Alcan 7

Among the other stuff I got when we cleared out my folks and moved them to an assisted living place is a big keg of Alcan #7. I've been shooting up another keg he had of Alcan #5 which I have been using Red Dot data for and it's been OK, pretty good actually in .38 Special and .45 Colt.

This Alcan 7 has more loading data in my old manuals than did the Alcan 5. Seemed like good stuff in magnum hand gun loads, seems to burn slower than Unique but faster than Blue Dot.

I loaded up some today using some gas checked 158 grain SWCs and 9 grains of this Alcan #7 in a Blackhawk I have that has given mediocre accuracy with most things I've tried in it. Today's groupings were the best I've ever gotten from it. This is the first time using this powder. Fortunately, I have a lot of it, but when it's gone, it's gone. Anyone used Alcan #7 before? It was apparently designed for heavy field loads in the 12 gauge, but I have a Lyman shotgun manual from he '70s and there is very little data in it for the Alcan powders.

Tried to backout after reading you had 'older' manuals.
Old sierra was what I was going to suggest to others wondering.

You are right about the burn rate, its between Unique and Blue Dot. Its good stuff, just doesn't meter quite as well as I would have liked for it to but it gave good velocities in 44 mag with 250 swc boolits and 357 mag as well. Keep it cool and dark in low humidity and it'll last a loooong time. I believe the Speer #9 manual has data for it. I also used Alcan #8 in my 44 mag and the velocities were really fast, but it is slower burning than #7. Fortunate for you, it's good stuff, enjoy.

Yeah, it seems to be good in the .357. At least there was a decent amount of data for it, the AL-5 data was scarce.

Attachment 201200Maybe this will help. This burn rate chart features some old powders like Alcan AL 7 that are no longer manufactured. Might need to magnify it, I had to print it and enlarge.

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Originally Posted by murf205

Attachment 201200Maybe this will help. This burn rate chart features some old powders like Alcan AL 7 that are no longer manufactured. Might need to magnify it, I had to print it and enlarge.

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The file is only about 9 K bites. When increased in size it can not be read. I would like a copy. Please re post with more pixels.

Thanks for mentioning Speer #9. As it turns out, I had it on the shelf (I pick up old manuals when I find them cheap enough at gun shows). I've had that manual for years, but it was never a "go-to" manual. After thumbing through it, I'm not sure why. Lots of good data in there and they have some for cast designs they didn't sell.

I think I have my go to powder for the .357 Magnum for a while. Haven't loaded any .44 Magnum in a long time, but looks like it'll be good for that too. Looking at this Speer manual, it seems it'll do anything velocity wise that 2400 will.

Back in the 70's I used a lot of AL-7 in 357 Magnum, both revolver and carbine.

Another good one is AL-8 down to my last can.

Attachment 201346AL-8 was the hot stuff in the 70's. I shot a bunch of it with 240 gr hp bullets. Made a big hit on snowshoe rabbits in Alaska my first trip. (Those snowshoes are pretty tuff to eat). I head shot a few with an 8 3/8" 29 S&W when I had 1976 eyes! Here is the chart at 150% enlarged, if I go larger on my scanner, it gets off the page. I found this at Castpics burn rate of common powders.

Back in the late '60s AL-7 was our favorite 20 gauge powder. We also used AL-8 for the 1 1/8 oz. loads.

In the 90's I lucked up & bought the remaining stock of AL-5, AL-7 & AL-8 from a rural gun shop @ $2.50/can (1/2 lb.). I have more experience with the AL-8 which was great with heavy bullets in the .357 Mag. Unfortunately the AL-8 is gone now, but I have about 1200 loaded rounds.

My Lyman Pistol & Revolver Handbook (8th printing 1/92) shows AL-7 loads for .38 Spec., .45ACP & .45 Colt. If you're interested in any, let me know.

Henry

we used a lot of al-7 in .30 carbine rifle loads.

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Originally Posted by richhodg66

Among the other stuff I got when we cleared out my folks and moved them to an assisted living place is a big keg of Alcan #7. I've been shooting up another keg he had of Alcan #5 which I have been using Red Dot data for and it's been OK, pretty good actually in .38 Special and .45 Colt.

This Alcan 7 has more loading data in my old manuals than did the Alcan 5. Seemed like good stuff in magnum hand gun loads, seems to burn slower than Unique but faster than Blue Dot.

I loaded up some today using some gas checked 158 grain SWCs and 9 grains of this Alcan #7 in a Blackhawk I have that has given mediocre accuracy with most things I've tried in it. Today's groupings were the best I've ever gotten from it. This is the first time using this powder. Fortunately, I have a lot of it, but when it's gone, it's gone. Anyone used Alcan #7 before? It was apparently designed for heavy field loads in the 12 gauge, but I have a Lyman shotgun manual from he '70s and there is very little data in it for the Alcan powders.

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I was just doing some extrapolating of AL7 data for 41 Mag, just last month.
http://www.artfulbullet.com/index.ph...nd-41mag.2726/
I haven't gotten back to that project, but I will when time allows.

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Originally Posted by bob208

we used a lot of al-7 in .30 carbine rifle loads.

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I did too, back in the late '60s with Speer 100 gr plinkers and the 311410.

I didn't buy Speer's #9,after some experience with data in their #8 Edition( that's the manual that later ownership ,post Statute of Limitations time limit,acknowledged that various published Maximum loads were "extrapolations" rather than actual firing results...If you happen to be able to compare data in their #10 Vs allsamee in # 8,i suspect. "bemused" will apply...!!! I'd surmise that 6.0 gr Of unique or 12.0 gr. of 2400 under a 158 bullet would be tough on the mechanics of a K-frame S&W...!!!Onceabull