Vihtavuori Pistol
Vihtavuori 3N38
Built for high-velocity competition handgun loads, particularly IPSC/USPSA Major power factor work in 9mm and .40 S&W.
Official Vihtavuori load data →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Vihtavuori |
|---|---|
| Product family | Vihtavuori Pistol |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | pistol |
| Grain form | extruded |
| 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 |
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
Other Vihtavuori powders
Verify the charge, not just the recipe
Good data gets you a safe starting point. It does not tell you what actually went into the case on stroke 340 — a bridged measure, a double charge, a squib. That is what an RCM Laser Powder Check is for.