Whatever happened to Alcan powders?

[Alstep]

What boolit/bullet weight for each of them...

Speer #9 has data...

Good-luck...BCB

148 & 158 grain in 38 Special & 357 Mag revolver.
200 grain in 45 ACP for a 1911.
All cast boolits.

[BCB]

148 & 158 grain in 38 Special & 357 Mag revolver.
200 grain in 45 ACP for a 1911.
All cast boolits.

I'll try to attach a couple of pdf files I scanned...

No data for the 45 acp--probably too slow for it...

You'll probably need Adobe to open the fills...

Good-luck...

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

AL-7 is very similar to Blue dot in burn rate.

I wouldn't use either powder for light weight for caliber boolits.

158gr in 357M should be a good match, IMHO.

[Echo]

Dupe, you dope!

[RayinNH]

AL-7 is very similar to Blue dot in burn rate.

I wouldn't use either powder for light weight for caliber boolits.

158gr in 357M should be a good match, IMHO.

I bought some Al-8 from Jeff Bartlett in 2000. He suggested using Bluedot data for starting loads. I loved it in the .45 Colt cartridge. It always left some unburned powder, easily spotted when shooting over snow. It also has a sweet smell to it when burned unlike Trail Boss which smells like stale urine.

I'm using up a brick of Alcan Maxfire primers I purchased at a gunshow about six years ago for $9.00. These are the large rifle size.

[Alstep]

I'll try to attach a couple of pdf files I scanned...

No data for the 45 acp--probably too slow for it...

You'll probably need Adobe to open the fills...

Good-luck...

Thank you BCB. Appreciate the info.

[Elkins45]

My old Sierra loading manual purchased back in 1980 has quite a bit of data for the Alcan powders. I will be happy to look something up for anybody who asks.

i have discovered that 7.5 grains of AL-8 is a good load for subsonic 300 BLK with 200 grain cast bullets. It reliably cycles a suppressed 10" AR with a pistol gas system. When I use up my jug of AL-8 I think the next experiment will be with 800X.

[gcouger]

If I remember right its a compressed load in 357 and it may be fill it full it almost full and compress the load. That was 30 or more years ago from memory. I liked the load because it couldn't be overloaded enough to hurt.

GC

[BaconStrips]

Here is an Alcan load manual from 1966 if anyone is interested. It is 23 pages. The last page has a few loads for 38sp and 357.
Half the page is gone with what was the 45acp data if I remember correctly.

www.castpics.net/LoadData/OM/Alcan.pdf

[44man]

I used a lot af Alcan powders in shotshells, also a lot of Herter's stuff, old original Jack Pine Savage stuff from George. His catalogs were nothing but fun with decent stuff at good prices.
I still have some of the long range uncut shotshell one piece plastic wads. Still using the forged knife and have butchered every deer with it.

[rogn]

Just doing some research on Alcan and stumbled on this. My experience w AL7 has been very good. Ive used it in the past for 20a and 12 ga duck loads-alas no more. Now Ive been slowly going thru a 3#r using it in 357, 45 Colt, 40S&W, 7mm WSM, 300WSM, and yes 375 Ruger. Runs clean in all of them and accuracy is very good. The 375 is the best, an unsized 255r 38/55 Lee bulet soaked in Lee lox stuff will approximate the old cartridge and tends to stay <MOA at 100 for 3 shots. I can't decide whether to burn it up, or just meter it out slowly. With cast bullet loads it has been very satisfactory.

[MW3840]

Many mule deer, whitetail and even 1 antelope, fell in Montana during the 70's and 80's, when hit with a 240 gr. Speer HP in front of 22.5 grs. of AL-8 out of my Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag. That AL-8 gave a recorded 1512 fps. I absolutely loved that powder and will rue the day when I finally run out.

[Newtire]

I've heard that it's close to Blue Dot but don't think I'd put 22.5 grains of Blue Dot into a .44 mag. I'm using 20.5 Blue Dot and a 260 gr.(by wt.) cast boolit for 1700fps + in a .444 Marlin. Don't think I'd try that in a .44 magnum even if it would fit.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Wilmar gunshow last weekend, there was a guy with several 8 oz (sealed) cans of Alcan...some were AL-5, and AL-7, and a couple AL-8. all priced at $20 each. I offered him less, and I appeared to offend him...Oh well

[Newtire]

I picked up some AL-8 & loaded it into some 20 gauge shells. Wound up plugging up my 1100 trigger group real bad. Shot up the rest in .44 peestola loads.

[Tedbytes]

I was rereading some old manuals from Lyman and they mentioned Alcan 8 powder. I remember using this in my youth but what happened to that line and what is a close equivalent?
Happy New Year to all!
Gerry
MI

I was privileged as a dealer to have accumulated quite a large stockpile of both AL 5 and AL 8 powder from a distressed supplier forty years ago. I still own about 13 pounds total of these fine Swedish manufactured powders as distributed by Smith and Wesson thru their Alton,Illinois facility. I still use both in 38,357 and many pistol applications. They are what are called " square lamuel" shaped powders and are extremely clean burning. Standard primers are used in all my loads from 9mm through 44 Magnum with Al-8 being the preferred magnum powder. There is no known shelf life for these powders to my knowledge. Six grains of AL-5 with a 158 LHP police defense load works well in J frame thru K and L frame SW and Colt revolvers. Metering is not as bad as 800X or other large flake powders. There were other Alcan powders as well to include their AL 120 and AL 7 which I never had the honor to use. Don't knock these oldies,there were and are still "goodies". Ted

[RG1911]

AL-7 was my powder of choice for 9mm with a 124-gr cast truncated cone. I wish it were still available. I haven't reloaded 9mm for some years, but am thinking about starting again. (Now where is that mold?)

Richard

[Frank V]

I have a partial 8lb canister of AL7, I found data for it in the Speer #8 (Stagecoach) manual. I reduced the starting loads the old Speer manual was pretty aggresive with loads & am happy with it in the .45 Colt.

It also had data for AL5,7, & 8, for the .38 Special. I really like the old Speer #8 for reference, I think everyone should have one. Now & then they can be found at gun shows.

[10 ga]

In early 60s I got my 1st reloading "kit". Lee loader for 12 ga shotgun. Only used those Alcan powders for a long time. Used AL 7 and AL 8. Loaded everything from 1 oz dove shells to 1.5 oz baby mags. I remember in 65 when I gave some baby mags to my cousin, When the 1st flight of black ducks came in looked like those shells burned them ducks out of the sky, LOL, we killed a bunch that day. those Al powders dippered out just fine. Now know they were kinda dirty but compared to the old Canuk shells us kids could buy they were better than "Blue Peters". Yeah, I miss the old days but like the new powders. wish I could find some Blue Dot, my #10 guns are getting kinda hungry for big shells. 10