Alliant’s Sport Pistol Powder
Accurate Versatility
The Colt Gold Cup .45 lives up to its reputation with targets fired with Sport Pistol loads.
Sport Pistol is a relatively new powder from Alliant designed specifically for handgun use. Alliant especially designed this powder for precision and action shooters. Its major attributes are clean-burning, excellent charging and case fill, low muzzle flash, and with the availability of so many polymer-coated bullets today, the claim is it is also optimized for use of these bullets and will not dissolve polymer coatings at the base during ignition.
John used the Ruger SR 1911 Target Model 10mm with Sport Pistol and cast bullets and Coated bullets from Acme and Syntech.
Load ’em Up
During the dreary days of January/February, I spent a lot of time loading both semi-automatic and sixgun cartridges, well over 1,200 rounds, with Sport Pistol and was ready when Spring started teasing us in March. A look at my records shows seven days were spent testing several powders and new bullets and over 2,100 rounds fired during March’s better days. Since this powder was designed for competition use, the most obvious place to start was with four 1911s chambered in .45 ACP. Studying the Alliant data and choosing several different bullets, both cast and polymer-coated, proved to be quite beneficial as to results.
Using both the 230-grain Acme and 230-grain Syntech coated bullets, I decided to go with 5.5 grains of Alliant Sport Pistol for my testing. This load proved to be an excellent one not only for accuracy but for use as an everyday carry load. Muzzle velocities were mostly from 880–900 fps with the Acme load producing loads right at 1″ for five shots at 20 yards in the Ruger SR 1911, Springfield Armory Range Officer and the Colt Gold Cup. The Syntech load produces the same accuracy results with muzzle velocities just slightly less at 860–880 fps.
John used a variety of .45 bullets and Sport Pistol for use in a 4" Perfect Packin’ Pistol Smith & Wesson Model 1955.
New Design
Custom gunsmith Dave Lauck has come up with a newly designed 200-grain .45 ACP bullet. This all began over 20 years ago when Dave was on a hunting trip with Col. Cooper. One of the most popular designs, and one of my favorites, is the Hensley & Gibbs #68 which is basically duplicated by the RCBS #45-201. This is a 200-grain semi-wadcutter bullet with a full caliber cutting shoulder and a flat point. The problem with some semi-automatic pistols is this bullet will not always feed reliably, or if it does, a shooter who pays attention can feel it doing what Dave calls stumble. The slide hesitates in closing.
The Lauck bullet maintains the full cutting shoulder; however, the nose is rounded for positive feed. I have been using this bullet in several .45 semi-automatic pistols and for testing Sport Pistol I loaded it over 6.0 grains. It performed well in all .45 pistols including the three mentioned above and also a Kimber Stainless Target II. Muzzle velocity is from 930–960 fps depending upon the pistol and Dave and I both believe Col. Cooper would be well pleased with this design.
Acme describes their polymer-coated bullets as “Lipstick” bullets. They also have a 200-grain SWC bullet that follows along the lines of the above-mentioned Hensley & Gibbs and RCBS versions. Loaded over 5.9 grains of Sport Pistol, it gave excellent accuracy in all the abovementioned .45 pistols with muzzle velocities at 900–930 fps. The Kimber .45 put five shots into 7/8″, which is better than I can shoot. Switching to the RCBS #45-201 with the same powder charge of 5.9 grains continued the excellent results with muzzle velocities from 975–1,000 fps and an average group for all four pistols under 1-1/4″ for five shots.
A variety of bullets were loaded in .45 ACPs using Sport Pistol powder.
Auto Rim
The same Acme polymer-coated bullets and loads, 200-grain SWC with 6.0 grains of Sport Pistol and the 230-grain RN over 5.5 grains, were also loaded in .45 Auto Rim cases for use in .45 ACP/.45 Auto Rim sixguns without having to use moon clips as normally required with .45 ACP brass. Both loads gave excellent accuracy in a classic Smith & Wesson 1950 Target Model. Muzzle velocities for the heavier bullet are just under 800 fps while the 200-grain SWC clocked out at over 950 fps. Again, either one of these are good choices for everyday carry for my use. They also work well in a shortened Smith & Wesson 1955 Target Model with a 4″ barrel. Muzzle velocities drop around 50–60 fps; however, this makes for an excellent Perfect Packin’ Pistol.
Searching for pleasant shooting loads in Magnum sixguns, I turned to soft-swaged hollow-point bullets. Speer’s 158-grain .357 LSWHP over 6.0 grains of Sport Pistol clocks out at 1,050 fps from a weather beating 5-1/2″ stainless steel Ruger .357 Magnum NMFT while Hornady’s 240-grain LSWCHP .44 bullet loaded over 5.0 grains gives an accurate and very pleasant shooting 725 fps when loaded in .44 Specials.
In addition to all of these, Sport Pistol has also been used in 9mm, 10mm, .40 S&W and .38 Super, all with excellent results. The latter shoots exceptionally well with the Hornady 125 JHP over 5.0 grains for right at 1,150 fps. Groups are under 1″ in a Colt Stainless Steel Custom 1911 in this one of my all-time favorite 1911 chamberings.
When I started reloading, we had very limited choices for powder. Alliant was then known as Hercules and we could choose from Bullseye for target loads, Unique for standard loads and #2400 for heavy loads. These are all still very good powders but I like the fact Alliant gives us so many choices today. Sport Pistol has proven to be one of the best for standard loads.
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