Alliant American Select Shotshell Powder 4 lbs

Alliant American Select Shotshell Powder is an American-made product designed specifically for 12-gauge target loads. The power is extremely clean and smokeless, creating outstanding patterns. Compared to other powders on the market, this one produces less recoil.

To ensure optimal quality, the company follows strict guidelines for quality control, including constantly checking the shape and size of the grain, overall density, and even composition of the chemical. This powder is also ballistics tested in a laboratory setting so shooters enjoy greater accuracy and is backed by a company with more than 100 years in the business. Alliant American Select Powder

Alliant American Select Powder – Alliant Powder

Alliant American Select is a type of shotshell powder produced by Alliant Powder, a well-known manufacturer of gunpowder and reloading components. American Select is specifically designed for shotshell reloading and is known for its clean–burning characteristics and consistent performance.

American Select powder is often used for reloading 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotshells, providing reliable performance in a wide range of loads. It is a versatile powder that can be used for both light target loads and heavier hunting loads, depending on the specific recipe and desired performance.

When using Alliant American Select or any other reloading components, it is essential to follow safe reloading practices and consult reliable reloading manuals for load data and guidelines. These manuals provide recommended powder charges, wad selections, and other important information to ensure safe and effective shotshell reloading. Alliant American Select Powder

Keep in mind that availability of specific powders can vary over time and by location. It is recommended to check with local firearms retailers, reloading supply stores, or online sources that specialize in reloading components to find Alliant American Select shotshell powder for sale.

American Select Powder 9mm – Alliant Powder

Alliant American Select powder is primarily known and used for shotgun reloading. It is not commonly used for reloading handgun cartridges like 9mm. Alliant American Select Shotshell Powder

When it comes to reloading 9mm ammunition, there are numerous powders available that are specifically formulated for handgun cartridges. These powders have burn rates and characteristics optimized for pistol calibers, including 9mm. Alliant American Select Powder

For load data and recommended powders for reloading 9mm, it is best to consult reliable reloading manuals such as those published by bullet and powder manufacturers or reputable reloading organizations. These manuals provide tested load data specific to 9mm, including recommended powders, bullet weights, and other important information. Alliant American Select Powder

Always follow safe reloading practices, use appropriate load data from reliable sources, and exercise caution when reloading ammunition. It’s important to ensure that you are using the correct powder and following proper reloading procedures to maintain safety and achieve desired performance.

What is the best powder for a 12-gauge shotgun?

There are many suitable powders available for reloading 12-gauge shotgun shells, and the best powder choice depends on factors such as the specific load requirements, desired performance, and personal preferences. Some popular powder options for reloading 12-gauge shotgun shells include:

1. Hodgdon Clays: Clays is a clean-burning, versatile powder that works well for light to moderate target loads, including clay shooting and casual plinking. Alliant American Select Shotshell Powder

2. Alliant Unique: Unique is a widely used powder known for its versatility and ability to deliver consistent performance across a range of loads, from light target loads to medium game loads.

3. Hodgdon Universal Clays: Universal Clays is another versatile powder suitable for a variety of 12-gauge loads, including target shooting, hunting, and self-defense.

4. Winchester 231/HP-38: These powders are often used for medium power loads in 12-gauge shotgun shells, providing good performance and metering characteristics.

5. IMR Red: IMR Red is a relatively new powder specifically designed for 12-gauge target loads. It offers clean-burning properties and consistent performance.

It’s important to note that the best powder choice can vary depending on the specific load recipe, intended application, and individual preferences. Always refer to reliable reloading manuals, consult powder manufacturers’ load data, and follow safe reloading practices to ensure proper powder selection and use. Alliant American Select Shotshell Powder

Additionally, keep in mind that powder availability may vary over time and by location. It is recommended to check with local firearms retailers, reloading supply stores, or online sources that specialize in reloading components to find the best powder options for your reloading needs.

What is gun powder?

Gunpowder, also known as black powder, is a type of explosive substance that has been used as a propellant in firearms for centuries. It is composed of three main components: sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (also known as saltpeter). The exact proportions of these ingredients can vary depending on the desired characteristics of the gunpowder.

The sulfur in gunpowder provides fuel for the combustion process. Charcoal, typically made from wood, acts as a source of carbon and aids in the burning process. Potassium nitrate is an oxidizing agent that provides oxygen to support the rapid combustion of the other components.

When gunpowder is ignited, it undergoes a chemical reaction called deflagration. This reaction produces a large volume of hot gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water vapor. The rapid expansion of these gases creates pressure, which propels a projectile (such as a bullet or a shot) out of a firearm’s barrel.

Alliant American Select Powder

Modern firearms typically use smokeless powders, which are more stable, predictable, and efficient than traditional gunpowder. Smokeless powders are composed of nitrocellulose or other nitro-based compounds. They provide a controlled and progressive burn rate, generating high pressures to propel projectiles while minimizing smoke and residue.

It’s important to note that the manufacturing, distribution, and use of gunpowder and other explosive substances are subject to strict regulations and safety precautions to prevent accidents, misuse, and unlawful activities. Proper storage, handling, and adherence to legal restrictions are crucial when dealing with any explosive materials.

how to make gun powder

Materials

• Instant cold pack
• Salt substitute
• Water
• Glass jars
• Coffee filters
• Scale that can measure grams
• Stove or hotplate

You might already have these chemicals in your cabinets or drawers.

Step 1Open Cold Pack

Cut off the top of your cold pack with scissors. Inside will be a packet of water surrounded by ammonium nitrate crystals. Only use packets clearly labeled as containing ammonium nitrate. Urea is a common substitute for ammonium nitrate in cold packs. Do not use urea.

Avoid cutting through the middle to keep from puncturing the bag of water inside.

Make sure your cold pack contains ammonium nitrate and not urea.

Cold packs demystified! It’s just a bag of water surrounded by ammonium nitrate crystals.

Step 2Weigh Your Chemicals

Using a digital scale, weigh out 40 grams of ammonium nitrate and 37 grams of salt substitute. If you are like me and do not own a scale, you can make a simple balance beam using a lighter as a fulcrum and a ruler as the beam. I taped some component drawers to the ruler equidistant from the center marking to ensure they would exert equal force. Do your best to center the ruler.

My salt substitute came in an 88.5 gram bottle. I poured half of the bottle on each side of the balance beam so that I had two equal measurements of 44.25 grams. I then dumped out one of these and replaced the salt with the ammonium nitrate until I had a total of 44.25 grams for both substances. This is close enough for our purposes. Any excess of either chemical will simply not dissolve into our solution. The experiment will not be noticeably affected.

Above, 44.25 grams of salt in each container.

Above, 44.25 grams of ammonium nitrate.

Step 3Dissolve Ammonium Nitrate in Water

Mix the measured ammonium nitrate into 100ml of water. If you don’t have a graduated cylinder, it’s easy to approximate using empty drink bottles. I filled a 500ml water bottle approximately 20% with water and used that. Stir the solution until the ammonium nitrate is completely dissolved. It’s okay if the water is cloudy, as long as there are no solid pieces.

The compulsive modernist urge to quantify and commodify means we can make lab instruments from trash.

Still cloudy, but it’s okay as long as none of the beads remain at the bottom.

Step 4Add Solution to Salt Substitute

Pour your ammonium nitrate solution through a coffee filter directly into a container of salt substitute. Glass is always the best container material. I used a glass Pepsi bottle and an oil funnel. If you can’t do it from junk, it’s not worth doing.

Remember to add the salt substitute before pouring in the solution.

Coffee filters get any unwanted solids out of the solution.

Step 5Dissolve the Salt

Gently heat, but do not boil, your mixture while continuously stirring. A few minutes is all it takes for the solution to become noticeably clear with no particles remaining. Alliant American Select Powder

It is best to avoid using cookware when performing chemistry experiments.

Everything is nice and dissolved!

Step 6Chill

Place your fully mixed solution in the freezer for anywhere between a half-hour and two hours. Crystals will form on the bottom of the container. These crystals are potassium nitrate or saltpeter, the key ingredient in gunpowder. This is also available commercially as stump remover from your local hardware store. It is cheaper to buy stump remover, but in an emergency, using the cold pack is infinitely more James Bond. Alliant American Select Powder

Place the container so that it will not tip over.

Crystals hiding beneath the liquid.

Step 7Crush Your Potassium Nitrate

Pour out the remaining liquid in the container without pouring out your crystals. Wait until the crystals have dried. Even though they look like rocks, in reality, they have the consistency of slush. Let the open container sit in a well-ventilated area. When dry, crush the crystals into a very fine powder. The chances of igniting the saltpeter are very low, but for safety’s sake, this is best done in a non-metal container.

This is what your crystals should look like when you pour out the liquid:

Step 8Add Sugar

Mix together one-part saltpeter with one-part powdered sugar. This will give you a crude form of gunpowder. Real gunpowder contains saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. However, this home recipe should be more than enough for all your pyromaniacal needs. Alliant American Select Powder

Saltpeter on the left, sugar on the right:

A well mixed flammable powder is a happy flammable powder.