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Thread: Blue Dot Powder Warning

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  1. #1
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    Blue Dot Powder Warning

    A member from another board I frequent received this today from his wholesaler -- just thought I'd pass it along here. Sorry for the poor image quality, I just copied the scan he posted.


  2. #2
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    What?!!? Blue Dot should not be used in the .41 Magnum cartridge (all bullet weights) - how did that come about?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer59
    What?!!? Blue Dot should not be used in the .41 Magnum cartridge (all bullet weights) - how did that come about?
    They're probably cautioning about using it in maximum or near maximum loadings...but I'd check with Alliant just to be sure.

    Blue Dot holds the distinction of being the only powder that I've used to destroy a revolver with a manual recommended load...and I cut it a half-grain below the listed maximum. Oddly, the load was fine when I loaded and fired the rounds in the summer...and turned on me when I shot from the same lot in January. The caliber was .357 Magnum...and the bullet was the Speer 140-grain JHP...fired in a 4-inch Colt Python. This happened 25 years ago.

    I haven't used Blue Dot in anything at maximum loadings. It's worked very well in .41 Magnum with 10.5 grains with a 210-grain cast bullet for about 1050 fps.
    Last edited by 1911Tuner; 27th July 2008 at 18:48.


  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1911Tuner
    Blue Dot holds the distinction of being the only powder that I've used to destroy a revolver with a manual recommended load...and I cut it a half-grain below the listed maximum. Oddly, the load was fine when I loaded and fired the rounds in the summer...and turned on me when I shot from the same lot in January.
    Your cautionary tale jogged my memory - back in the late 1970's (so this shouldn't pertain to current lots of BD) one winter I loaded up a batch of 12 ga. short magnums using Blue Dot. Had great fun with them bagging cottontails, no pressure signs at all. One summer a few years later a friend wanted to shoot grey rock, so I grabbed all the loaded shotgun ammo I had before heading out with him. When I got down to the short magnums, the first round caused my Winchester Model 12 pump shotgun to auto-eject! Needless to say, all the remaining magnum shells were unloaded and disposed of without firing them. Funny that the seasons were reversed between the two incidents...

  5. #5
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    Wonder what I should do with the three boxes of 357 - 125jhp loaded with max load of Blue Dot in 1986? Dig a deep hole?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by forestranger
    Wonder what I should do with the three boxes of 357 - 125jhp loaded with max load of Blue Dot in 1986? Dig a deep hole?
    Cut off 10 grains.

    Bob
    NRA Life Member since '67

    "Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."
    Napoleon

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1911Tuner

    Blue Dot holds the distinction of being the only powder that I've used to destroy a revolver with a manual recommended load...and I cut it a half-grain below the listed maximum.... The caliber was .357 Magnum...and the bullet was the Speer 140-grain JHP...fired in a 4-inch Colt Python. This happened 25 years ago.
    Very interesting, just over 25 years ago I was also happily loading Blue Dot in a .357 Magnum 4" Colt Trooper Mk III with the Speer 140 grain JHP, IIRC 13.5 grains. I also used it in a Ruger 4" Security-Six with 125 grain Sierra JHC - I think that one was 14.7 grains. Both loads were nearly maximum. They were my first two handguns and the loads were real bell-ringers, but very accurate.

    Here's a funny one. Go to the Alliant website and look that their .pdf loading manual. Under .357 Magnum it has Blue Dot loads for 110, 140 and 158 gr bullets, but nothing for 125 grain. Really odd - bullets on either side of that weight are fine, but specifically 125 is bad?

  8. #8
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    I called Alliant about my Blue Dot loads in 357 and 41 magnum.
    I spoke with one of their engineers. I told him I had bunch of stuff loaded up in both calibers that was about ten years old. He seemed to be more interested in the 41 magnum. He requested I send him a sample of the loads and he would pressure test them for me. He asked me to include my name, telephone number and address, which I did. He would send results of the testing to me. This was about 4 or 5 months ago. Have not heard squat from him. Real good service.
    NRA Benefactor

  9. #9
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    maybe he tested your loads and that is why you have not heard from him.

    you should try calling him back. it would be intresting to find out the actual results.

  10. #10
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    Took your advice and called back. Finally got a call back.
    They tested the loads I sent, they were way over pressure.
    I gave him the numbers on my two canister's of Blue Dot.
    He said dispose of them and told me how to do it.
    I will now have to pull all my 357 and 41 loads with Blue Dot and dispose of them. Will never use Blue Dot again for anything.
    NRA Benefactor

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