Discontinued: IMR Enduron powders.

[Petey308]

Not sure why yet, as it was just announced, but Hodgdon will no longer offer any of the IMR Enduron product line of powders.

I can only assume General Dynamics (who makes the actual powder) can no longer keep making it for them. I know they used to make a lot of powder for Hodgdon and after they were awarded a huge defense contract they told Hodgdon they'd only be able to keep making the Enduron powders available to them. Perhaps they can't even do that now. It would explain why finding a lot of those powders has been extremely hard the last few months while others coming from Australia and Europe are still showing up here and there.

The Enduron powders are also made in Canada and it's possible with all the political mess going on up there it has played a part. That's purely speculation though.

 

[Fotis]

That SUX!

 

[FEENIX]

That SUX!

Yep!

 

[unclecroc]

That's a major bummer I was beginning to really like 4451.

 

[Fotis]

Nothing like working up a load and then .......

 

[Petey308]

Yeah, I was a big fan of 8133 myself. It really sucks not having it anymore. Perhaps there will be a big enough backlash that they'll find another place that can make if for them. General Dynamics might have a lock in the recipe though and it's possible no one else can make it.

Hodgdon has changed manufacturers and locations on many of their labeled powders over the years, based on certain previous factories not being able to provide it anymore. So I'd imagine they looked and tried hard to find another place to make it and came up empty. Thus, they had to discontinue it. It's a shame.

I just hope more transparency comes out soon to swatch rumors and speculation. I sent them an email asking for clarification. I'll post here what I hear back, if it's anything more than a generic answer.

 

[can1010]

didnt use much of the enduron powders but general dynamics also made the alliant 2000MR and 4000MR powders which have been absent for awhile.
either way less production is not good

 

[coop2564]

They haven't taken them off their web site and have no mention of them being discontinued on site? Where you hear this? I googled it and only thing that comes up is this post?

 

[Jud96]

This sucks. I've been a fan of IMR 4451 for years. It was a great powder in the .243 with 70-95gr bullets. It has also been hammering in my 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[Jud96]

They haven't taken them off their web site and have no mention of them being discontinued on site? Where you hear this? I googled it and only thing that comes up is this post?

Powder Valley announced it

 

[QuietTexan]

Normal IMR powder line to continue?

4451 had some serious promise, sadly it'll probably get burned up in ho-hum 30-06 plinking loads now.

 

[Petey308]

Hodgdon doesn't own or operate any smokeless powder factories. St. Marks, in FL, is the only one still in the US and last I knew they didn't make extruded powders. It also wouldn't be Hodgdon's decision for them to make it if they did.

Hodgdon is just a middle man. They buy powder in bulk, within certain specs, from powder manufacturers and package it with their labels and sell it as such.

DuPont used to make a ton of powder in the US, and operated like 40 some facilities at one time, but they were broken up after the government shut them down due to anti-trust laws to stop the monopoly they had. Hercules took over some of their factories, and IMR (previously owned and started by DuPont) operated stand alone for a bit before expanding into Canada. They later closed down production completely in the US. Hodgdon purchased the IMR name and label and General Dynamics now owns and operates the facility in Canada. A ton of the other IMR product lines moved to production in facilities in Scotland and other European facilities. Last I knew, IMR 4064 was being made in Scotland, as an example.

Hercules was bought by ATK and became Alliant, which is now owned by Vista. Most of their powders are made in Europe, but a few are made at the General Dynamics facility and St. Marks facility.

It's all a mess and hard to follow and keep up with lol.

 

[LVJ76]

I replaced IMR-4350 with it in my NRA Silhouette 7mm-08. Shoots great with 160gr TMK.

That'll make it even harder to find other powders.

 

[Petey308]

My reply from Hodgdon. It at least confirms the discontinuation. I asked too if there was any possibility they'd produce it again in the future. Obviously he didn't answer that question. I'll assume that's a no then.