Cleaner burning magnum powder?

[ophidia]

I recently started reloading for a Desert Eagle XIX 44 magnum pistol. My experience is it needs full house loads with slow burning magnum powders to produce enough snort (and gas) to cycle the heavy action. H110 of course fits the bill nicely.

But I hadn't realized how dirty it was! I've only fired it in revolvers previously, and it doesn't really matter how dirty it is in a revolver, so I never noticed. The cleaning process takes me about an hour!

So, I was wondering what dense, slow burning magnum powders are cleanest? I've heard that 2400 is very dirty, but don't know if #9 or Lil' Gun is cleaner. I haven't been able to think of any others that are dense/slow enough to work this thing. Apparently Blue Dot needs to be loaded to max loads to cycle it, and my experience is that's really dirty as well.

Any ideas?

 

[pvtschultz]

I use Lil'Gun in my stainless 45 Colt NMBH and can say that after 20-30 rounds my hands and cylinder are plenty dirty with carbon fouling. As you know, it doesn't take much to clean a revolver (especially a stainless one) but I don't think that Lil'Gun is going to fit your bill.

 

[captainkirk]

I don't own a Desert Eagle any more, but AA#9 is a great powder for this application. I shot it almost exclusively with #9 and 240 JHPs.

captainkirk

 

[ophidia]

I don't own a Desert Eagle any more, but AA#9 is a great powder for this application. I shot it almost exclusively with #9 and 240 JHPs.

captainkirk

Did it stay pretty clean with #9? Do you recall some of the loads you used?

Thanks!

 

[captainkirk]

I don't own a Desert Eagle any more, but AA#9 is a great powder for this application. I shot it almost exclusively with #9 and 240 JHPs.

captainkirk

Did it stay pretty clean with #9? Do you recall some of the loads you used?

Thanks!

It was as clean or cleaner than anything else I had (2400, WW296) and I probably shot in the 18-19 grain range, but that is according to the Accurate website. I don't recall specifically.

http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/Acc% ... ersion.pdf

 

[GP100man]

FORGOTTEN POWERHOUSE POWDERS FOR MAGNUMS


it`s hard to measure but 800x & HERCO burns very clean at magnum pressures.
a little powdered graphite & sitting the tumbler on the bench while loading goes a long way to help .

GP100man

 

[flatgate]

Well, you, IMHO, need to increase the burning efficiency of that WW296.....

On a Revolver one does this by incorporating two steps to the reloading process.

1. Get a tight bullet to case fit via reducing the diameter of the expander plug.

2. Roll Crimp the living heck out of the neck. (Obviously not your option.)

I can shoot hundreds and hundreds of WW-296 loads from my revolvers with zero "cleaning issues". I will be the first to admit I have ZERO experience with a "shell shucker" but, I bet, there are indeed some tricks, including a "taper crimp", perhaps?

flatgate

 

[captainkirk]

Well, you, IMHO, need to increase the burning efficiency of that WW296.....

On a Revolver one does this by incorporating two steps to the reloading process.

1. Get a tight bullet to case fit via reducing the diameter of the expander plug.

2. Roll Crimp the living heck out of the neck. (Obviously not your option.)

I can shoot hundreds and hundreds of WW-296 loads from my revolvers with zero "cleaning issues". I will be the first to admit I have ZERO experience with a "shell shucker" but, I bet, there are indeed some tricks, including a "taper crimp", perhaps?

flatgate

I think he can crimp it harder if need be, because (if memory serves) the desert Eagle in the rimmed calibers headspaces on the rim and not the case mouth (like the .50). I think either of your above options might help with the 296 (H110), maybe a hotter primer as well.

captainkirk

 

[Pete]

I too have had problems with 296 in the past! But now I use a lot of the powder in my 32 H&R Rugers and if I get very good bullet pull I have no cleaning issues with the powder.I taper crimp my .32's and size to get great bullet pull and 296 is as clean burning as any powder I use.As has already been stated 800-x is also a very clean powder if you don't mind measuring each load!
I would do as Flatgate says and check the expander plug diameter and if feasible reduce it's diameter to increase your bullet pull.

 

[WESHOOT2]

I recommend Accurate AA9 for the 44 Desert Eagle (and Accurate offers data specific to that platform).


AA9 data from #1:

IMI 240g JHP, start 19.1g, MAX 21.3g

Sierra 250g FPJ, start 18.9g, MAX 21.0g

Hornady 300g XTP, start 15.9g, MAX 17.7g

 

[7mmb]

The cleanest magnum powder, bar none, is VihtaVuori's N110. It is single base so there is no nitroglycerin. #9 may be a shade cleaner than H110/296 but N110 beats them all hands down by leaps and bounds.

 

[ophidia]

Right now I'm going between N110 (44.99/lb locally) and Lil'Gun (18.99). The Lil'Gun supposedly cycles the gun very well, but I suspect it's no less dirty than the H110. N110 is faster burning (I think) so maybe won't cycle it as well.

I may just have to put up with the filth. I'll just need to bring a cleaning kit to the range.

 

[clevor362]

Israel developed the Desert Eagle using what Accurate marketed as No 9 as best I can recall. I also remember that when we compared our loads in the Desert Eagle 44 Mag it apparantly required a lot of gas to operate the action because the velocities were quite a bit slower. FYI No 9 doesn't require a 'magnum' primer. H110 aka WW 296 does.

 

[Three44s]

Inside Flash Hole Deburing is what I would try next.

Three 44s

 

[Groo]

Groo here
1 Are you using cast lead---DON'T!!!!!
2 Are you near max aka full case--- The Eagle needs full power loads
3 Due you crimp hard--- goes with lots of slow powder.[except the 50]
4 what bullet weight-- stick with 240gr till you see what the gun likes
Each powder has a sweet spot where it burns-with most mag type
this is near full

 

[63November]

W296 does burn clean if you get the pressure right which means properly assembled ammo. I like the way 800-X shoots in many load combos but it is much more inclined to leave unburned "saucers" here and there - or partially burned ones. I've also noticed that one can get their beard singed with 800-X from time to time under certain conditions when those big "chunks" of powder zing erratically after leaving the barrel. So I don't consider it a clean burning powder - though it can be in some combos- but I like it anyway.

 

[dougader]

A guy at our local range used to shoot IPSC, even the concealed carry matches, with a 44 mag Desert Eagle. He always loaded with AA9 and said the same as the guys above, that the gun was developed using rounds loaded with AA9. Bob never said anything about cleaning being a chore with his AA9 loads.