W231...WTF?

GymB

Picking it up slowly.
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Have loaded a bunch of it, never really gave it much thought. Noticed just today that the cans and bottles say “ball powder,” but it’s a dark gray/green flake powder.

I’ve just checked a brand new sealed bottle, pretty much same as it ever was, just slightly less green.

Why?
 
In 1929, the Western Cartridge Company (forerunner of Winchester Ammunition) received U.S. Patent #2,027,114, issued to Western Cartridge as “Manufacture of Smokeless Powders.” Shortly after, Western Cartridge Company then commercially introduced BALL POWDER® smokeless propellant. The innovative BALL POWDER® process provided a number of technological advantages over common extruded type powders that were quickly leveraged by ammunition factories and the U.S. military. The key advantages of BALL POWDER® propellant include:

• Stable long life – in some cases exceeding the capability of extruded powders
• High density – ideal for rifle calibers. Yet the BALL POWDER® process is capable of density adjustment to also create high-performance pistol and shotshell powders
• Adjustable chemistry – allows the powder to be tailored to specific cartridge applications through chemistry as well as geometry.
• Lower flame temperature – allows longer barrel life
 
Oh, so ball doesn’t mean ball-shaped. Good info I suppose, thanks!
 
Oh, so ball doesn’t mean ball-shaped. Good info I suppose, thanks!

In this case that is exactly the case. Below is an excerpt from "Propellent Profiles - 5th Edition" which is a compilation of data and information taken from "Handloader Magazine" between 1966 and 2008. This paragraph appears after an explanation of how W231 was derived from solving a commercial loading issue with W230.

"WW-231 ball powder is not at all ball-shaped, because in manufacturing, the original balls are rolled quite severely, and the resultant kernels are are actually quite flat. As with all Winchester ball powders, the actual size and coloration of the grains can vary considerably from lot to lot. However the ballistics uniformity of WW-231 remains quite constant."

The commercial loading problem that they were trying to solve in 1972 was the WW-230 would bridge in the powder drop tubes and stop them up resulting in no powder charge in the finished cartridge, assuming that the manufacturers safeties were not working properly, as apparently was the case. Winchester's solution was to decrease the powder density by "rolling" the powder to flatten it out. The result was actually improved ballistics and broader handgun applications.

I don't know why I bought the book, but I use it more frequently that one might imagine, but them perhaps that is because my life is a lot less exciting that one might imagine!!! I guess I have now arrived at "Reloading Wennie" status.

But hey, now you know your powder is good to go per Handloader Magazine and Ed Matunas.
 
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Couple reloading dorks, good to have you around.
 
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