Hodgdon CFE
Hodgdon CFE Pistol
A competition and defensive-load handgun powder for the common centrefire pistol cartridges.
A medium-burn ball powder that is at its best behind heavier 9mm bullets and in major-power-factor work, where its slower burn makes power with less snap than the fast target powders. It meters superbly on a progressive and it is easy to load in volume. The standing complaint is fouling — the copper-eraser chemistry leaves black residue, and it is worse the softer you load it, because this powder wants to be run in the upper part of its range to burn efficiently. Not a temperature-stable powder, so a competition load worked up in one season should be rechecked in another.
- heavy-bullet 9mm
- 9mm major
- 40 S&W
- 45 ACP practice ammo
Who has Hodgdon CFE Pistol today
Checked October 10In stock at 3 stores — lowest in hand $47.18/lb (8 lb at Hodgdon (direct))
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 8 lb | $345.99 | $47.18 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $341.99 | $47.43 | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $43.95 | $75.39 est. | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $45.99 | $83.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $315.93 | $43.42 est. | Out |
| Hodgdon (direct)Terms not published | 1 lb | $48.99 | $80.43 est. | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $40.99 | $87.89 | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Hodgdon |
|---|---|
| Product family | Hodgdon CFE |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | pistol |
| Grain form | spherical |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0754 cc per grain · 0.86 g/cc |
| Composition | double-base |
| Temperature stable | Not marketed as temperature-stable |
| Burn-rate position | 49 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 40 S&W, 45 ACP |
Grain shape
Spherical and degressive — it meters like water through a progressive and delivers its energy early in bullet travel. Being slower than the flake target powders it occupies more case volume, which makes a double charge in a 9mm case far easier to spot than with a dense fast powder.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Carries the Copper Fouling Eraser additive, which Hodgdon says reduces copper fouling and extends the interval between cleanings. Spherical granules meter consistently on progressive presses.
Burn rate
Medium pistol, just slower than HS-6, near Winchester AutoComp and Ramshot True Blue.
Chart agreement: consistent across the three charts that list it Ranked by: Hodgdon, Vihtavuori, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Accurate No. 5 (position 46)
- Hodgdon HS-6 (position 47)
- Winchester AutoComp (position 48)
- Ramshot True Blue (position 50)
- Ramshot Silhouette (position 51)
- Vihtavuori 3N37 (position 52)
What reloaders say about it
Unverified community anecdote. The following is a summary of what handloaders report in public forums. It is not manufacturer information, it has not been tested, it may be wrong, and it contains no load data by design. Treat it as colour, not guidance.
CFE Pistol has real users who are happy with it, particularly for heavier 9mm bullets, but it carries the same community reputation as its rifle sibling: the copper-eraser chemistry is widely blamed for dirty burning and black fouling.
- reported dirty-burning, attributed to the copper-fouling additive
- satisfied users report good results with heavier 9mm bullets
- at least one thread specifically about not getting it to burn efficiently
Availability: Generally treated as available.
Consensus level: commonly mentioned. Drawn from thread 1, thread 2.
Sources
The specifications above come from Hodgdon's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.