I need some help in selecting a couple gun powders for loading some handgun rounds .....

Usually I like AA5 or HS-6 because they meter fairly well, but for reloading rounds like the 9mm, .38 Spl, .357Mag, and .44Mag ..... what are some good (and favorite) low-flash propellants?

Thanks!

I've found Ramshot Silhouette to be the cleanest powder I've ever used. Don't know if there is much data for revolver loads for it. There plenty of data for the auto pistol rounds.
There is lots of data with their True Blue powder for both types of cartriages. Close but not quite as clean burning as Silhouette. E

Accurate #9 is a "magnum" powder that is flash-suppressed. I've shot it at night from a 3" ported 357 mag and observed only a red golf-ball-sized glow. The 158-gr JHP gets 1200 fps from that gun, with that powder.

About 6-8 years back I was looking for the same thing, but for my 5" 1911. I tested the following powders by taking my video camera out in the hills behind my house on a very dark night and setting it up on a tripod. I then video'd myself shooting 9 different powders with the excellent 230 gr Gold Dots.

At home I watched the results over and over ranking the following powders thusly.

Longshot = Large
Nitro 100 = small
700x = Medium
AA #5 = less than medium
Bullseye = Large
Herco = small
Green Dot = small
Solo 1000 = smallest

The Solo 1000 barely had a few sparks fly out the muzzle and even then only a few inches.

In addition, the Solo 100 gave excellent accuracy and velocity, upwards of 900 fps with the max charge of 5.5 gr. In fact it has given excellent accuracy in several 5" 1911's.

Just last week I ran out of my last 3/4 lb bottle and had to have a local gun shop order in a few more bottles as "no one" in the two valleys I frequent had any.

Hope this helps.

Alan

Like Rocky, I have had very good luck with AA No. 9.

Ramshot True Blue has done very well in the .45 ACP.

Thanks fellas. Gave me a few 'possibilities' I wouldn't have considered before.

And quite impressive performance Rocky, from that 3" .357 with a full-sized bullet! (vs a 125ver or 135ver ).

I've never used any of the Ramshot powders or newer Alliant flavors. Will give them careful consideration besides AA9.

Unique.

The powder, I mean.

Unique, Bullseye, and 296 are just about the only pistol powders I have. Guess I'm a dinosaur. Make it a Plesiosaur.

i have to say unique great powder in 45acp