Opinions on Alliant Power Pistol

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Webleymkv

New member
As I'm sure most here are acutely aware, the price and availability of powder (and other reloading components) is less than ideal as of late and, while I still have a decent supply of powders, I'm thinking long-term as I don't see prices coming down anytime soon. Historically, my go-to handgun powders have been 2400 for .357, .41, and .44 Magnum, Blue Dot for 10mm, and Unique for about everything else but, when I can find those three, they're going for $50+ per pound. I recently came across a really good deal ($26 per pound) on Power Pistol, but I'd have to buy an 8 pound jug to get it at that price. Looking through various load manuals, it seems like there's power pistol data available for a wide variety of cartridges. I currently load .32 Auto, .32 S&W Long, .380 Auto, .38 S&W, 9x19, .38 Special, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto, .44 Special, .44 Magnum and .45 Auto and could potentially add .25 Auto, 7.62x25 Tokarev, and .357 Sig in the future. From what I've been able to tell, power pistol should be useable in most of what I load or might load from .380 Auto up though it probably won't give velocities in the Magnum revolvers like 2400 does. Has anyone had experience with Power Pistol in the above-mentioned calibers and if so, what are your thoughts about it? The Price is very attractive, but I don't want to buy an 8 pound jug just to find out that it's only useful for a narrow niche.
 
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Power Pistol is flashy.
BE-86 is flash suppressed PP, that actually gained fps.
I would buy 8 lbs. of BE-86. As it, is I bought a second pound.
I would NOT buy 8 lbs. of PP. I still have most of the one pound I bought.
8 lbs. of pistol powder loads VERY MANY rounds, as in 8,500+.
 
I love Power Pistol, and if I could find it for that price I'd jump on it.

I use it for midrange loads in .357 mag and .44 mag, and it performs wonderfully. I also use it for 10mm and .45 auto +p loads.

Some people don't like it because it doesn't have flash suppressant and can make a larger fireball than some other powders. I don't find it any more objectionable, and certainly not nearly as showy as 2400 or H110/296.

When I had my chronograph, Power Pistol gave some of the best ES and SD numbers I've ever seen.

It's definitely one of those powders I will always have on hand as long as it's available. I don't think you'll be disappointed with it.
 
I love Power Pistol, and if I could find it for that price I'd jump on it.
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Same here! Where is this awesome deal?!?

I use it for 32 H&R Mag, 327 Mag, 357 Mag, 10mm, and finally 45acp. It works great for what I do.
 
Buy it.

It is not really what you want for range / plinking ammo for most guns, but will give top end velocities in a good may cartridges.
 
I also love Power Pistol and I’ve used quite a load of it over the last 12-15 years. For someone who has never used it, the first thing I would point out is how they marketed Power Pistol when it was new:

This stuff was designed to be high energy, lotsa gas, meant specifically for loading potent ammo in race guns with compensators.

To that end, it is flashy and in my experience, it is “boomy.” Perhaps this is my own made-up term, but I can tell you that when you load it a little over book in .38 Special (and launch them from .357 guns), it makes a noise that has a character distinctly different than both .38 and .357. I know this because I run it under 125gr jacketed with the light accessory 10-pound spring in my Coonan, gives me around 1,050 fps and just makes the pistol sing.

Also have burned many pounds in .40cal and 10mm loads.

It’s in the medium burn rate area, but it’s not your best choice for “sedate.”
 
Originally posted by [BMarco Califo][/B]
Power Pistol is flashy.
BE-86 is flash suppressed PP, that actually gained fps.
I would buy 8 lbs. of BE-86. As it, is I bought a second pound.
I would NOT buy 8 lbs. of PP. I still have most of the one pound I bought.
8 lbs. of pistol powder loads VERY MANY rounds, as in 8,500+
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Besides muzzle flash, did you have any other reason for not liking it? As I mentioned before, I've loaded a lot of 2400 and Blue Dot (as well as a fair amount of Winchester 296) so a bit of fireworks isn't something I'm unaccustomed to nor would it be a deal breaker. I've heard good things about BE-86 and I'd be interested to try it, but its running over twice the price per pound that I can get Power Pistol for.
 
OK, so I went back intending to buy a jug of Power Pistol today and, unfortunately, it wasn't as good a deal as I originally thought. While most of the other powders on the shelf next to it were in 8 lb jugs (and I'd assumed the Power Pistol was too), the Power Pistol was a 4 lb jug which brings the cost per lb up to $52 rather than the $26 I originally thought. At $52/lb, it's not worth it to me to work up new loads when I have others that I'm satisfied with.
 
I've never tried PP but it sounds like AA#7 which was designed for 9mm smg ammo and worked well in other high pressure auto pistol applications. #7 is flashy especially in the larger 40 S&W with light for caliber bullets like the 135s. I could get fire balls at dusk out of my Browning Hi Power like it was a 357 mag :)

I think your decision should come down to:

1. How long will 8 pounds last you?
2. Will it load cartridges efficiently that you shoot often?
3. Is there any chance to get a keg of more versatile powder at a similar price?
4. Can you safely store the powder long term?

I have some powder that is more than 25 years old and it is still fine.

PP should work very well in 9mm luger, 38 super, 40 S&W and 10mm. It may need higher pressures to be consistent than 380, 38 special and 45 acp can safely generate. It may work well in your magnum revolvers depending on load density but should be ideal for the Tokarev and 357 Sig rounds. I've seen 8 pound kegs of powder priced over $400 in the last few years and 1 pound cans in the $40s.
 
I have been using Power Pistol since the big shortage of 2013. I needed an intermediate burn rate propellant and it was available. So I grabbed it.

That desperation buy turned out to be one heck of a blessing in disguise.

Like Bullseye (it is a derivative of Bullseye, and was originally named "BE-84," if memory serves), it is very high energy, ignites easily, burns consistently, and can be "turned down," to a reasonable degree.

For full-throttle semi-auto ammo, it's really tough to beat and I buy it by the 4# container. For magnum revolvers, it comes up a little short pushing the heavies. But it is my go-to for 125 grainers (357). For 158's n such, 2400 and slower is the way to go - especially with longer barreled revolvers.

Right now, my LGS is swimming in Power Pistol. Evidently, Alliant has recently produced a large batch of it.

As for the flash, it doesn't seem much more flashy to me than others (HS-6, Unique, for example). When you run Power Pistol to higher pressures, it doesn't seem flashy at all to me. But then, I don't shoot at night, so this is just one guy's casual observation.

I have since been working with BE-86 - Power Pistol's flash-suppressed younger brother. BE-86 has thoroughly impressed me too. And its use is digging into the things I have been commonly loading with Power Pistol. BTW, I have loaded BE-86 where it was flashy, so I don't know that there's a lot of difference there. Probably some, I suppose.

Anyway, I like BE-86 a lot too. Some years back, an Alliant representative here on TFL was talking about BE-86 and said it is just a tick faster than Power Pistol "on the order of Unique" I believe he stated. But I have also seen burn rate charts where it shows BE-86 slower than Power Pistol. To me, BE-86 seems a little faster than Power Pistol, but that could easily be a case of "confirmation bias" on my part - I expect BE-86 to be faster (based on the Alliant rep's statement), so it is in my mind. I honestly don't know for sure.

To sum up: Yes, I am a big fan of Power Pistol. It makes bullets go fast :p

I'm a big fan of Alliant propellants for pistol all the way around. I could easily load everything I need using nothing but Alliant products. Bullseye, BE-86, Power Pistol, 2400, and 300-MP would cover my entire spectrum of loadings.
 
I usually list "flashiness" as a negative when I give my opinion on PP. But I learned to use the flash picture in nighttime shooting, and PP in my 45acp loads lit up the target nicely (maybe a bit too much).
The flash isn't much of a distraction during the day. Btw, HS6 is worse than Power Pistol.

IMO, PP's positives far outweigh it's negatives. If Alliant was a bigger producer such that PP was more readily available, I would use it.
 
Well, if anyone needs Power Pistol and is willing to pay $208 for a 4 lb jug of it, the name of the store was Brian's Surplus in Greentown, IN.

https://brianssurplus.com/

While not always the lowest price place to get ammo and reloading components, this store is about the best stocked I've found and often has things in stock when no one else does.
 
Better recalculate if it's a 4# jug at that price! That's about $50 a pound! Not $25!!! Midway has 231 8 pound jugs in stock for about $35 a pound plus the shipping fees. At $50 per pound it's not a deal and you should not be in a hurry to buy.
 
Originally posted by rc
Better recalculate if it's a 4# jug at that price! That's about $50 a pound! Not $25!!! Midway has 231 8 pound jugs in stock for about $35 a pound plus the shipping fees. At $50 per pound it's not a deal and you should not be in a hurry to buy.
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Yeah, I figured that out, see post #8 above
 
FYI, At Natchez this sale has been going for a few days and they still have it in stock:

Alliant Smokeless BE-86 Powder for Handguns 8lbs

$229.99

SAVE $186.00
 
Hahaha, I really should have picked up on this.

Why? Because for some crazy and completely unexplained reason… Alliant has never offered Power Pistol in an 8-pound container.

1’s or 4’s. Never an 8. No clue why this is, but it’s always been this way.
 
PP is my go to powder for 9mm and .40. I’ve tried alternatives because it is flashy. AA5 was a lot cleaner. But PP is just so accurate and reliable I did buy a 8# keg and resigned myself to the flash. It’s worth it.

Now that most powders cost as much as VV powders, that might be a brand to try. They often are available too. Not sure which VV powder compares in that medium speed range.
 
But PP is just so accurate and reliable I did buy a 8# keg and resigned myself to the flash.
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Are you certain?

I’ve been through many pounds of this stuff and they’ve never offered it in an 8-pounder since I’ve been buying it. I’ll admit I first bought the stuff around 2000 or maybe 2001.
 
I really like power pistol. Makes good stout loads. Has a lot of muzzle blast and generally large bright yellow fireballs. Produces great velocity. Used it in 9mm, 38spl, 357 mag, 44spl, 44mag. Tends to not play well with lead bullets.
 
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