Alliant has Suspended Powder Production

[Pete Lester]

A press release on the Powder Valley FB page.

Powder Valley
6h ·

FYI – we have just received the following message from Vista Outdoors (the parent company of Alliant Powders):
“Due to the worldwide shortage of nitrocellulose, the Vista Outdoor supply agreement for the sale of Alliant Powder canisters has been suspended for an unknown period. At this time, we have no timeline for the fulfillment and will be canceling outstanding Alliant orders in our system.
Representatives will provide updates and coordinate new orders based on availability.”
We have heard mixed messages from various powder suppliers about the availability of nitrocellulose, and therefore powder, over the past several months. This is one Manufacturer’s analysis of the situation. We are posting this so you can have all the information we have and draw whatever conclusions are right for you.

[Craig Larter]

Translation "we can sell our Nitrocellulose feed stock to governments for way more money than to the hobbyist reloader" Alliant and parent Vista are not our friends IMOP.

[Pete Lester]

It will be interesting to see if the information about the Alliant production being suspended is confirmed by other sources, especially by Alliant or Vista. I think there is a potential buyout of Vista in the works which might have something to do with it that was not mentioned in Powder Valley post on FB. In the meantime Alliant powders have become unobtanium again.

[Mike Koneski]

Once again it proves the point we've been saying since the Plandemic was foist upon us, "Buy it when you see it."

[Pete Lester]

Once again it proves the point we've been saying since the Plandemic was foist upon us, "Buy it when you see it."

....... and buy now what you plan to use many years in the future.

[Mike Koneski]

I actually have E3 coming my way so I'll be good with that powder.

[Jim McKee]

Pete,
is this all smokeless powders or just the Alliant brand?

[Pete Lester]

Pete,
is this all smokeless powders or just the Alliant brand?

I only know what I posted, which is Alliant is supposedly ceasing production/distribution of their powders for reloading. As yet I haven't heard of any other company doing similar but I believe they are all having difficulty putting their product on store shelves this Spring. If this is true it will cause a greater demand for Hodgdon and other powders.

Mike is right, if you see some powder you know you can and will use, it's probably a good idea to buy it. It lasts a long time and you can always sell your surplus down the road.

[Daryl Corona]

I've got enough Nitro 100NF to last quite a while for my 12ga. loads. Now just have to score more 20 and 28ga powder. Loved 20/28 but that is hard to find and super expensive.

[Mike Koneski]

Pete, my Magic 8-Ball says big price increases for the remaining available powders and probably factory ammo too.

[Frank Srebro]

I actually have E3 coming my way so I'll be good with that powder.

Alliant E3 has long been my favorite powder for light to medium 12 gauge loads. Super clean burning even with a somewhat lesser charge than shown in the lightest loading as per Alliant's chart. Unfortunately its price had gone crazy. Four years ago 8 pounders were $179. at the PA State Trap Shoot. Last week about $375. when/if you could find it.

Sad news indeed from Alliant, the successor of the famous Hercules Powder Company. :banghead:

[Larry Stauch]

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist guy, but they (Da Gvmnt) know they can't touch the second amendment, but if you can't get supplies for reloading or ammo (or afford the ammo) to shoot your guns it's the same thing as getting rid of the second amendment. Just a work around on the constitution. Someday we're going to find out what's going on here, for real. You're telling me that there are companies that are willing to walk away from a market with an insatiable demand for a product with few competitors. That's just not the free market system or America. This is ALL B*%llS$%t!! :knowbetter:

[Mike Koneski]

I'm with you 100% Larry.

[Frank Srebro]

As I understand it, Alliant powders are mainly made at the Radford VA and St Marks FL government facilities that are OPERATED by General Dynamics, a different company. Production for Alliant is reportedly done in spare time - so to speak - when the government and GD demands are met. It sounds like a complicated business arrangement, and government needs for powders have now been ramped up. No doubt military small arms ammo production has increased. And I've read recently that 155mm artillery shells that are now in very high demand and low in inventory use >10 pounds of propellent powder per shell. Sure, artillery shells use a much different propellent than sporting powders, but almost all modern powders are largely based on nitrocellulose. Nearby my home is the Scranton PA Army artillery shell facility that makes 155mm unloaded projectiles, and I've read in the Scranton paper how the facility has moved to 24/7 operation, balls to the wall. The projectiles are then shipped to be filled and assembled elsewhere into loaded shells. In net, all that NC has to come from somewhere and I’d guess that cannister sporting powders are the first to get squeezed out. Is it any wonder that Alliant as kind of a third party has suspended sales? Gents, all this is just my analysis.

Incidentally, I also understand that Hodgdon same as Alliant doesn't manufacture any powders and most of its powders are imported. Might be good to check your crystal ball for the future.

[CraigThompson]

Hmmmm I have a bunch of Unique and Green Dot I was contemplating to liquidate ! Perhaps it’ll just stay on my shelf .

[Dean Romig]

Same with most all ammo suppliers. In a recent conversation with Morris, this is the same obstacle RST is up against.





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[Craig Larter]

I wish I understood why the Italian and Turkish ammunition manufacturers seem to have no supply issues.

[Pete Lester]

In about 4 years time I have watched not only availability drastically shrink but the following inflation for components by my quick calculations; primer price increased 100%, powder 115%, wads 40% and lead shot 55%.

I believe this is the third significant powder shortage and the longest in duration.

I now better appreciate the term inflation risk when it was used in retirement planning, what was theoretical is now reality. Inflation was pretty much dormant throughout my working career. I graduated from college and entered the workforce during the high inflation of the 1970's and now it's here we go again in retirement.

[Tom Jay]

Damn the US government for sending all those munitions to Ukraine and Israel. It put us shooters in the proverbial pickle jar.

[Pete Lester]

Here is an excellent article by Tom Roster regarding the powder shortage, the information on Cheddite primers is also good.

https://shootingsportsman.com/primer-misinformation-and-powder-shortages/

[Frank Srebro]

A NY Times article dated Wednesday of this week reported that the Pentagon is moving to increase 155 mm artillery shell production from about 36,000 shells/month at present to 100,000/month by the end of 2025. William A LaPlante the Pentagon's top acquisition official reported along with his Army counterpart in the NYT interview that a new projectile plant is now under construction by General Dynamics in Mesquite TX with a capacity of 30,000 shells/mo and with a 10 month startup timeline, and an Ohio based firm called IMT will make up the difference toward that 100,000/mo target. Article went on to say that all those projectiles are then loaded with charges at a WW2 era Gov't facility in Iowa, and with a second partial startup underway of a closed plant in Kansas. General Dynamics is also building a new shell charging plant in Arkansas. The 100,000 shell/mo target represents a tenfold increase in production over just a few years ago, and LaPlante went on to say the US has provided more than 3 million 155 mm artillery shells to the Ukraine since its war began in February 2022.

Back to the gunpowder used as a propellent, I've read various estimates of 15-20 pounds of powder per 155 mm shell. Of course that's a much different powder than shotgun powders but they're all based largely on nitrocellulose. Recently nitrocellulose had been reported in short supply and Alliant had suspended powder production - which actually was being done in "spare time" at the two US making facilities being operated by General Dynamics. Now with this ~ threefold increase in 155 mm shell production, it remains to be seen what effect it will have on reloading powders and even loaded shotshells by the familiar makers. Net, my take for many of us is: buy what you want while you can.

[scott kittredge]

Here is an excellent article by Tom Roster regarding the powder shortage, the information on Cheddite primers is also good.

https://shootingsportsman.com/primer-misinformation-and-powder-shortages/

if i am reading the primer story the cx2000 red sealer is = to a win 209??

[Dean Romig]

***groan*** is there possibly a good side to any of this…?

It appears NOT.





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[Pete Lester]

if i am reading the primer story the cx2000 red sealer is = to a win 209??

Close to Win 209 in bigger bores, pressure increase as much as 2000 psi in small bores has been reported. I have seen it reported a few times with testing data. This is one example. https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/alliant-20-28-test-data-using-cheddite-primer.543531/?post_id=4652073#post-4652073

[Pete Lester]

***groan*** is there possibly a good side to any of this…?

It appears NOT.

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I agree with you and wonder what the situation for both powder and ammo will be a year from now. It does not appear to be headed in a good direction for supply or price at this time.

[CraigThompson]

I agree with you and wonder what the situation for both powder and ammo will be a year from now. It does not appear to be headed in a good direction for supply or price at this time.

While I may sound like The Gloom this stuff has been getting worse and worse since the Obamite was in . And countless people have always said it'll get better . Personally I've never seen where it ever got any better or even resumed as it was before . I truely believe this stuff will NEVER get better and progressively become worse .

[Pete Lester]

Back to the gunpowder used as a propellent, I've read various estimates of 15-20 pounds of powder per 155 mm shell. Of course that's a much different powder than shotgun powders but they're all based largely on nitrocellulose. Recently nitrocellulose had been reported in short supply and Alliant had suspended powder production - which actually was being done in "spare time" at the two US making facilities being operated by General Dynamics. Now with this ~ threefold increase in 155 mm shell production, it remains to be seen what effect it will have on reloading powders and even loaded shotshells by the familiar makers. Net, my take for many of us is: buy what you want while you can.

Add to this the amount of nitrocellulose the Russian Army has and is consuming on the other side of the war that is no longer available in world markets for sporting use.