it would be close to right .And he always had a rollie cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth.303 surplus primers in a fold of cardboard were sixpence for 150 or so...The ballistite was from mortar rounds,extra charge in a small paper bag was stuck in the fins and held with a rubber band.To many extras would bulge the barrel.....The modern H4895 is pretty close to 4740,I think in the sixties ,3031 was equivalent.....4740 was used in all aircraft 303 MG rounds.,which still had to comply with ignition timings for firing thru the prop,WW1 style.

hmmmm at 14 years old (1964) I started reloading - 32/20 and shotgun ballistite - old Winchester hand tools the model 92 survived ok

- also did some "experiments" adding a little ballistite to 22LR (we had read about the new fangled 22magnum and thought we might duplicate the ballistics)

....no 1 was ok ...no 2 was ok ....no 3 was just a tad tooooo much = total case separation (split it right around the rim), singed one eyebrow, ears ringing, bolt on the little Browning SS jammed up, we survived - eventually got the little rifle back functional before the powers that be figured out what we were up to - years later I bought a 22 magnum savage (still have it - a good shooter)

[Four Fingers of Death]

HaHa!

[granville_it]

I have a tin of 4740 with recommended loading information.

I shall scan the tin, tomorrow, and post it.

Regards Mark

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have a tin of 4740 with recommended loading information.

I shall scan the tin, tomorrow, and post it.

Regards Mark

Wow! How flash is that? Thanks.

[granville_it]

Alas, Photobucket no longer works for me.

OK, listed on the tin, the loads start from the 222 and ends at 303 British.

Included are the 22/303, 22/250, 220 Swift, 243, 244,.....to the 303.

Opening the lid it smells pretty good to go.

If you know any site that stores photos I shall give it a go.

270W, 130grs, 46grs, 3000fps

Cheers Mark

[Driver man]

Im sitting on a can of ar2201 purchased about 1970 to replace 3031 in my 303.I had forgotten about it but reading this thread reminded me. I dug it out and had a sniff, smells good with no clumps. Anybody got any loading data.

[john.k]

if the powder has started to detiorate,the tin will be rusty inside............Ive ony ever had 4895 go bad,turned into red dust entirely.....wasnt surplus either ,was IMR 4895 in a Du Pont tin.......funny thing is cordite seems to last forever...........but it was designed to be stable in hot climates.

[granville_it]

For an interesting read:

https://shootingaustralia.net/forum/reloading/15195-ar-2201

Mark

[granville_it]

I scanned the tin of 4740, with a little bit of luck and imgur:

https://i.imgur.com/64uWKUY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eIUxbG5.jpg

Cheers Mark

[Four Fingers of Death]

Thanks, that's a big help.