This news may have already been posted but I just now saw it. Thought I would pass along the info. Western Powders, Inc. also sells the Ramshot powders.

-Bob F.


http://www.ramshot.com/powders/news.html

September 8, 2004

Brenda Kneeland
Vice President

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 (www.accuratepowder.com) 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."

...<snip>.....

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 Accurate Arms Company web site can be found at www.accuratepowder.com

===================

http://www.accuratepowder.com/

http://www.ramshot.com/

Wow!

Now maybe Western's powders will be more commonplace and available, I hope.

Good news for us Montanans

Redial

I'm searching the memory banks.....it wasn't too long ago when Hercules powders was bought and became Alliant.....then Hodgdon bought IMR.....and now we see AA powders succombing to buyouts.

It's long been known...or at least believed that many of these powders are identical with merely different names attached.

The day is coming (and I don't believe in the distant future) when only 25% of today's available powders will be available to us and I'm not going to be a forecaster of who's left on board when that day comes but Hodgdons seems to be an easy guess.....

Maybe it's time to keep a supply of powder on hand.....

Oh, come on, as long as there are powder manufacturers in every county with excess capacity, there'll be marketers putting it in jugs for us to buy.

You have to remember that neither Accurate, Ramshot, Hodgdon (or IMR) owns (owned) any powder manufacturing facilities. Alliant makes their shotshell propellants, but buys most of their rifle stuff from Bofors.

Off the top of my head, I can think of Swedish, Scottish, Canadian, Australian, Belgian, Chech (Nitrokemia), and even some Chinese powders being shot up. Some packagers disappear (Accurate), but others pop up (Ramshot), Rex (Grafs). It just keeps rotating. JMO, Dutch.