Vihtavuori Pistol
Vihtavuori 3N38
Built for high-velocity competition handgun loads, particularly IPSC/USPSA Major power factor work in 9mm and .40 S&W.
The slowest handgun powder Vihtavuori lists, and effectively 3N37 with a heavier deterrent treatment. It exists for one thing: making Major power factor in 9mm and .40 S&W Open guns with as much gas as possible reaching the comp, cleanly. It fills the case well, which is a real benefit at these pressures, and it burns very clean. In a stock gun with a light load it is simply a waste.
- 9mm Major Open
- .40 S&W Major
- comped 10mm Auto
Who has Vihtavuori 3N38 today
Checked October 11In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $60.86/lb (4 lb at Graf & Sons)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 4 lb | $205.99 | $60.86 | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $61.99 | $99.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 4 lb | $187.99 | $58.72 | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $55.99 | $102.89 | 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 →
Official Vihtavuori load data →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Vihtavuori |
|---|---|
| Product family | Vihtavuori Pistol |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | pistol |
| Grain form | extruded |
| Lee VMD (bulk density) | 0.0883 cc per grain · 0.73 g/cc |
| Composition | single-base |
| Burn-rate position | 54 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 9mm Luger, 40 S&W, 10mm Auto, 357 Magnum, 460 S&W Magnum, 500 S&W Magnum |
Grain shape
The same small tubular grains as 3N37 with a slower surface treatment, so the geometry is identical and the coating does the work. Neutral-burning tube, meaning pressure builds progressively rather than spiking early, which is what you want when you are asking a 9mm case for everything it has.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Same very small tubular grain geometry as 3N37 with a slower surface treatment. Vihtavuori emphasises clean burning.
Burn rate
The slowest handgun powder on Vihtavuori's burn rate chart, sitting just ahead of the rifle powders.
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:
- Ramshot Silhouette (position 51)
- Vihtavuori 3N37 (position 52)
- Vihtavuori N350 (position 53)
- Winchester 572 (position 55)
- Shooters World Major Pistol (position 56)
- Alliant Blue Dot (position 57)
Sources
The specifications above come from Vihtavuori'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.