Historical Powder Comparisions - for movng to modern powders

[GONRA]

Attempt to compare Winchester/Olin “standard pistol powder” over the decades….
Historically changed from 230P to 230 then 231 per manufacturing site and other reasons.
Always selling one “fast burning pistol powder”, just slight different.
(For GONRA, useful in developing 231 handloads from decades earlier powder data.)

November 1967 WINCHESTER–Western BALL POWDER 230P data:
Caliber Bullet Powder Charge Velocity
.32 Colt Auto 71 gn. FMC 2.0 grains 230P 855 ft./sec.
.380 ACP 95 gn. FMC 3.0 grains 230P 955 ft./sec.
9mm Luger 115 gn. FMC 4.5 grains 230P 1140 ft./sec.
.45 Auto 230 gn. FMC 5.1 grains 230P 850 ft./sec.

May 1973 WINCHESTER–Western BALL POWDER LOADING DATA 230 data:
Caliber Bullet Powder Charge Velocity Pressure
.32 Colt Auto 71 gn. FMC 2.2 grains 230 910 ft./sec. 15000 C.U.P.
.380 ACP 95 gn. FMC 2.9 grains 230 905 ft./sec. 15000 C.U.P.
9mm Luger 115 gn. FMC 4.5 grains 230 1060 ft./sec. 26500 C.U.P.
.45 Auto 230 gn. FMC 4.9 grains 230 805 ft./sec. 16500 C.U.P.

June 1975 WINCHESTER–Western BALL POWDER LOADING DATA 231 data:
November 1976 WINCHESTER–Western BALL POWDER LOADING DATA 231 data:
Caliber Bullet Powder Charge Velocity Pressure
.32 Colt Auto 71 gn. FMC 2.5 grains 231 865 ft./sec. 14000 C.U.P.
.380 ACP 95 gn. FMC 3.2 grains 231 860 ft./sec. 15000 C.U.P.
9mm Luger 115 gn. FMC 5.1 grains 231 1125 ft./sec. 30500 C.U.P.
.45 Auto 230 gn. FMC 5.6 grains 231 795 ft./sec. 17000 C.U.P.

Two others of general interest:

November 1967 WINCHESTER–Western BALL POWDER 630P data:
Caliber Bullet Powder Charge Velocity
.25 Auto 50 gn. FMC 3.1 grains 630P 795 ft./sec.
(630P powder balls fill the case, support the bullet! Decades ago, shot great in a Baby Browning.)
.30 Mauser 86 gn. FMC 11.0 grains 230P 1475 ft./sec.
(Useful for Czech M52 pistol handloaders who have 630P powder on hand.)

[Scharfschuetze]

Interesting post Gonra. I'm not a huge ball (spherical) powder fan, but those two powders really shine in my handguns.

I like 231 much better than the older 230 powder which seemed to dissapear from the shelves in 1975 or so. I now use 231 (or HP38) in most things pistol or revolver. There are better powders for specific uses, but 231/HP38 will do a lot for a handgun shooter for general use.

I really miss the old 630P powder. I think that my last pound of it went down range in 1976 or so. It was absolutely the best propellant for the 38 Special and 38 Special +P ammo.