W231 is a

smokeless powder Finnish smokeless powderSmokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to gunpowder ("black powder"). The combustion products are mainly gaseous, compared to a ...

manufactured by General Dynamics at the St. Marks plant in Florida. It is packaged, distributed, and marketed by

Hodgdon Powder Company The Hodgdon Powder Company began in 1952 as B.E. Hodgdon, Inc., and has become a major distributor of smokeless powder for the ammunition industry, as well as for individuals who load their own ammunition by hand. The company's corporate office ...

and marketed under the

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

trade name. Hodgdon licensed the Winchester brand in January 2006, assuming all packaging and support responsibilities.Winchester Powders licences
/ref> Prior to this Winchester brand powders were manufactured by the Olin Corporation. W231 is commonly used in

metallic cartridge A cartridge or a round is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile (bullet, shot, or slug), a propellant substance (usually either smokeless powder or black powder) and an ignition device (primer) within a metallic, ...

reloading and handloading. It is used primarily for pistol cartridges. While the product label states "ball" powder, W231 is a flattened-ball powder.

References

External links

W231 Product Information
http://www.gd-ots.com/commercial_powder.html * http://www.wwpowder.com/history.html Firearm propellants Ammunition {{ammo-stub