ADI Pistol Powder - Get it while you can

[rc42]

Announcement on the ADI website:
http://www.adi-powders.com.au/2021/03/2 ... -update-5/

Key message is:
"we’ve now had to make the difficult decision to pause the development project for APS650 and cease attempting production of the existing APS350, APS450 and APS950 products for the foreseeable future"

Some stores still have supplies and may receive future ones if there are stockpiles at the factory or along the supply chain but it is likely that these powders will eventually disappear from shelves for a while. That will leave imported powders but we are likely surviving on existing stockpiles of those already, the above announcement mentions that if ADI ordered Canadian made AP70N now it wouldn't be here till 2023.

Rifle powders appear to be unaffected.

[wanneroo]

Ummm.... that can't be good.

However 8 pounds of pistol powder will go a long way, so stock up.

[Sarco]

I almost exclusive load for handgun, with the exception of some rifle calibres that I use in both (300BO, 22Hornet and 223Rem). I load 9mm, 38SPL, 357Mag, 40S&W, 44Mag and 45ACP.

Sadly and perhaps unfortunately, certainly in my experience, many handgun shooters typically buy small quantities of everything they need because they are either tight fisted or work on the principal "it is readily available".

That may have been OK in the past, but now buying powder in 500g containers, projectiles in 250 - 500 unit boxes and primers by the "perceived as expensive" 1000 lots, you get caught out.

Yes, I believe that I have all I need for quite a few years into the future, but when the opportunity arrives (if it does!), I will buy more.

[rc42]

Small quantities are OK from most pistol shooters, a hot load of APS350 in a 9mm round is about 3.5 grains which means over 2,000 reloads per 500g bottle.
It doesn't take much to have several years supply of powder, most of the reloaders at my club are still using their stockpiles of AP30/50/70 which haven't been available for a couple of years.

Primers are more of a concern, they are running short everywhere with no sign of re-stocking happening any time soon, the difficult question is how many to get now while they are still available, they're certainly not cheap when buying by the years worth.

Brass is still readily available in QLD and can be re-used many times so shouldn't be a problem and projectiles still seem to be easy to get hold of too.

[FNQ]

Madness

[No1_49er]

Madness

In the words of the "ranga", please explain.
Having read the ADI info' sheet and their explanation, how can this be perceived as "madness"????

[wanneroo]

Go ahead and prepare yourself with other powders. A lot of shot shell powders will work in 9mm and 45 ACP.

Back during the great shortage of 2013 when I started reloading, I went into the local gun store with sparse shelves and all they had was Unique powder. So for at least a year or so I was loading 9mm with Unique. A little dirtier than other powders but it works just fine. It doesn't meter as perfectly as other powders so I probably wouldn't push it to the max, but again it works fine for target shooting.

Power Pistol is another favorite of mine for loads for velocity. I hear Bullseye works well. If you can find Titegroup, that is a big favorite of mine.

[Bugman]

Agreed. Re-loaders will just have to diversify. I don't like losing my favourite powders, but if you want to still shoot, then......

[zhuk]

Madness

In the words of the "ranga", please explain.
Having read the ADI info' sheet and their explanation, how can this be perceived as "madness"????

Because this. So if its colder and wetter/more humid they can't manufacture powder - but Canada can? And they're utilising a water-borne transport system where humidity is a critical factor?

What this means is that when there is high humidity, or it is wetter and colder, it is not possible to make these propellants. This is the exact situation we found ourselves in when we were working towards the replacement for AP70N last year where we were unable to finish the project in the timeline we had hoped.

Due to the La Niña complex weather pattern we’ve been experiencing over the past few months, we’ve seen lower than average temperatures, increased precipitation and of course the humidity that accompanies it. This weather pattern has in its own right effected the volume of APS propellant we’ve been able to successfully manufacture.

Additionally, the infrastructure at the modernised Mulwala propellant facility utilises a water-based transport system to safely and efficiently move the propellant grains between different stages of the manufacturing process. This system introduces another variable that adds to the challenge of delivering our APS propellant range

Also apparently imported powders will also dry up; was at Safari yesterday and they explained that there won't be more imports, all they have left is a bit of Alliant and then that's it.

[rc42]

I heard that ADI built an entirely new production facility for these new powders, it seems that they let the health and safety people lead the design without consideration of the temperature and humidity sensitivity of the process so now these faster powders can only be manufactured under certain weather conditions.

In Canada the weather is far more predictable so would have been easier to plan for, also, they may not have the super safe water transport systems that increase humidity. The AP70N production process is also likely to be different, the old Australian machines didn't have problems here either.


Overall, the outlook for reloaders in Australia is bleak, existing pistol powder supplies will get bought up with no imports or local manufacture till maybe next year, primers will also become harder and then impossible to find and the knowledge of this will drive demand right now and make the problems start sooner and last longer, just as the USA is demonstrating.

[flashman]

Hi so what do we do...............do we start panic buying .....

[on_one_wheel]

If only there was a way of controlling the climate within a building

Bloody safety departments.
They often need a reminder that there needs to be a limit to the cost of safety. A business needs to remain productive, viable and profitable. You can only compromise so much for safety.
Over the top safety is the second biggest reason we can't compete in global manufacturing.

[rc42]

Hi so what do we do...............do we start panic buying .....

Personally, I've been buying a little extra each time and topping up my supplies a little more often over the last 6 months, I think I have about 18-24 months supply of powder and primers now and will try to hold at that level going forward.

1kg of powder loads about 4,000 rounds so it doesn't take much to have a decent stockpile, primers are costly in large numbers but don't take up much storage space and also last for years. For both you can be sure that they are currently cheaper than they will ever be again.

[rc42]

My local put out a Facebook post today to announce their last delivery of 2kg APS350 'for the foreseeable future' and they are already gone from their website.

About what you'd expect with them being limited to storing only 100kg of powder in total under the explosives regulations in QLD.