Alliant Power Pistol

Specifications

Alliant markets it as consistent, economical and accurate, with moderate pistol cartridges as a secondary use.

Burn rate

Slower than BE-86, faster than Herco - a high-performance semi-auto pistol speed.

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, Shooters World, 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 WinClean 244 (position 35)
• Alliant Unique (position 36)
• Hodgdon Universal (position 37)
• Shooters World Ultimate Pistol (position 39)
• Vihtavuori N330 (position 40)
• Alliant Herco (position 41)

What reloaders say about it

Unverified community anecdote. The following is a summary of what handloaders report in public forums. It is not manufacturer information, it has not been tested, it may be wrong, and it contains no load data by design. Treat it as colour, not guidance.

Power Pistol's defining community trait is muzzle flash. Users post video of visible daylight fireballs and describe it as a flamethrower load, while simultaneously reporting excellent accuracy and strong velocity. It is generally described as happier in larger, higher-pressure handgun cartridges than in light 9mm loads.

• dramatic muzzle flash, visible in daylight
• reported as smoky
• well regarded for accuracy and velocity despite the flash
• several users argue it suits magnum and larger-capacity handgun cartridges better than light 9mm loads

Availability: Described as intermittently available; one user reports it reappearing after a long absence at a price they considered high.

Reported cautions:

• Not a good candidate where low flash signature matters (low-light defensive use, indoor ranges) based on repeated user reports.

Consensus level: widely held. Drawn from thread 1, thread 2, thread 3.

Sources

• Alliant product page
• alliantpowder.com/products/handgun.aspx
• alliantpowder.com/resources/catalog/AP399_2023AlliantPowderReloadersGuide_Sing

Other Alliant powders

• Alliant 20/28
• Alliant 2400
• Alliant 410
• Alliant AR-Comp
• Alliant American Select
• Alliant BE-86
• Alliant Blue Dot
• Alliant Bullseye

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Verify the charge, not just the recipe

Good data gets you a safe starting point. It does not tell you what actually went into the case on stroke 340 — a bridged measure, a double charge, a squib. That is what an RCM Laser Powder Check is for.