# Alliant 2400



## Argon18smith (Nov 4, 2016)

Loaded up a few rounds in 357 magnum and 38 special +P. Magnum loads were no problem in both of my revolvers and no problem in my Coonan, however, both revolvers "squibbed" the 38 special +P loads continuously (why did I keep trying??). My Coonan didn't care and ate everything. The moral of the story for me is if it's magnum powder use it for magnum loads.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

Gotta admit, Argon, I can't make any sense of that post. 
You can run 38 Special in the Coonan?
Continuous squibs in the revolvers? But not the Coonan?
What?


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Argon18smith said:


> Loaded up a few rounds in 357 magnum and 38 special +P. Magnum loads were no problem in both of my revolvers and no problem in my Coonan, however, both revolvers "squibbed" the 38 special +P loads continuously (why did I keep trying??). My Coonan didn't care and ate everything. The moral of the story for me is if it's magnum powder use it for magnum loads.


That seems a little surprising that a hot load would squib in a revolver. 2400 is pretty slow burning stuff. I used to use Unique in my hotter 38 Special or magnum loads and 2400 has a burn rate around a third slower, if I remember correctly. So you're probably starting around 8 or a little more grains of 2400 for those rounds. What do the primers and cases look like on those squib rounds? What barrel lengths and bullet weights?

Maybe there's a magic combination you must not use for 2400 sort of like that rule against 2.8 grains of Bullseye and a 147 grain wadcutter. 2.7 or 2.9 was fine, but not 2.8. LOL


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## krunchnik (Nov 27, 2011)

2400 would not be my choice for .38 special-they only list 2 loads that would be considered a +P+ starting at around 11 grains-recommended in heavy frame .357 Magnum revolvers only.


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## Argon18smith (Nov 4, 2016)

For some reason some of my thread never made it on-screen. I was using 10 grains of 2400 for the +P loads with a 125 grain bullet. I got that from the Alliant reloading page. The primers all had big dents in them and had fired. The powder was all there, some jammed in the barrel behind the projectile and the rest still in the casing. The powder had turned black (initially gray) but when I put a flame to it, it did burn. I had actually loaded some of the +P with magnum primers but that didn't seem to help either. The Coonan is a semi-auto so built different and for some reason it fired everything. You just have to change the recoil spring to get it to cycle. The magnum loads were 16.5 grains with the same weight projectile. The powder companies know that everyone out there is running all calibres so if they can create a powder that can be used for everything that is what will sell. I am slowly realizing that getting the best powder for each calibre is the way to go.


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## Argon18smith (Nov 4, 2016)

Fellow shooters told me to increase the crimp and try it. I increased the crimp by 2 to 3 times my normal crimp and it worked. No more problems with the 38 specials. Now I have to see how long the brass lasts for reloading. Thanks guys.


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## RDub (Mar 5, 2011)

I ran into the same thing years ago when trying to use 2400 in 38 Specials.
I've since learned that 2400 likes to be burned at a higher chamber pressure. Max 357 Mag loads are ideal for 2400.
38 Special has to be kept below 18K psi. 2400 typically doesn't like that relatively low pressure. If 2400 is to burn well in 38 Special it has to be higher than the 18k psi limit. Then we're talking about a +P+ or more...
A faster powder will work a lot better in 38's.


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## gwpercle (Jun 8, 2018)

Now you learning. 2400 for magnum loads , Unique for 38 special & mid range and Bullseye for target.
For years I tried to get Unique to do it all ...but it just couldn't compete with 2400 for magnum and Bullseye for Target loads.

2400 can't do it all either..... you got to diversify !

Gary


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

I never liked 2400 in the 357, something about it just didn't seem right to me. Back when H110 and Win 296 were actually different powders I was a 296 guy. 
These days if I want real magnum loads in the 357 it'll be H110. Hodgdon makes both H110 and 296 now (and claims both are the same) so I see no need to have Winchester on the label.

Now for 44 magnum loads 2400 really shines... You can load it up MAX or back off some and it's still happy. H110, not so much.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

I determined long ago that 2400 didn't burn well in 357 at less than warm loadings. Powder chunks in the bore told the story.


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