The Complete Amerex ABC Dry Chemical Lineup

Amerex builds nineteen distinct ABC dry chemical fire extinguisher models across four hand-portable families, plus wheeled units up to 300 lb and larger. If you need a fast answer, match the rating: the 5 lb B500 is 2A:10B:C, the 5 lb B402 and 6 lb B443 are 3A:40B:C, the 10 lb B456 is 4A:80B:C, and the 20 lb A411 is 10A:120B:C. Amerex's own hazard-analysis page lists general building protection, office buildings, retail stores, warehouses, and woodworking shops as ABC dry chemical applications. Four of those models also exist in a chrome-plated-brass "heavy duty" version — B424, B461, B441, and 423. B461, B441, and 423 carry the same UL rating as their aluminum counterparts (B443, B456, and A411); the 5 lb B424 is rated 2A:10B:C, matching the B500 rather than the B402.

Beyond that core of ten aluminum- and brass-valve hand portables, Amerex publishes a High-Flow ABC pair for applications that require a discharge rate exceeding 1 lb per second under NFPA 10, and a zinc-enriched Z-Series line — seven current ABC models across Fast Flow and Compliance Flow performance tiers — built for oil and gas, marine, and other extreme-duty sites. ABC agent also ships in wheeled units from 125 lb up through 300 lb and beyond for large-area or industrial exposure. This page maps every one of them in one master table, explains what separates the families, and links straight through to each model's product page and to the deeper guides that cover ratings, model-number suffixes, and parts platforms in detail. Browse the full lineup any time in the ABC Dry Chemical collection.

What "ABC" Means

Amerex describes its ABC agent this way: "ABC or MULTI-PURPOSE extinguishers utilize a specially fluidized and siliconized mono ammonium phosphate dry chemical. It chemically insulates Class A fires by melting at approximately 350°F and coats surface where it is applied. It smothers and breaks the chain reaction of Class B fires and will not conduct electricity back to the operator." In plain terms: one cylinder, one agent, rated for ordinary combustibles (Class A — wood, paper, cloth), flammable liquids (Class B — fuels, solvents), and energized electrical equipment (Class C), which is why it's the default agent for most commercial extinguisher programs. For how the specific number-letter combination on the nameplate — 3A:40B:C, 4A:80B:C, and so on — is earned and what it actually measures, see our guide to what fire extinguisher UL ratings actually mean. For the Class B half of that rating specifically, see sizing Class B protection from 40-B to 160-B.

The Complete ABC Hand-Portable Roster

Amerex builds its ABC hand portables on two valve platforms — anodized aluminum ("Light to Medium Duty" in Amerex's own catalog language) and chrome-plated brass ("Heavy Duty"). Every rating, capacity, dimension, and discharge figure below comes from the ABC dry chemical page of Amerex's current Portable Fire Extinguisher Catalog; the bracket part numbers come from Amerex's "extinguishers at-a-glance" reference in the same catalog.

All ten models share a 195 PSIG nominal operating pressure, Amerex's 6-year manufacturer's warranty, and an operational temperature range Amerex's maintenance manual 05602 publishes as "-65°F to +120°F (-54°C to +49°C) or -40°F to +120°F (-40°C to +49°C) [please see the nameplate on your extinguisher]" — check your specific unit's nameplate rather than assuming the wider range. "Included Bracket" is the standard wall or vehicle bracket that ships with the base unit; USCG-approved and vehicle/marine/aviation bracket options exist for every model in this table — see Amerex's bracket reference for the full list. Suffixed variants such as B500T and B402T are configuration options of the same extinguisher rather than different models — Amerex's spec table lists them under a single model-number column and differentiates only the shipping weight (9.25 lb vs 9.5 lb); our guide to decoding Amerex model numbers covers the variant listings. (The B417T is stocked on ShopAmerex as the two-strap B417TS configuration.)

Aluminum-Valve Hand Portables: Light to Medium Duty

Six current models share Amerex's anodized-aluminum valve platform: B417T, B500/B500T, B402/B402T, B443, B456, and A411. This is the line most offices, retail stores, and light-commercial buildings standardize on. Two pairs inside it are easy to confuse:

The B402 and B500 are both 5 lb aluminum-valve ABC units with identical published dimensions, weight, discharge time, and range — but the B402 carries 3A:40B:C against the B500's 2A:10B:C, a real difference in Class B capability from the same size cylinder. Our guide Amerex B402 vs B500 documents the two places they actually differ (the hose-and-nozzle orifice and the recharge chemical) and the parts platform that services both.

The B500 and B456 sit at opposite ends of the aluminum line's most commonly specified range — 5 lb at 2A:10B:C versus 10 lb at 4A:80B:C, double the Class A rating and eight times the Class B coverage for roughly twice the shipping weight and a taller wall footprint. See Amerex B456 vs B500 for the full comparison, including where the bracket options diverge.

The B417T (2.5 lb, 1A:10B:C) is the smallest model in the family and the only one built as nozzle-only, with no hose; Amerex's spec table lists a vehicle bracket as its included bracket. The A411 (20 lb, 10A:120B:C) is the largest, at the highest UL rating Amerex's aluminum line reaches.

Chrome-Plated Brass-Valve Hand Portables: Heavy Duty

B424, B461, B441, and 423 are Amerex's "Heavy Duty" ABC line: chrome-plated brass valve bodies and stainless steel handles and levers in place of the aluminum platform's anodized aluminum hardware, for extinguishers that see harder or more frequent use. Capacity for capacity, three of the four brass models carry the identical UL rating as their aluminum counterpart — B461 matches B402/B443 at 3A:40B:C, B441 matches B456 at 4A:80B:C, and 423 matches A411 at 10A:120B:C. The exception is the 5 lb B424, rated 2A:10B:C — the same rating as the lighter-duty B500, not the higher-rated B402 — so there is no brass equivalent of the highest-rated 5 lb aluminum unit. Choosing brass over aluminum at the same capacity is a construction decision, not a ratings upgrade — and at 5 lb the brass B424's 2A:10B:C sits below the aluminum B402's 3A:40B:C.

High-Flow ABC: Twice the Flow Rate

Amerex's High-Flow dry chemical models use the same chrome-plated-brass hardware and the same UL specifications as its compliance-rated products, built for "applications where discharge rates exceeding one pound per second are required as specified in NFPA 10," per Amerex's catalog. Two ABC models exist in this line (the 722 and 762 in the same family are Purple K, not ABC):

Both operate at 195 PSIG, ship with a wall bracket, meet DOT requirements per Amerex's catalog, and carry the standard 6-year manufacturer's warranty. Reach for High-Flow when the specification calls out a minimum discharge rate rather than just a UL rating.

Z-Series ABC: Zinc-Enriched, High-Performance

Amerex's Z-Series is built for what its catalog calls "high hazard, frequent use, and extreme environment applications" — the catalog's hazard-analysis pages list oil and gas platforms, oil refineries, mining operations, coastal and marine environments, and industrial climates as the target settings. Z-Series units are available with a proprietary zinc-enriched coating "that resists corrosion for up to 12 years in severely salt-contaminated environments," and carry chrome-plated brass gauge guards, protective rubber foot rings, and a 12-year manufacturer's warranty — double the standard line's 6 years. Most Z-Series models run at 240 PSIG rather than the 195 PSIG of Amerex's standard-duty hand portables — the 10 lb Compliance Flow 711 is the exception at 195 PSIG — and all share the same -65°F to 120°F temperature range.

The line splits into two performance tiers, Fast Flow and Compliance Flow, each offered in both ABC and Purple K agent (only the ABC models are listed here; Amerex's Purple K Z-Series models, such as 794, 795, 716, 717, and 718, are a separate agent and outside this guide's scope):

Per Amerex's catalog, Fast Flow is built for "fast discharge, quicker knockdown, more operator protection," while Compliance Flow is built for "long range" and the "highest UL ratings" in the line — the 715 tops the entire ABC roster in this guide at 10A:160B:C. Where both tiers offer the same capacity, they share cylinder diameter and included bracket — the 13.2 lb Fast Flow 790 and Compliance Flow 713 both use a 7 in cylinder and the 877 wall bracket. The 10 lb Compliance Flow 711 has no Fast Flow counterpart.

Wheeled ABC Units

ABC dry chemical also ships in wheeled configurations well beyond hand-portable capacities: nitrogen-cylinder-actuated 125 lb units like the 450, stored-pressure 250 lb units like the 756, and 300 lb units like the 491R. For identification and parts by drive system across Amerex's whole wheeled range, see Amerex wheeled unit parts by drive system. This guide's depth is the hand-portable line above; wheeled ABC gets the pointer.

One Parts Platform, Many Models

Amerex's Parts Book doesn't give most of these models their own page — it groups them by shared hardware. The 5 through 20 lb aluminum-valve models in this guide sit on the parts list titled "5 - 20 lb. Dry Chemical (Hose & Horn) Aluminum Valve Models," which Amerex's own parts diagram lists as B402, B500, B443, B456, and A411 (the same page also covers the Purple K B479 and A413, which share hardware with their ABC neighbors but aren't ABC agent). The 2.5 lb B417T sits instead on the Parts Book's fixed-nozzle aluminum-valve list, where it appears as the B417. The chrome-plated-brass models — B424, B461, B441, and 423 — sit on a separate brass-valve parts list. Within each platform the gauge, valve stem, spring, and collar O-ring are shared across every model on the list, while the hose-and-horn assembly and the downtube are picked by individual model; the aluminum page also splits the valve assembly by size (11823 for 5, 5½, 6, and 10 lb; 11824 for 20 lb), along with the handle-and-rivet and the hose strap-and-clip, and the brass page uses a single valve assembly (11952) for all models but splits the hanger loop three ways. If you're identifying which platform a unit you already own belongs to before ordering parts, start with aluminum valve or brass valve: identifying your Amerex dry chemical extinguisher — aluminum and brass valve hardware is not interchangeable despite matching capacities and ratings.

How to Choose the Right Amerex ABC Extinguisher

By rating requirement. If your specification or AHJ names a minimum UL rating, match it directly: 1A:10B:C (B417T) and 2A:10B:C (B500, B424) are Amerex's lightest-duty ABC ratings; 3A:40B:C (B402, B443, B461) is the mid-tier most general commercial spaces land on; 4A:80B:C (B456, B441, and the High-Flow 760's near-equivalent 4A:60B:C) steps up Class A and B coverage substantially; 10A:120B:C (A411, 423) is the highest rating in the standard hand-portable line; and 10A:160B:C (Z-Series 715) is the highest ABC rating in this entire roster. Never select by cylinder weight alone — as the B402/B500 pair above shows, two units of the same size can carry very different ratings.

By weight and handling. Shipping weights run from 5.5 lb (B417T) through 9.25 lb (B500/B402), 10.5 lb (B424), 12.75 lb (B443), 14 lb (B461), 18 lb (B456), 19.5 lb (B441), and 36.5–38 lb (A411/423). Weigh that against who in a facility is expected to reach, lift, and operate the unit. High-Flow and Z-Series units in the same 10–30 lb range add weight for a materially higher discharge rate or corrosion resistance, not convenience.

By duty environment. Amerex frames its own line this way: aluminum valve is "Light to Medium Duty," chrome-plated brass valve is "Heavy Duty," and Z-Series is built for "high hazard, frequent use, and extreme environment applications" (the catalog's hazard-analysis pages list oil and gas platforms, refineries, mining operations, and coastal and marine environments among them). High-Flow is a duty decision driven by a specific discharge-rate requirement rather than by environment. For any of these, confirm the required rating and hazard classification against NFPA 10 and your authority having jurisdiction before ordering — this guide covers what Amerex publishes about each model, not a substitute for a site hazard assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ABC mean on a fire extinguisher? It means the extinguisher is rated for three fire classes from one agent: Class A (ordinary combustibles like wood and paper), Class B (flammable liquids), and Class C (energized electrical equipment). Amerex's ABC units use a mono ammonium phosphate dry chemical that insulates Class A fuel by melting onto it and breaks the combustion chain reaction on Class B fires, and the agent is non-conductive for Class C use. See our guide to what fire extinguisher UL ratings actually mean for how the specific number-letter rating on the nameplate is tested and assigned.

What sizes do Amerex ABC fire extinguishers come in? The standard hand-portable line runs 2.5, 5, 6, 10, and 20 lb (B417T through A411/423). The High-Flow line adds 10 and 20 lb units built for a faster discharge rate, and the Z-Series high-performance line covers 10 lb, 13.2 lb (6 kg), 20 lb, and 30 lb capacities across its Fast Flow and Compliance Flow tiers (10 lb in Compliance Flow only). Beyond hand-portable sizes, ABC dry chemical also ships in wheeled units from 125 lb up through 300 lb and above.

Which Amerex ABC extinguisher is best for a business? It depends on the rating your occupancy requires, not on picking the biggest unit available. Amerex's hazard-analysis page lists general building protection, office buildings, retail stores, warehouses, and woodworking shops as ABC dry chemical applications, and its ABC hand portables run 1A:10B:C (B417T), 2A:10B:C (B500, B424), 3A:40B:C (B402, B443, B461), 4A:80B:C (B456, B441), and 10A:120B:C (A411, 423). Confirm the exact rating your building requires with NFPA 10 and your authority having jurisdiction.

Are Amerex ABC extinguishers rechargeable? Yes. Every model in this guide is a stored-pressure extinguisher with a serviceable valve, and Amerex's Owner's Service Manual for these units states plainly: "RECHARGE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IMMEDIATELY AFTER ANY USE." Beyond post-use recharge, Amerex specifies a six-year complete-maintenance teardown and a 12-year hydrostatic cylinder retest, performed by a qualified fire equipment service professional — not something to do yourself. See rechargeable vs. disposable fire extinguishers for the four questions that separate a serviceable unit like these from a disposable one.

Outfitting a building, a fleet, or a multi-site portfolio and need to match ratings across a mixed rack of these models — or price a full changeout? Send us the model list and site requirements and we'll come back with options and lead time: request a quote.

Sources

Model rosters, UL & ULC ratings, capacities, valve types, dimensions, shipping weights, discharge times, discharge rates, ranges, nominal operating pressures, bracket fitments, warranty terms, and feature descriptions (including the ABC agent description, and the Fast Flow, Compliance Flow, High-Flow, and Z-Series feature and application text quoted above) are from Amerex's current Portable Fire Extinguisher Catalog. Shared parts-platform groupings for the aluminum-valve and brass-valve hand portables are from the Amerex Parts Book (P/N 27277). Recharge and maintenance requirements — immediate post-use recharge, the six-year complete-maintenance teardown, and the 12-year hydrostatic test interval — and the operational temperature range are quoted from Amerex Owner's Service Manual 05602 for stored-pressure hand-portable dry chemical extinguishers. Every product link above was verified live against the current ShopAmerex.com catalog. Where a rating, part, or fitment is critical to your application, confirm it against the extinguisher's own nameplate and Amerex's current documentation, and confirm hazard classification and code compliance with a qualified fire protection professional and your authority having jurisdiction.

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