CFE Pistol

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Last Post 11 December 2023

Standard Member

Qc Pistolero posted this 08 December 2023

One of my friend told me that the additive added in CFE Pistol powder so as to remove copper fouling might be causing rust.Anybody has any info about that?

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CBA Member

Bud Hyett posted this 09 December 2023

I was intrigued and looked it up. From the Hodgdon website:

This spherical pistol propellant was designed for competitive shooters and handloaders seeking the perfect powder for target or self-defense loads. CFE Pistol contains our Copper Fouling Eraser ingredient, originally used in military propellant, which greatly deters copper fouling and contributes to longer periods of top accuracy with less barrel cleaning time. CFE Pistol provides optimum performance in cartridges like the 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 40 S&W, the 45 ACP and many more.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Match Director

linoww posted this 09 December 2023

I use it quite often in plainbase loads in 30-06 7.5x55 38-55 ,32-40 and 308.Its very uniform and not position sensitive at all.In the 30-06 with 10-11g standard deviation is often single digit.Ive used it for about 4 years and haven't has rust issues and I'm not one to clean my cast bullet barrels often.

I believe the magic copper eraser is bismuth

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

fa38 posted this 09 December 2023

It also goes through my Redding pistol measure chamber better than anything else like 231 or Win 540.

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Standard Member

JeffinNZ posted this 09 December 2023

I believe the magic copper eraser is bismuth

Bismuth is correct. I was listening to the Hornady podcast and their former cheif ballistician, Dave Emery, was talking powders and comfirmed bismuth is the CFE difference.

Cheers from New Zealand

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Standard Member

Qc Pistolero posted this 10 December 2023

Thanks guys,I'll steer my friend on the right trail.He must have gotten his specks of rust from something else.

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CBA Member

Eutectic posted this 10 December 2023

Copper fouling "erasers" have been around for a long time. They all work the same way, another metal is included in the powder or shell which will alloy with copper. The alloy has a lower melting point or is brittle and is blown out of the bore. The British included a strip of tin foil (real tin not aluminum) in large bore ammunition.

Maybe bismuth is more effective. Like tin it is non-toxic, a definite requirement.

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RicinYakima posted this 10 December 2023

In the 1920's Frankfort Arsenal loaded tin plated bullets for the NM ammo. While it worked well if shot the same season, it would "solder" itself to the case neck in about a year. While the double heat treat Springfields would not blow up, it bulged a lot of barrels, split stocks and blew out floor plates.

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Match Director

linoww posted this 10 December 2023

"Frankfort" ?

"if it was easy we'd let women do it" don't tell my wife I said that!

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CBA Member

RicinYakima posted this 10 December 2023

Stupid spell check! "Frankford", the one right ourside of Phillie.

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CBA Member

Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 11 December 2023

i was reading on the internet that Russia is .... disappointed .... with the artillery ammo they are getting from North Korea ... poor quality ..

one of the deficiencies is that some of the powder charges does not contain the 6 feet or so of lead wire ... used as a lubricant to cut down copper fouling in the arty barrels.

even has a pic of a broken down shell with the lead wire lying in a pile of powder ... ..

they guess that the missing lead wire was stolen by desperate employees at the People's Ammo Commune ...

i guess reloading component shortage is a world wide problem ...