Canada made Universal powder

[onehandgunner]

Has anyone had first hand knowledge of how it meters ? I am asking about the UNIVERSAL powder made in CANADA. I have been using the AUSTRALIA made UNIVERSAL for quite sometime. I will soon run out of it and am curious about the stuff from CANADA. I have a reply from HODGDON but I am looking for 1st hand reviews from users of the CANADA made UNIVERSAL. Thanks, Jerry

 

[Slenk]

Nice. After unique got so hard to get my GS guy said try Universal. And I have not changed back. Really burns clean too.

 

[onehandgunner]

Slenk, Are you using the Australia made Universal or the Canadian made Universal ? I am looking for 1st hand knowledge on the Canadian made Universal. The label will have the info. Thanks, Jerry

 

[5of7]

I have used Universal in 20 and 28 ga. skeet loads for years and have tried it quite a bit in the handgun. It seems to be close to Unique in most revolver handloads, but in some cases just a tad quicker burning. It burns clean and requires a good consistent crimp to control shot to shot velocity variations.

If you don't own a good chronograph, then by all means buy one. It is a very good investment and adds another dimension to the art of handloading. 8)

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Just checked my jug and it's Aussie.

When DuPont sold their powder business ('80s?), a Canadian company, IMR, bought it. I dunno how much production was moved to Canada, but the IMR branded powders worked as well as the DuPont made ones as best we could tell (this would be mostly shotgun loading, with 700X, 800X and PB taking up most of the real estate I could see.) I wonder if the same company is making Universal for Hodgdon's now? If so, I wouldn't worry, just treat a new jug the same way you would any other powder change: start low, work up.

Rick C

 

[mikld]

I have no idea where my Universal was made. But I figger since there is quality control and the product must remain as consistent as possible, regardless of where it's made, there will be little difference. If I bought a product made in the US and that same product made elsewhere, say Australia, I would expect that product to be the same. It's packed under the same name, designed for the same purpose, and made up from the same chemical compositions and the company would be liable, and insure the lots are as close to identical as possible. Kinda like pharmaceuticals, Zoloft made in the US must be the same as Zoloft made in the UK...

 

[Slenk]

Mine says made in Canada- packaged in USA

 

[onehandgunner]

Okay, I am relieved that it is similar to the old stuff . I use it in 2 different calibers with the adjustment set for each caliber, adjusting each powder measure to suit my load is fine not a problem. I just would like it to meter without much if any variance and be consistent throw to throw. Thank you all, Jerry

 

[wwb]

Just like when you get a new jug of a powder that you've been using since Moses came down from the mountain, get the scale out and weigh what you're throwing for a charge..... there will probably be no difference, but check to be sure.

 

[Slenk]

I weight at least every 10th round on the RCBS 10/10 scales . So far have not had to adjust either RCBS or Lyman powder measure. I do have to make adjustments when using 2400 or 4227, CFR powders.

 

[Flyover_Country]

Hi,

Just checked my jug and it's Aussie.

When DuPont sold their powder business ('80s?), a Canadian company, IMR, bought it. I dunno how much production was moved to Canada, but the IMR branded powders worked as well as the DuPont made ones as best we could tell (this would be mostly shotgun loading, with 700X, 800X and PB taking up most of the real estate I could see.) I wonder if the same company is making Universal for Hodgdon's now? If so, I wouldn't worry, just treat a new jug the same way you would any other powder change: start low, work up.

Rick C

DuPont was involved at various times in many of the older powders we use, which is not surprising as Du Pont was originally founded as a black powder manufacturer in the 1830s. They bought Laflin & Rand in 1902 (who had developed Bullseye in 1898 and Unique in 1899) and were broken up in 1911 (effective in 1912) by Teddy Roosevelt. Du Pont's powder business was spun off as Hercules Powder Co. Hercules continued to make Bullseye and Unique and introduced several other powders we still use today- Herco, 2400, Red Dot, Green Dot, Blue Dot, Reloder 7, 15, 19, and 22, plus several others no longer used such as Reloder 12 and EC "bulk" shotgun powder that was volumetrically similar to black powder and intended to be used in with volumetric black powder measures. Hercules was bought by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in 1995 and Alliant (since spun off from ATK as Vista Outdoor) currently makes the old Laflin & Rand Bullseye and Unique, the currently-sold former Hercules powders mentioned above, plus quite a few more such as the Power Pro line and other Reloder "numbers."

Du Pont after getting smacked with TR's "big stick" re-entered the market two years later with the Improved Military Rifle line of powders. DuPont manufactured the IMR powder line until selling to Hodgdon in 2003, although they stopped with the Du Pont branding in the 1980s in favor of the IMR branding.

Today, nearly all American-made gunpowder is made by General Dynamics' St. Marks Powder, and their powders are the vast majority of US-sold gunpowders. The most common foreign-made powder manufacturers we see in the US are ADI from Australia, Vihtavouri Oy from Sweden, and some unnamed company in Canada that makes US-spec powders.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Du Pont after getting smacked with TR's "big stick" re-entered the market two years later with the Improved Military Rifle line of powders. DuPont manufactured the IMR powder line until selling to Hodgdon in 2003, although they stopped with the Du Pont branding in the 1980s in favor of the IMR branding.

Today, nearly all American-made gunpowder is made by General Dynamics' St. Marks Powder, and their powders are the vast majority of US-sold gunpowders. The most common foreign-made powder manufacturers we see in the US are ADI from Australia, Vihtavouri Oy from Sweden, and some unnamed company in Canada that makes US-spec powders.

Hi,

Just to add a tidbit or two to the DuPont-IMR stuff: memory may fail me a bit, but this gentleman's history matches the stories I heard back in the '80s about DuPont and IMR quite closely. Scroll down to the post by rossman40: http://dougsmessageboards.proboards.com/thread/8759

As I recall from the scuttlebutt back then, DuPont sold the IMR brand line, as well as their others, to the Canadian company (I never knew the original name, but EXPRO is mentioned in that post), which changed its name to IMR Company and marketed all the former DuPont brands as IMR products. I assume they did all the production, and don't recall DuPont continuing any manufacture of these products on their own after that transition. As far as I know, they got out of the powder biz completely at that time. But I could be wrong...

Then it looks like General Dynamics bought the whole Canadian operation, plant, brand names, etc., from IMR Co. (or SME?), and later Hodgdon's bought just the IMR name from GD who still manufactures the product for them. The Hodgdon's deal makes sense as Winchester-Olin had already sold all their ball powder names and manufacturing to GD St. Mark's, and Hodgdon's had taken over the Winchester distribution chores shortly thereafter.

Rick C

 

[woodperson]

I had a jug of the Aussie. Now I am using a jug of the Canada. I am not astute enough to perceive any difference at all. But I do not chronograph. I select a bushing by weighing charges each time I load and just do not remember if there was a density difference. Right now I am trying HP-38.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

If there was any difference at all I am pretty sure we would hear about it from Hodgdon.