Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .38 Special - Unique and 158-grain cast SWCs

Unique isnt really dirty.

Not even the old style.

Sure, in light 38, 44, and 45 loads it is.

But when I started using it in the 9mm in the 90s...
Wow! It's clean!

Give it some pressure, it burns well.
The problem is it works so good at light pressures, it gets used
that way a lot. And there, it is dirty.

If it was like 296, that acted snotty at low pressure, no one would
be ditching about it being dirty.

In 3 revolvers I load 5.5 grains of Unique behind a 15 brn hardness Keith style SWC.

But all are 357s...Two Ruger Security Six and a Speed Six

Very accurate mid load.

This is my go to 38 load. About all I use in guns from J frame through N frame 38s as well as 357s. I find it a versatile and accurate load for almost anything I use a 38 for.

5# is a lifetime supply of Unique. Your talking nearly 8,000 rounds of 38 Special loads. It works just fine, but - doesn't meter very well and is dirty as mentioned above. I like 4.3-4.5gr behind Hornady 158gr LSWC for my 38spcl loads.

JMHO- "dirty" powder and " unburnt" powder has
never been an issue for me
If it makes a hole where I point it, I call it good
and everything else is way way down the list.
I also have a large bag of cleaning patches and
a decent assortment of cleaning rods and the
accompanying jags, brushes, mops, etc.

5.5 grains of Unique pushing a Speer 158 grain LSWCHP is what's in my 642's, 66 and 686 most of the time.

I used to use Unique in .38 spl, and liked it. Back into loading for it, found True Blue, and with some advice from Jim in Idaho, developed a load. Like it a lot so far. See Hodgdon and Sierra for data.

This is my load also. I was lucky last week & found a pound of Unique at the local Walmart for $30.

When I was a rookie officer in 1985 I was issued a 4” stainless Ruger Police Service Six revolver. Our approved issue ammo was Winchester 110 grain +P+ (Treasury Department Load) which was mostly worthless. A big 10 point buck got hit by a car and was paralyzed from the chest down. He was propped up looking right at us when another officer shot him right between the eyes. He just blinked and shook his head. The other officer went back to his cruiser and came back with a Winchester 158 grain +P lead semi wad cutter hollow point and shot the buck in the same place. The buck’s head hit the ground so fast it was amazing. After that, I started carrying 6 158 grain hard cast gas check rounds loaded with 5.5 grains of Unique. That load will penetrate like crazy.

Yep Ron

I have not used very much Unique, but I have found it's the lube on cast bullets that causes most of the fouling. My preference is Universal Clays, then W231. Usually 4.5 gr with a 158 gr cast in either .357 brass or 38 Sp .Mostly the 357 to avoid the carbon build up in the cylinder when using 38 Sp.
Those two powders and Unique can be used interchangeably without too much difference.

I like Unique with 5.0 gr. and 158 gr. SWC, RN, or SWCHP. Good load in my 2 .357's and my .38