.45 ACP AL-8 Heavy Bullet Load

In this post, I suggested 9.5 grains of Alcan AL-8 as a starting load for heavy (250-260 grain) cast bullets in .45 ACP. Yesterday, I tested that load.

While rummaging around in some old reloading stuff I picked up somewhere, I found a partial box of Magnus 255 grain .452" semi-wadcutters that are intended for .45 (Long) Colt. Something had been nesting in the box, and the 47 bullets remaining were dirty and gritty, so I decided that they should be fired in the chrome-plated bore of my Norinco 1911a1. Upon further contemplation, it seemed the perfect candidate for testing the AL-8 load, so after brushing the bullets off, I grabbed some pre-primed cases with assorted headstamps and uncertain history, and weighed some AL-8 charges from Lee dippers. I generally do this before going to the trouble of actually setting up a powder measure, and by happy coincidence, the 1cc dipper held 9.6 grains of my batch of AL-8. I took that as a sign, and proceeded to charge 47 cases. I seated the first bullet without touching the adjustment of the die, which was set up for the Lee 230 grain truncated cone bullet from my 6-cavity mould.  It looked just about right with the 255 grain bullet, so I continued to seat the other 46.

Later at the range I fired them from my Norinco, using 3 generic 7-round magazines. I didn't bring my chronograph, but they shot about like factory hardball loads, were 100% reliable with zero failures of any kind, and shot to point of aim with minute of milk jug accuracy at 50 yards. The only disadvantage I noticed was that the load shot dirty, with lots of powder residue. I think increasing the charge will improve that, and since some of the empty cases were landing on the brim of my hat, I'm sure I have room to increase the charge a bit.

I will leave that for somebody else though, because I don't plan to buy any more of these bullets. I will have to start over with some of my home-cast bullets; perhaps the Lyman #452424 Keith bullet.

I also tried the same powder charge with the 230 grain truncated cone home-cast bullet, and those worked fine, too.

Alcan AL-8 In .45 ACP

In searching for some good high-performance loads for .45 Auto using heavy cast bullets and AL-8 powder, I came across this discussion on THR:

"I bought out a reloader who's retiring and as part of his stash I got 15# of Alcan AL-8 powder. It's old, but this guy swore by it as his go-to powder for .45ACP.

So, I'd like to try it for that. If it works, I won't need powder for about 37 years, probably.

Only problem is I can't find any reloading info for it. I've searched the web a ton trying to find this, and no dice, with the exception of Handloads.Com which has a single load for a 185gr bullet--but I have no subscription. I'd like to run it with 200gr lead or thereabouts.

Anybody have any ideas about where I might find this? I've struck out. I'm just looking for some starting loads that are reasonable. Maybe a really old manual?

PS: The guy told me he thought his load for it was XXX grains, but I'm not going on what may or may not be accurate memory."


I won't go any further into the comments that followed, except to say that it frustrates me to no end when people whose knowledge of handloading is very shallow and obviously garnered from a very few, recent loading manuals, spout off as if they were great sages in the handloader's art. The bottom line and end result was that the OP sold that 15 lbs of powder for $100. What a shame.

The fact is, AL-8 is most comparable to, but somewhat faster than, 2400. 2400 is one of the most flexible powders in existence, being quite usable for everything from .38 Special to .500 Linebaugh, .22 Hornet to .30/06 (and probably the best powder ever for .45/70), and 12 gauge to .410 shotshells.

Not having pushed it very hard in rifle cartridges, I can't say with certainty that AL-8 will perform as reliably in rifle cartridges as 2400, but I have found it to be a good replacement for 2400 in straight-wall pistol cartridges. In fact, my primary .44 Special carry load is the Keith bullet, 245 grain Lyman #429421, over 11.0 grains AL-8. This gives slightly over 800 fps from my 2 1/2" Charter Arms Bulldog. This is warm but not hot. Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook, 3rd Edition
lists this same bullet over 10.3 AL-8 as 12,700 CUP and 773 fps from a 4" revolver. 13.2 gr. 2400 is listed as 13,800 CUP and 797 fps. I know of several people who have used the .44 Special Keith load, 17.5 grains of 2400 with this bullet, in the Bulldog with no ill effects, so I know the gun will handle it, but I wanted to keep pressures lower than that. I basically started at the 10.3 grain published load and worked up until my chrono showed consistently over 800 fps, which I achieved at 11.0 grains, and stopped there.


Moving on to .45 ACP, I see no loads listed using AL-8, but there is one AL-8 load listed under .45 Auto Rim; #452423 at 238 grains over 9.6 gr. AL-8 for 814 fps and 13,800 CUP. I have seen several .45 ACP loads over the years featuring the Lyman #454424 and other Keith type 255 grain SWC cast bullets (of the type normally intended for the .45 Colt) over 13.5-14.0 grains of 2400 or 10 grains of Blue Dot. These are .45 ACP +P or even .45 Super loads, so make sure you know what you ar doing and that your gun is capable of handling Super loads (24 lb recoil spring, fully supported chamber, etc.) before attempting anything of the sort. Extrapolating from this data, AL-8 being a bit slower than Blue Dot and generally requiring approximately 80-85% of the charge weight of a similar 2400 load, I would probably call 9.5 grains of AL-8 a starting load with the 255 grain bullets, and work up to perhaps 11.0 as a maximum.

I have, by the way, fired quite a few 255 grain Keith bullets in several different 1911s, mostly with 5 grains of Bullseye but a few with 2400, with no problems.

This load data is not a recommendation. If you use this information, you do so at your own risk.