Toprudder
Member
I started handloading in late 2013. I believe this was right at the height of the powder shortage.
I set up my bench and accumulated all the necessary items to load 9mm and 45 ACP. All went well until I go to the powder. The first store I went to had nothing on the shelf. That was when I decided to scan the interwebs and it was made clear to me that powder is the big problem. So on the advice of forums such as this one I made a list of acceptable powders and dug in.
After several weeks of frustration, on a whim I stopped in at a gun shop right in my semi-rural township. Scored a pound of Titegroup, AA#2 and Power pistol. I started with AA#2 and a week later returned to the same store and purchased all the remaining AA#2 (three more pounds) and another pound each of TG and PP. It is interesting to me that I haven't seen AA#2 anywhere since then. Today I have 4 pounds of PP and have never even tried it.
During the winter of 2014 I was able to buy a pound here and a pound there. My shooting really ramped up and between my personal use and family I was going through a pound a month. Still, by the end of 2014 I had probably 50 pounds of pistol powder and used up at least 10.
My motto is "see powder, buy powder".------- What I really need is some additional primers and a lot more bullets.
So I'm probably the reason powder was hard to find and is now becoming easier. I do not need to buy any for the near future.
Those are 3 good powders! AA#2 is out in limited amounts right now.
I would use the Power Pistol in 9mm. It will work in 45acp but must be close to max or it will be a little dirty. But it really shines in 9mm.