Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Lil' Gun Dead in Magnum Handguns?

Just that. What say you all?


I've mostly moved away from Lil' Gun (have a few rounds left to shoot up) in my heavyweight lead bullet loads in my two .41 Magnums. Went back to using H-110, 2400 and looking into HS-6.

Love it in my 22 Hornet T/C carbine, high velocity, good accuracy & low chamber pressure allows really long brass life in this application. It's a slow fire proposition in the single shot Hornet so barrel heating isn't an issue.

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I still use it on occasion because it has the highest speed/lowest pressure in several cartridges.

For a 4.2” barreled Ruger .357? I love it.

The 357 being one of them!

Is it true Freedom Arms will not warranty if Lil gun is used due to abuse of force cone?

Not for beginners, then.

It's great in Blackout supersonic loads and Hornets. I might use it in a magnum handgun some if I didn't have enough H110 to last me the rest of my shooting life.

Never used it in a handgun, only in .218 Bee and .22 Hornet

I like it in 28 and 20 gauge steel loads. Haven't used it in handgun loads either.

I load it in strong 45 Colt loads for lever guns. I load for my SIL's uncle in his Henry 45 Colt. I gave him loads with three different powders to try, Lil Gun was the most accurate by far in his rifle.

Last fall when I bought a Henry 45 Colt, I tried loads with Lil Gun, H110 and A#9. Mine was good with all three. I ended up going with #9, mainly because I have a bunch of it and I can save the Lil Gun for him.

I would have tried it for the .357 Mag. carbine I recently bought, but only have a pound of it, so again I'm keeping it put back.

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Reportedly it burns pretty hot. Prolonged use in a revolver can flame cut the top strap, evidently not too unlike a plasma torch.

I use it in my K-Hornet, not my revolvers.

DF

It was forcing cone erosión in a FA-83 454 that FA repaired 3 times and then decided no warranty work on forcing cones when Lill Gun is used

Good to know. Never used the stuff, only 2400, H110/296.

The 454 runs at 65,000 psi, IIRC, which probably has something to do with top strap erosion and forcing cone erosion, along with jacketed bullets.

It's not exactly the poster child for well behaved outcomes when loaded to maximum.

H110 has been cutting topstraps and wearing on cones long before Lil' Gun was ever a thought, but like Lil' Gun, some prudence needs to be in order at times; I've never had any issues, but I generally don't load it to the gills (except in .357, where it lists very low pressure) and use std. primers.

It’s good stuff in the Hornet/K-Hornet, although I prefer 300MP. To me 300MP meters better, doesn’t have late granules that stick to the powder measure like I’ve seen Lilgun do. Guess it’s static electricity. Even coated my powder measure with graphite which seemed to help some.

JB did some primer research and found that mag primers seem to perform best, CCI 450 top contender. So that’s what I use in my K-Hornet. Those small cases are more primer sensitive than larger cases, which makes sense.

DF

It does have good pressure to velocity ratio in long, narrow cases like the Hornet, 357, 357 Max.
It has worked OK in the 22 Jet.

And the 410, which I've never used it in.

I have a .22 Jet. Don't think I'd want to use Lilgun in that fine S&W revolver due to the FA experience.

The Jet is a hot round, probably no way near the pressure FA revolvers can churn out, but pretty hot nevertheless.

DF

Has anyone loaded it a 410 and does it melt plastic?

Any sign of the heat cooking the hulls or the plastic wad?

A lot of shooters use Li'llgun without a problem