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Johnch
02-15-2007, 09:43 PM
I talked to a old freind ( he is bumping 95 ) tonight , he got me into shooting , many moons ago .
He is moving to a retirement comunity and is cleaning out his house , or maybe his wife is final throwing him out :drinks:
He wants me to have all his old reloading stuff , since non of his kids or grand kids shoot

Haven't seen it yeat , so I don't even know if it is still good .
But he claims to have 10 lb of Alcan 5 , 15 lb of Alcan 7 and 2 jugs ?? of Alcan 9

Any clue what where they fall on a burn rate ??

I rember they were shotgun powders from the 50s or 60s

If they are any good , I figure I will have enough to plink for a while

Johnch

RayinNH
02-15-2007, 10:38 PM
John, they're listed on this burn rate chart. That is Alcan 5-7, no #9, are you sure it's not Alcan 8?...Ray

http://home.hiwaay.net/%7Estargate/powder/powder.htm

454PB
02-15-2007, 10:41 PM
WoW!

If it was stored properly, what a great gift. I looked here http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html

and it's not even listed. Too old I guess. My memory agrees with yours, it believe was shotgun/pistol powder I saw for sale into the early 80's. Seems like it was package in square cardboard cans, at least in the one pounders.

I look in some of my very old references tomorrow to see if there is any information.

RayinNH
02-15-2007, 10:55 PM
John, the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #3 has load data for Alcan 5,7 and 8 in the handgun section...Ray

Johnch
02-16-2007, 06:26 PM
Thanks , I will look at the info later
I picked it up today .
It looks and smells good .

It was Alcan #8

Not only did he have close to 40 lb of Alcan powders , he had 30+ lb of asorted other powders

I will have to make another trip to haul all the old shotgun wads , hulls , shot bullets , brass and other stuff home .

I am donating his old RCBS press and all the other things needed to load to a freinds son that is just getting into reloading


Johnch

ELFEGO BACA
02-19-2007, 08:04 PM
Old reloading manuals may be a source of reloading info. A dozen years or so ago I came across an 'old' fellow that had some Alcan powder and about 2000 rifle primers. I got data from an old rcbs manual. The primers all worked even though they were packaged in wooden trays:)

Obsolete
02-20-2007, 12:28 AM
I have a Feb 1964 printing of the Speer #6 reloading book that shows data.They listed data on the following :

.256 Win rifle with 60 grainers.(AL-8 Data )
.30 M1 Carbine with 100 grainers.( AL-7 Data )
.44 Magnum / Ruger Rifle with 225 and 240 grainers.( AL - 8 Data )
.22 Remington Jet with 40 and 45 grainers.( AL-8 Data )
.256 Win pistol with 60 grainers.( AL-8 Data )
.38 Special with 146 Grain Jacketed.( AL- 5 and AL-8 Data )
.357 Magnum with 146 and 160 grain jacketed.( AL - 5 and AL-8 Data )
.44 Magnum 225 and 240 Grainers ( AL-8 Data )

The rifle data shows 3 loads Starting / Mid / and Max with muzzle vel and 200 yard vel.Some of the pistol data shows Muzzle vel and 100 yard vel and others show muzzle vel and pressure data.... This book also shows shotgun data also.

Let me know if you would like any of the load data.....

Ricochet
02-20-2007, 11:42 AM
I noticed last night that my old Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook that I think I bought in 1972 lists AL-7 and AL-8 in the magnum revolver cartridges.

Coastie
02-23-2007, 12:18 AM
John, if you can find some 1960's reloading manuals - most of them will have some information on the Alcan powders. Back when we could hunt with lead shot I loaded 12 gauge 2 3/4 in 1 1/4 oz shot and 31 grains of SR 7625 / AL-5 and AL-7 are each listed at 32 grains in the same section with "similar", but a bit less velocity and pressure. I also loaded 12 gauge 3 in with 1 5/8 oz with 32 grains of SR4756 / AL-8 is listed in the same section at very close velocity and pressure. I have loaded 44 Rem Mag and a 245 grain cast bullet with AL-8 using the starting load for Blue Dot. It worked fine - made nice holes in paper, but I have not done any real work or study with that load. Pacific Tool's Reloading Manual (1967) lists loads for the 357 Mag and the 44 Rem Mag. Lyman's 1973 Cast Bullet Handbook also lists loads for the 44 Mag using AL-7 & AL-8. I am also interested in "uses" for AL-8 as I still have about 7lbs of it.

Hud
03-02-2007, 03:29 PM
Anyone have any info on the old Herter's powders. I'm looking for info on the 164 powder made in Scotland. Thanks in advance.

HUD

BerdanIII
03-29-2007, 12:44 PM
Google "Herter's 164 powder" and you will find a thread on the Practical Machinist site. Maybe you can get the poster to email you a copy of the data.

Hud
03-30-2007, 03:19 PM
Berdan III

Thanks, I will give that a try.

Hud

uscra112
03-30-2007, 05:49 PM
Safety note, hopefully unnecessary - make sure you give that old powder the sniff tests. If it still smells like ether/alcohol, it's good. If the smell is the least bit acrid, it's deteriorating and needs to be disposed of. Unlikely, as by 1980 the makers had figured out how to be 100% sure none of the nitrating acids were left in, but the consequences are dire if you got a bad canister.

ace1001
04-01-2007, 08:34 PM
I've been wondering where I will store all my reloading stuff at the nursing home:)

Ricochet
04-01-2007, 09:15 PM
Even when all of the acids are thoroughly removed or neutralized, nitrocellulose is inherently unstable. As it decomposes and releases oxides of nitrogen or nitric and nitrous acids, those catalyze more rapid decomposition. That's why scavenging compounds like diphenylamine are put in powders. (And why the chalk was in the Ball powder that fouled up the M16s in the mid '60s.) They scarf up the nitrogen oxides or acids. When the scavengers are gone, the powder starts decomposing increasingly rapidly. It evolves heat, which further accelerates the decomposition. If there's enough bulk of powder and the heat can't escape, it can heat up till it spontaneously ignites. There have been a bunch of major fires and explosions of powder depots and several battleships due to this over the years. I've read that under worst-case conditions, the amount of powder in a 20mm cartridge could do this, so we with our cans and jugs of powder should monitor them. The main thing that prolongs the life of powder is to keep it cool.

(A similar autoignition phenomenon with brown powder is believed to have caused the explosion of the Maine in Havana Bay that was blamed on the Spanish, leading to the Spanish-American War.)

Johnch
04-01-2007, 10:23 PM
So far so good
All the Alcan powder has worked

I have found more than enough load data thanks to you guys

I have loaded 45 ACP , 38 spec and 44 mag ( plinking loads )
I have fired the 38 spec in the DW 15 and 44 mag loads thru my H&R handie rifle

I am going to try working up some rifle loads later

I did find a 2+ lb left of Red Dot in a 4 or 5 lb jug that smelled bad
So it was used on the yard

I just wished he would have had some rifle powder

I found 3 empty card board kegs from 4895 in his basment
Not sure how many lb they each held
About the size of a 30 gallon barrels

To bad , I am down to my last 8 lb of 4895 and no one seems to have any


Johnch

felix
04-01-2007, 10:39 PM
The Alcan powders were ahead of their time in deterrents. They probably are the best for the lowest flash from snubbies, so keep some around for that purpose if you are into that sort of thing. I think it was #5 that took first place, and by a long shot at that, in some magazine test back in the old days. ... felix