Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Substitute for Alliant 2400

Not jwp, but have used Longshot in 32 HR, 327 Fed, 38 Special, 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 45 AutoRim, 45 Super, 45 Schofield and 45 Colt. Plus it works great in heavy field or buckshot loads, 12 gauge. When I made shotgun sabots (from a 50 caliber pistol bullet mold of course), Longshot was one of the two powders listed and the one I used.

He is correct in that it reduces well, a trait 2400 has that "ball" powders simply do not. Longshot is a great 32 HR powder and is outstanding as a 38/44 (38 plusPplus) powder. It is a decent mid mag powder in 357, 41,44 and 45 cartridges.

I tried getting away from it in my quest to wean powders, but it is one that has stayed.

As far as duplication of 2400 goes (which the OP threw in light rifle loads), I still pick 4227. Its single based like 2400, pretty close in burn rate and mirrors what they both were designed for initially; the 22 Hornet and 218 Bee.

As far as handguns go, Lil'Gun is about as close to 2400 in results either reduced or at full throttle in full magnum or mid-magnum duty.

If you are of the notion that Lil'Gun is steel cancer because it heats up your gun, Longshot is pretty much the same technology at a different burn speed. Pour them side by side if you have your doubts and shoot them both; they both physically get the gun hot, especially if we're talking revolvers, but I've yet to have anything I own hurt by either. They are both double based.

You may be able to sub AA9 at the top end in 44 Mag loads, but definitely not at the bottom. I tried their data in 45 Colt, hoping to make it work within the confines of the 25-5 Smith and it was an abysmal failure, even with 350's and 155's. 2400 would work, but like others I didn't want to burn a bale of hay if I could make corncobs do the same thing.
Longshot proved much better, but I view Longshot as a sub for another flexible Alliant powder, Blue Dot, which IME (and ironically not much help), is another good sub for 2400 if we are adhering to the OP's caveat of some light rifle use......

The OP didn't even mention a 44 Magnum.

Despite not being "even remotely the same", you can substitute using 4227 for 2400 in 357, 45 Colt S&W level loads and find reduced rifle loads in numerous rifle cartridges, especially in the Lyman Cast Bullet manual, for both. Not AA9.

The fact of the matter is that 2400 and 4227 were introduced around the same time for rifle cartridges, many of them the same.

Unfortunately with 2400 it is not as simple as having a similar burn rate. 2400 can be loaded down to medium pressure while most of the powders with a similar burn rate need full pressure to burn consistently. I have been playing with TCM and A4100 (same as Enforcer) and so far both of these powders need to hit a certain max pressure to burn cleanly (like H110 / W296). I was getting 100 fps swings with the start loads that only started to settle down around max. 2400 was a lot more versatile since you didn't always need to have a full case of powder.

Looking for a powder that I can load up or down like 2400, something that's versatile can be used to make full powered 357 Magnum or 23k 45 Colt ammo for a S&W Mt Gun. Then and then able to download it for my .32 Winchester Special using hard cast bullet loads.

I'd like to get a big jug of this mystery powder and quit pulling my hair out looking for 2400


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Hawkl, thanks for the data very helpful.

Recoil isn't over the top and fired at twilight no huge fireball to blind a guy, now need to put it on paper and see what we got.

I got lucky last year and found a sealed steel can of 2400.