Alliant Pistol/Shotshell
Alliant Sport Pistol
A competition handgun powder built for precision and action shooting disciplines, with reliable semi-auto cycling and good case fill.
A competition pistol powder that did one thing better than its rivals: it was formulated not to attack polymer coatings at the bullet base, which is why the coated-bullet action shooting crowd adopted it wholesale. It meters exceptionally well, burns clean, flashes little and holds velocity across temperature — everything a minor-power-factor load run through a progressive by the thousand needs. The problem is not the powder but the supply: users describe it as discontinued or indefinitely unavailable and are rationing what they have. The substitutes people name behave similarly for them, which is an impression rather than an equivalence — new load development is still required.
- USPSA minor 9mm
- coated-bullet pistol loads
- action pistol competition
- .45 ACP target loads
Who has Alliant Sport Pistol today
Checked October 10In stock at 1 store — lowest in hand $62.68/lb (8 lb at Graf & Sons)
| Store | Size | Shelf | In hand /lb | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 8 lb | $463.99 | $62.68 | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 4 lb | $248.99 | $71.61 | In stock ↗ |
| Graf & Sons$23.50 hazmat per package | 1 lb | $68.99 | $106.44 | In stock ↗ |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 4 lb | $129.99 | $40.36 est. | Out |
| Lohman ArmsHazmat charged, amount not published | 8 lb | $305.95 | $42.17 est. | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 8 lb | $377.99 | $53.11 | Out |
| Bruno Shooters Supply$26.95 hazmat + $19.95 ship | 4 lb | $201.99 | $62.22 | 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 |
| Temperature stable | Yes — claimed by the manufacturer |
| Flash suppressant | Yes |
| Burn-rate position | 17 of 198 (fastest = 1) — what this means |
| Typical cartridges | 9mm Luger, .45 ACP, .40 S&W |
Grain shape
Fine cut flake with a flow-friendly surface treatment, which is why it drops so consistently through a progressive measure compared with the older coarse flakes. Degressive flake burn puts the gas out early — right for a light bullet in a short barrel, and thin on margin above a correct charge.
Why geometry decides burn rate more than chemistry does: Shape Is the Product.
Alliant states it is optimised for polymer-coated bullets, noting that comparable powders can dissolve the coating at the bullet base during ignition. Also claims outstanding temperature stability and low muzzle flash.
Burn rate
Fast pistol burn speed; sits between American Select and Green Dot.
Chart agreement: DISAGREEMENT — Alliant's own Reloader's Guide orders American Select FASTER than Sport Pistol; this list, following the Hodgdon spine, reverses that pair. 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:
- Alliant Clay Dot (position 14)
- Hodgdon Hi-Skor 700-X (position 15)
- Alliant Bullseye (position 16)
- Hodgdon High Gun (position 18)
- Hodgdon Titegroup (position 19)
- Alliant American Select (position 20)
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.
Sport Pistol had a loyal competition following for its metering and cleanliness, and the threads about it in 2025-2026 are essentially eulogies — users working through their last supply and asking what to move to.
- reported to meter very well
- liked for coated/plated bullets and competition minor loads
- conversation is dominated by users planning around its absence
Availability: Users describe it as discontinued or indefinitely unavailable, consistent with the broader Alliant supply situation. People report rationing remaining stock.
Reported cautions:
- Users report N320 as behaving similarly for them, but this is a user impression across cartridges, not an equivalence — new load development is still required.
Consensus level: commonly held. Drawn from thread 1.
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.