American Pioneer Powder FFFG

[Biermeister]

Howdy, does anyone have any experience reloading .45 S&W and .45 Colt with American Pioneer Powder FFFG ? Appreciate any help and info. I have tried APP FFG in my .54 TC White Mt. carbine and it works great. Able to fire without all the fouling and cleanup was very easy. Thanks.

[44caliberkid]

APP 3F works fine in 45 cartridges.  Just fill case up to about 1/4 inch from the top, so seating the bullet only slightly compresses the powder.  You can use commercial hard cast or smokeless lube bullets too.  It'll give you about 700 fps in 45 Colt.

[sundance44`s]

I tested 37 gr of the APP 3f in 45 LC under a 200 gr bullet .. at 10 yrds  they shot through  3 .. 2 and 1/2 inch phone books .. and with the cap and ball 35 grs of it .. it was puney ..only shot through an inch and a half of one book , did it twice just to be sure ..  i don`t understand what made it so powerful loaded in the 45 cartrages .. heck i was useing it because i didn`t need a moose stopper .. maybe Shockley did drop a cape buffalo with the stuff loaded in an inline .... i`ve tested it in a side lock and again its puney !

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[Grapeshot]

I've been experimenting with the APP in my .45 Schofield cases.  I fill the case to the case mouth and us a compression die to compress the powder deep enough to seat the bullet I'm using and give it a good but firm crimp.  I also use a Magnum Large Pistol Primer and open the flash hole with a 3/32 inch drill bit.

I have no problems with ignition and get a good BOOM and recoil, along with a lot of smoke.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Grapeshot,

I'm thinkn' yer on to something here.  Them dang Schofield replicas don't do well on a steady diet of Holy Black.  But, I'm thinkn' that here is a cool lookin' pistol that lots of BP pards would enjoy that will benefit from replica powders.  Normally I wouldn't talk up replicas, but this is one application where they may be just the ticket.

How are your groups with it?  How about continuing function and cleanup?

DD-DLoS

[Major 2]

APP is the old Clean Shot I've use for years... I like the stuff in my 45 LC Henry and SXS.
I plan to use it in my Opentops & Spencer (infact I think Black Hills 45 Schofields I use,  has it )

[44caliberkid]

You are right Dick, the new S&W pattern repros work well with APP.  I use real BP in almost everything, but still load APP in 44 S&W cases for my original 44 New Frontier DA.
   APP does not need heavy compression, the manufacturer suggests only light compression.  3F gives plenty of oomph for CAS shooting, very consistant velocity, and good accuracy.

[sundance44`s]

Dick .. i use it in my 45 loading always .. and with modern lube bullits .. the stuff makes its own lube when fired ... i called the folks at APP yesterday about useing some sort of fillers .. they said no grits but its ok to use cards and such ... on the site it says no fillers ...guess they mean grits and meal ...
The cases i`ve always loaded for my 45 `s were a bit too stout fer me  37gr .. i cut some foam cookies and am gonna try some with 25 grs and the cookies on top .
The testing i did on the phone books with my 37 gr loads were a little much for pokeing holes on a papper target . 3 shots into the phone books and i`m gonna need some more books to do my testing ..pretty much distroyed  them .

[sundance44`s]

Tested the 45 `s with the foam cookies .. not bad ..25 gr of APP and enough cookies to fill the case with in an 8th" of the top then pressed the bullit a 200gr oreogon trail in and a top crimp ... they shot well tested 10 rounds they all shot POA at 15 yards nice tight group took the bulleye out from my bench ... all shots were consitent ..no flyers . ( nice reduced recoil too ..like a 38 special )