Pistol Powders: Which Ones Are You Seeing ?

[Pointshoot]

Hi guys. I'm seeing lots of primers and a decent supply of rifle powder in some of the local gunshops. Last week I found a 1lb can of Titegroup and a few 1lb cans of Trail Boss. But, I'm still not seeing much pistol powder anywhere.
Are you seeing pistol powder on the shelves in your area ? If so, what type ?
Thanks.

 

[Jim Watson]

A friend had the choice of CFE Pistol or AA#5 a couple of weeks ago.
He bought the CFE, loaded some different charges and chronographed them to find an equivalent to his regular load of W231.

 

[bmnloader]

I saw some CFE pistol last week on the net but nothing local.

 

[Potatohead]

None in my neck of the woods.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I haven't seen any handgun powders for a very long time and the only rifle powders I've seen are for the very heavy magnums or the 50 BMG. The one exception was last week at Cabela's there was a handful of IMR4895 bottles on the shelf and 2X 8lb jugs of IMR4350. (@$199.99 each)

 

[LiveLife]

Local stores were all out of pistol powders except 700x/800x. At the last gun show, I was near the front of the line when the show opened and I rushed to the only vendor selling powders and saw ONE bottle of Unique and some AA #2. As I held the bottle of Unique and couple bottles of RL15 (yes, it exists), I saw the long line that formed behind me and I think the guy behind me had tears in his eyes as he stared at the bottle of Unique in my hand.

Since I had enough W231/HP-38/Red Dot/Promo and other rifle powders, I let the other guys in line have the Unique and RL15.

Perhaps PIF karma kicked in but as I was walking around not seeing much of interest, I spotted two bottles of Accurate 1680 that I was hoping to locate for testing .300 BLK along with W296/H4198 I have on hand.

 

[hpops]

Hodgdon CFE

I went into a local Indianapolis store that specializes in reloading and asked if they had any powder. They said sure. How about some HP 38? When he stopped laughing he told me that he hadn't seen any of that or Win 231, Unique, or Bullseye in a year. They did have some of Hodgdon's new CFE powder so I bought a pound to try out. Supposed to meter well and be very versatile. Will be looking for some feedback on THR to see what people think about it.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

We had two cases of power pistol show up and 1 case of Red Dot in the same week. I got two pounds of the power pistol and left all the Red Dot for someone else.

That is the only pistol powder I've seen in a year except for last week when an 8lb jug of 4227 appeared on the jug shelf. Rifle powders are no problem and are there by the 8lb jug, not the pound.

I have forgotten what Unique even looks like. Titegroup is a distant memory as is Universal. It's a good thing I can use Power Pistol for about any handgun cartridge I load or I would have ran out. I still have 6 lbs of it.

The shelves are still all empty around here.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Here is what is available from one supplier Saturday here in Houston.

ACCURATE

2700 - 1's & 8's
2200 - 1's
2460 - 1's

ALLIANT

AR Comp - 1's
Herco - 1's
2400 - 1's
RL7 - 1's
RL 10X - 1's
RL 15 - 1's
RL 17 - 1's & 5's
RL 19 - 5's
RL 22 - 1's
Herco - 1's
2400 - 1's
Power Pro 1200R - 1's & 8's
Power Pro 2000MR - 1's

HODGDON

Benchmark - 1's
CFE223 - 1's
CFE Pistol - 1's
Titegroup - 1's
H335 - 1's & 8's
H1000 - 1's & 8's
BL-C2 - 1's & 8's
H380 - 1's
H4831 - 1's
H4350 - 1's
H414 - 1's
H4895 - 1's

IMR

4895 - 8's
SR7625 - 1's
4320 - 1's
4350 - 1's
8202XBR - 1's
4831 - 1's
4064 - 1's
3031 - 1's
7828 - 1's
Hi-Skor 800X - 1's
SR7625 - 1's
4227 - 1's
SR 4759 - 1's & 8's

RAMSHOT

Tac - 1's
X-Terminator - 1's

WINCHESTER

AutoComp - 1's
760 - 1's

 

[NWcityguy2]

Locally I am seeing all of the Accurate line, Bullseye and the IMR powders that can be used for pistols. But only in 1 pound containers. The only 8 pounders I see shotgun powders that occasionally get used for pistol. Clays and Clay Dot to be exact.

 

[kcofohio]

What I saw today was a sole can of 700x, several of Power Pistol, some Pro 300MP, and 1 lb. of Blue Dot.

 

[1911Teacher]

WST, green dot, red dot were seen locally last week in 1 lb containers.

 

[Pointshoot]

I'm seeing rifle powders such as IMR4064 and H1000 which I use - so I've been getting that. But it sounds like luck was with me in finding a couple pounds of the pistol powders. I was hoping it was showing up in other regions of the country and might eventually come our way in the Pacific NW.

Unlike a year ago it seems the pistol powders are showing up in a few places, ( before the recent 2 lb find I hadn't seen any pistol powders since Dec 2012). But its still real thin out there. I've even found a little bit of 22LR a few times and they were selling it for only a little over $3 for a box of 50. Limited to three per customer, but I appreciate that they weren't gouging people. It went very quickly.

 

[billybob44]

I was there Sat. also...

http://www.profiresupply.com/
^^^ Is this the store??

Great shop for reloaders in the Indy area..Actually Andrew had more pistol powder there on Sat. than I have seen in awhile....Bill.

 

[MightyMO1911]

Pistol powder? . What is this that you speak of?

 

[al123]

Pistol powders seem to come in batches. Last few months you would see Bullseye, Longshot, IMRPB etc. sequentially available.

Recently Titegroup (lasted only a few days with different stores) followed by CFE Pistol.

9 months ago HP-38 was available for a narrow window. Then poof!

My local store often has magnum pistol powders like H110 and W296. But Unique and HP38/W231 disappears rapidly if they appear.

 

[ARJJ]

I received an 8 lb. jug of AutoComp from a March backorder from Grafs a couple weeks ago. At about the same time I saw AutoComp on gunbot from Cabelas, along with 800X, Titegroup, and 231.

I recently grabbed an 8 pounder of Promo locally, and I have 3 or 4 pounds of Unique I got from PV a few months back.

Same store I got the Promo from has an 8 pounder each of SR4756 and Green Dot for sale.

 

[dpollard]

I just got 9 pounds of VV N320.

 

[HOWARD J]

We have had some rifle powder but no pistol powder for over a year

 

[antiquus]

Go up to Williams Gun Sight in Flint, Howard. Besides awesome sights, the best gun store in the state and a great range, they always have some powder. I was buying Unique and Remington primers there this time last year for standard pricing.

 

[musicman10_1]

I just bought a pound of IMR4895 and a pound of H335 yesterday. $32/lb but since I have not seen powder in any variety that I use in such a long time I went ahead and made a purchase.

 

[Drop45]

HOWARD, I go to Bullets and Barrels in Richland Mi. a few times a year (1.5 hour drive for me) and they normally have a good supply. They should be around your neck of the woods.

 

[horseman1]

Rare bird, that pistol powder. If I didn't have some left over from previous purchases, I would figure people are pulling my leg that it was ever on store shelves at all.

When I go to our local Sportsman's Warehouse on my quest for the Dodo bird, they have rows and rows of empty canisters as a display. They mock me on the way to the gun counter, where they have a hand written list of powders that they actually have available in the back, where I cant see. The empty 8lb jug of Winchester 231 is particularly abusive to me on my way by.

The list usually includes three or four powders. One of them is usually for a 50 caliber machine gun and sometimes there is some stuff that sounds like it was named after an ancient African warrior.

Neither of these will work in my pistols.

Once in a while, I see something I can use in my rifles, and I ask the powder baron behind the counter to go get me a can of his finest. He goes back there and returns with my purchase. I think the ark of the covenant is hidden back there as well. Couldn't say for sure.

 

[klcmschlesinger]

Few here and there, Southern Illinois

I got 2 pounds of CFE the other day and just got 2 pounds of 800X today. Everyone around here just lets you get 2 pounds at a time, which is cool with me. I am not hoarding, just getting what I use.

 

[Potatohead]

I saw Power Pistol 1lbers at Recobs today.