I decided to make BE-86 my "one powder to rule them all" handgun powder. I've used it in .38 Special, 9x19 and .45 ACP so far. So far I'm pretty pleased with it. This is what I've got to this point.

.38 Special: I wanted a practice load for my S&W M642. It needed to be warmish; my carry load is the Golden Sabre 125-grain +P which runs 941 fps from this gun. I decided to try the max standard pressure load (5.4 grains) under a 125-grain RNFP. Using Fed 100 primers and brass from Federal factory wadcutter ammo, it came in at 833 fps/SD 15 for five rounds. Changing the brass to once-fired nickled R-P +P bumped the velocity to 854 fps/SD 14. It's warmish and matches the POI of the GS. 100 rounds at a range session is doable.

9x19: I had three different bullets to try - 125-grain Blue Bullets, 128-grain Missouri Bullets coated SWCs and 124-grain RMR FMJs. I wanted to get ~1100 fps with this bullet weight to be sorta close to the 124-grain +P HST that is my carry load. I admit that I messed up here by assuming the rounds would chronograph about 100 fps slower than the data since it usually does. I again went with the max standard pressure data, using my P99C with its 3.5" barrel. Using nickled R-P brass, the Blue Bullets over 5.7 grains went 1152 fps/SD 12, the SWCs over 5.4 grains went 1132 fps/SD 14 (dropped the load due to deeper seating)...and the RMR 124s went 1160 fps/SD 17. For context, that's about what Winchester NATO-spec hardball runs from that gun. I went back to the bench and tried again with 5.5 grains and got 1103 fps/SD 7 from the P99C and 1121 fps/SD 11 from the PX4 and decided that was close enough. I also dropped the SWC load to 5.2 grains but haven't chronographed it yet. There was no leading with either the Blue Bullets or the coated SWCs. The SWCs fed flawlessly from both guns and make pretty holes in the targets. They're like mini-H&G 68s.

.45 ACP: I've standardized on 230-grain bullets in this caliber and wanted a load that would work in all four of my .45s - M&P full size, M&P mid-size, Colt Commander with a BarSto barrel, and S&W M22-4 revolver. Bullets were the standard coated 230-grain RNL just about everyone offers; I got mine from Brazos Bullets. I used the BarSto barrel to set the overall length, which resulted in the driving bands being almost entirely inside the case. I used the M&P mid-size to chrono the loads.

I had switched the 550 from small primer to large and the powder measure was still set at 5.2 grains from the 9x19 SWCs, so I left it there and then loaded some at 5.7 and 6.0 grains (max for a 230 RNL is 6.2 grains). I used mixed brass and Fed 150 primers. My goal was a hardball-equivalent load, so about 800 fps. 5.2 grains gave 699 fps/SD 17, there was a bad reading in the 5.7-grain string but the average was about 770 fps, and the 6-grain load ran 825 fps/SD 19. I've loaded some more at 5.9 grains but haven't chronoed them yet.

I like the powder. I got it as a replacement for Unique and it fills that role well. It's noticeably faster than Unique, about halfway between Unique and 231. It burns cleanly and plays well with coated bullets. My eyes are past the point where I can shoot tight groups off a bench, but the accuracy seems on a par with other powders and factory ammo.