Accurate Powder Bought

[Werewolf]

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

For further Information Contact:

Brenda Kneeland

Vice President

Phone: 406-234-0422

MILES CITY, MONTANA – Western Powders, Inc. announces the asset purchase of Accurate Arms Company, Inc.

We’re pleased to announce that effective September 3, 2004, Western Powders Inc. has acquired the Accurate brand of reloading powders. “Accurate Arms has a long history of providing the shooting sports public with quality reloading powders and we look forward to continuing that tradition,” said Doug Phair, President of Western Powders, Inc. “Accurate has a strong offering of spherical and extruded powders covering the full range of shooting disciplines. The Accurate line is a complimentary fit with our Ramshot brand of products and I want to assure the shooting public that we have no plans to consolidate or eliminate any offerings in the Accurate line. Our focus over the next several months will be on providing the reloading community with updated data and improving the performance criteria of Accurate products.”

Many of Accurate’s products enjoy strong support from the shooting community. Phair added, “Solo 1000 has an excellent reputation with the Trap shooting public and many of Accurate’s rifle and handgun powders are preferred by accomplished shooters. We are very excited about the potential for market growth and will be focusing our attention on improving distribution and availability of the Accurate line throughout North America and Europe.”

All operations involving Accurate Arms have been moved from McEwen, Tennessee to Miles City, Montana and no disruption of service is anticipated. Further information regarding Accurate Arms powder can be obtained by calling Western Powders, Inc. at 406-232-0422.

The original can be found at http://www.accuratepowder.com under Press Release

For me at least - in the short run - it is a bad thing. The guy I use in OKC to order powder for me says Accurate has gone out of business and he can't get it anymore. I think he's just not business savy enough to change the phone number on his rolodex.

Sucks because Accurate is my favorite powder maker. Now a new source must be hunted down...

Which one would think in a city the size of Oklahoma City would be easy. NOT! The one store that always had it went out of business. The other store's owner is in a pissing contest with the fire marshall and his distributor (he's always in a pissing contest with someone - had a feud with CZ for two years). That leaves a small shop about 30 miles away and another about 40. Arggghghghghg!

 

[ReloaderFred]

Accurate hasn't gone out of business, as you've found out. The same distributors handle it as before, so I don't see why your dealer can't get it, since there are very few dealers who order enough powder to buy directly from the manufacturer.

I order mine from Graf & Sons, and if you order 32 pounds, they pay the hazmat fee. All their prices include shipping and they are competitive with Midway and the others. They can be found at www.grafs.com

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Werewolf]

Thanks for the headsup on your supplier Fred but 300 to 500 rounds per month is about all I reload. It'd take me years to use 32 lbs of powder...

As an aside - how much is the hazmat fee? I've never ordered powder online.

 

[Rockstar]

I have a dealer account at Graf's. Don't know if Powder Valley even has dealer accounts. However, I just placed an order which included powder, primers, and bullets from Powder Valley, as the order was about $20 less than a similar order from Graf's. I say "similar," because I wasn't able to match brands for an apples-to-apples comparison, but I did get 8# of AA#5, 5000 Remmy primers, 1000 Win. 124gr. 9mm bullets; 1000 Win. 55gr.fmjbt w/cannelure .223's.

Check out Powder Valley. Even with the hazmat, you still save money over a lot of vendors.

 

[model 649]

I can still get all the AA powders here in Michigan. AA isn't a manufacturer at all, they are just a distributor/labeller of powders from several manufacturers. Watch out for AA#5 as it has become far hotter over the last year.
Josh

 

[Werewolf]

Watch out for AA#5 as it has become far hotter over the last year.

Actually I don't find that surprising at all. My favorite powder. Meters perfectly and has a very wide range of uses. IMO it works especially well in 45LC for both pistol and rifle. It is superb in .45ACP and is a fine powder for intermediate .44Mag loads.

 

[greg531mi]

AA#5 works great in 38 special too.
I had great luck with AA#7 in 9mm....One hole groups!!! And it is hot...
AA#2520 for 308, AA#9 for 357, 44 mag, and a great load for the 30 carbine...
Accurate Arms were the importers of powder from around the world, and repackaged it and sold it.

 

[Ky Larry]

My local dealer says he can order Accurate powder and has no problem getting most types. However some types appear to be on backorder. My favorite powder for .223 loads is Accurate 2230 and I haven't seen it on dealers shelves in a while. Found 3 lbs at a small gunshop last week. I bought it all so now I'm pretty well fixed for powder for a while.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Werewolf,

The hazmat fee is currently $20.00, which is imposed by UPS, the only shipper who will handle powder. The charge is for any amount of powder and primers, from 1 pound to somewhere around 40 or 50 pounds. They recently changed the upper limit, so I'm not sure what it is. It used to be 32 pounds in one package.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[1911user]

I just received an order from Powder Valley (good place BTW) and they preferred to use Fedex, but would also ship UPS. Their website is www.powdervalleyinc.com and Werewolf might want to look into them since they are just across the KS border. Ground shipping could easily be next day delivery without paying extra.

If you need lower cost powder for 223 and 308 loading, check out the AA 2230C for $65 a keg (8 pounds). The burn rate is between 2230 and 2460, but it's a surplus canister powder so the lot-to-lot variations will be larger and you should work up loads again with each new lot. The simple solution is to order enough to last awhile and it'll likely all be from the same lot. Powder, primers, and bullets/cases can be mixed in the same shipping box so it's just one $20 hazmat fee plus the normal shipping cost.