Alliant Pistol/Shotshell
Alliant BE-86
A general-purpose centerfire pistol powder with an ideal burn speed for a wide array of handgun loads. Alliant singles out 9mm and .40 S&W.
The modern general-purpose auto pistol powder in Alliant's line and the most useful new thing they have done for handgun loaders in years. It is fast-pistol chemistry moved slower with flow additives and a flash suppressant, so it fills a 9mm or .40 case better than the target powders, meters cleanly on a progressive, and does not throw the fireball Power Pistol is famous for. It is energetic — the top of its range deserves respect — and it is not the cleanest thing made at very light target charges. As a single powder covering 9mm, .40 and .45 from practice to full-power loads, it is hard to beat.
- 9mm Luger duty and practice
- .40 S&W
- 10mm Auto mid-range
- .45 ACP
Who has Alliant BE-86 today
Checked October 10In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $89.44/lb (1 lb at Graf & Sons)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $51.99 | $89.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $305.95 | $42.17 est. | Out |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $347.99 | $48.18 | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $385.99 | $54.11 | Out |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 1 lb | $40.95 | $72.39 est. | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 1 lb | $55.99 | $102.89 | Out |
“In hand” is the shelf price plus that store’s hazmat fee and shipping, spread over one container. Stock is checked once a day — confirm on the store’s page before ordering. Compare all powders →
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Alliant |
|---|---|
| Product family | Alliant Pistol/Shotshell |
| Status | Currently produced |
| Application | pistol |
| Grain form | flake |
| Flash suppressant | Yes |
| Burn-rate position | 45 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 9mm Luger, .40 S&W, .45 ACP |
Grain shape
An extruded flake with a surface treatment aimed at flow, which is why it drops through a progressive measure far better than the older coarse flakes do. Flake geometry is degressive: gas production peaks early and falls off, suiting short auto pistol barrels and light bullets, and leaving little margin above a full charge.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Alliant describes it as a special extruded flake formulation with improved flow, high energy, good lot-to-lot consistency and reduced flash.
Burn rate
Just slower than Unique and slightly faster than Power Pistol.
Chart agreement: DISAGREEMENT — Alliant's own Reloader's Guide orders BE-86 FASTER than Power Pistol and Herco; this list, following the Hodgdon spine, orders them the other way. Ranked here per the Hodgdon chart used as this list's spine. Ranked by: Hodgdon, Alliant, Wolfe/LoadData.
Powders charted near it — neighbours on the chart are not substitutes, and adjacency tells you nothing about what charge either one takes:
- Winchester Super Field (WSF) (position 42)
- Shooters World Auto Pistol (position 43)
- Vihtavuori N340 (position 44)
- Accurate No. 5 (position 46)
- Hodgdon HS-6 (position 47)
- Winchester AutoComp (position 48)
Sources
The specifications above come from Alliant's own published documentation, linked below. The two “RCM's read” sections are ours, not theirs — our assessment of what this powder is like to load, drawn from its published characteristics and from what handloaders consistently report. No manufacturer endorses them and no source below backs them. If you think we have one wrong, tell us — we would rather fix it.