SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              Washington, DC 20549

                              --------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934



        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 3, 1999

                          AMERICAN PACIFIC CORPORATION
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             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

       Delaware                           1-8137                59-6490478
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(State or Other Jurisdiction            (Commission           (IRS Employer
of Incorporation)                       File Number)         Identification No.)

         3770 Howard Hughes Parkway, Suite 300, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
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                     Address of principal executive offices


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (702) 735-2200

                                      N/A
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         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)


                            Exhibit Index on Page 8.


         Item 5.  Other Events.

                  On August 3, 1999, the Board of Directors of American  Pacific
Corporation (the "Company") declared a dividend of one preference share purchase
right (a "Right") for each  outstanding  share of common stock,  par value $ .10
per share (the  "Common  Shares"),  of the  Company.  The dividend is payable to
stockholders  of record on August  16,  1999 (the  "Record  Date").  Each  Right
entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-hundredth of
a share of Series D Preference Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preference
Shares"),  of the  Company  at a price  of  $24.00  per one  one-hundredth  of a
Preference  Share (the "Purchase  Price"),  subject to adjustment  under certain
circumstances. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement  (the  "Rights  Agreement"),  dated as of August 3, 1999,  between the
Company  and  American  Stock  Transfer & Trust  Company,  as Rights  Agent (the
"Rights Agent").

                  Until the  earlier to occur of (i) 10 days  following a public
announcement  that a person or group of  affiliated  or  associated  persons (an
"Acquiring  Person")  has  acquired  beneficial  ownership of 20% or more of the
outstanding Common Shares,  except pursuant to a Permitted Offer or a Qualifying
Offer (each as defined in the Rights  Agreement),  or (ii) 10 business  days (or
such later date as may be determined  by action of the Board of Directors  prior
to such time as any person or group of affiliated  persons  becomes an Acquiring
Person)  following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make,
a tender offer or exchange offer the  consummation  of which would result in the
beneficial  ownership  by a person  or  group of 20% or more of the  outstanding
Common Shares (the earlier of such dates being called the "Distribution  Date"),
the  Rights  will  be  evidenced,  with  respect  to  any of  the  Common  Share
certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Share certificate
(which certificates shall also be deemed Rights certificates).

                  The Rights  Agreement  provides that,  until the  Distribution
Date (or earlier  redemption or  expiration  of the Rights),  the Rights will be
transferred  with and only with the Common  Shares.  Common  Share  certificates
issued  after the Record  Date but prior to the  Distribution  Date (or  earlier
redemption or  expiration  of the Rights) upon transfer or original  issuance of
Common  Shares will  contain a notation  incorporating  the Rights  Agreement by
reference.  Until the Distribution Date (or earlier  redemption or expiration of
the Rights),  the surrender for transfer of any  certificates  for Common Shares
outstanding  as of the Record Date,  even without such notation or a copy of the
Summary of Rights being attached  thereto,  will also constitute the transfer of
the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificate. As
soon as  practicable  following the  Distribution  Date,  separate  certificates
evidencing  the Rights (the "Right  Certificates")  will be mailed to holders of
record of the Common Shares as of the close of business on the Distribution Date
and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.

                  The Rights are not exercisable  until the  Distribution  Date.
The Rights will expire on August 2, 2009 (the "Final Expiration  Date"),  unless
the Final  Expiration Date is extended or unless the Rights are earlier redeemed
or exchanged by the Company, in each case, as described below.


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                  In the  event  that  any  person  or group  of  affiliated  or
associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, proper provision will be made so
that  each  holder  of a Right,  other  than  Rights  beneficially  owned by the
Acquiring Person (which will thereafter be void), will thereafter have the right
to receive upon  exercise  that number of Common Shares having a market value of
two times the exercise price of the Right.  However,  Rights are not exercisable
following  the  occurrence  of the event set forth  above until such time as the
Rights are no longer redeemable by the Company.

                  For example, at an exercise price of $24 per Right, each Right
not owned by an Acquiring Person (or related party) following an event set forth
in the  preceding  paragraph  would  entitle its holder to purchase $48 worth of
Common  Shares for $24.  Assuming that the Common Stock had a per share value of
$12 at such time, the holder of each valid Right would be entitled to purchase 4
shares of Common Stock for $24.

                  In the event that the Company is acquired in a merger or other
business  combination  transaction or 50% or more of its consolidated  assets or
earning  power are sold after a person or group has become an Acquiring  Person,
proper  provision  will be made so that each  holder of a Right will  thereafter
have the  right  to  receive,  upon the  exercise  thereof  at the then  current
exercise  price of the  Right,  that  number of  shares  of common  stock of the
acquiring company which at the time of such transaction will have a market value
of two times the exercise price of the Right.

                  The  Purchase  Price  payable,  and the  number of  Preference
Shares or other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights are
subject to adjustment from time to time to prevent  dilution (i) in the event of
a stock dividend on, or a subdivision,  combination or reclassification  of, the
Preference  Shares,  (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preference  Shares of
certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase  Preference  Shares at a
price, or securities convertible into Preference Shares with a conversion price,
less than the then-current  market price of the Preference  Shares or (iii) upon
the   distribution  to  holders  of  the  Preference   Shares  of  evidences  of
indebtedness or assets  (excluding  regular  periodic cash dividends paid out of
earnings or retained earnings or dividends  payable in Preference  Shares) or of
subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).

                  The  number  of  outstanding  Rights  and  the  number  of one
one-hundredths  of a Preference  Share  issuable upon exercise of each Right are
also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split of the Common Shares or
a stock dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or  subdivisions,
consolidations or combinations of the Common Shares occurring, in any such case,
prior to the Distribution Date.

                  Preference Shares purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will
not  be  redeemable.  Each  Preference  Share  will  be  entitled  to a  minimum
preferential  quarterly dividend payment of $1 per share but will be entitled to
an aggregate  dividend of 100 times the dividend  declared per Common Share.  In
the event of liquidation,  the holders of the Preference Shares will be entitled
to a  minimum  preferential  liquidation  payment  of $100 per share but will be
entitled to an aggregate payment of 100 times the payment made per Common Share.
Each  Preference  Share will have 100  votes,  voting  together  with the Common
Shares. Finally, in the event of any merger,  consolidation or other transaction
in which Common Shares are exchanged, each Preference Share will be entitled


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to receive 100 times the amount  received  per Common  Share.  These  rights are
protected by customary antidilution provisions.

                  Because  of the  nature of the  Preference  Shares'  dividend,
liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-hundredth  interest in a
Preference Share purchasable upon exercise of each Right should  approximate the
value of one Common Share.

                  At any time  after any person or group  becomes  an  Acquiring
Person and prior to the  acquisition  by such  person or group of 50% or more of
the  outstanding  Common  Shares,  the Board of  Directors  of the  Company  may
exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group, which will
have  become  void),  in whole or in part,  at an  exchange  ratio of one Common
Share, or one  one-hundredth  of a Preference Share (or of a share of a class or
series of the Company's  preference stock having equivalent rights,  preferences
and privileges), per Right (subject to adjustment).

                  With certain  exceptions,  no adjustment in the Purchase Price
will be required until cumulative  adjustments require an adjustment of at least
1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional Preference Shares will be issued (other
than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-hundredth of a Preference
Share,  which may, at the  election of the Company,  be evidenced by  depositary
receipts) and in lieu  thereof,  an adjustment in cash will be made based on the
market price of the Preference  Shares on the last trading day prior to the date
of exercise.

                  At any time prior to the  acquisition  by a person or group of
affiliated or associated  persons of beneficial  ownership of 20% or more of the
outstanding  Common Shares, and for a 10 day period (subject to extension for up
to an additional 10 days) thereafter,  the Board of Directors of the Company may
redeem the Rights in whole,  but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right (the
"Redemption  Price"). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such
time on such basis with such  conditions  as the Board of  Directors in its sole
discretion may  establish.  Immediately  upon any redemption of the Rights,  the
right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of
Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.

                  The  terms  of the  Rights  may be  amended  by the  Board  of
Directors  of the  Company  without  the  consent of the  holders of the Rights,
except  that from and after  such time as any person or group of  affiliated  or
associated  persons becomes an Acquiring  Person no such amendment may adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.

                  Until a Right is exercised,  the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company,  including,  without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends.

                  The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights will
cause  substantial  dilution  to a person or group that  attempts to acquire the
Company  on terms not  approved  by the  Company's  Board of  Directors,  except
pursuant  to an offer  conditioned  on a  substantial  number  of  Rights  being
acquired.  The Rights  should not  interfere  with any merger or other  business
combination  approved  by the Board of  Directors  ,  because  the Rights may be
redeemed by the


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Company  at the  Redemption  Price  prior to the time that a person or group has
acquired beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Common Shares.

                  The Rights  Agreement,  specifying the terms of the Rights and
including the form of the Certificate of Designations setting forth the terms of
the  Preference  Shares as an exhibit  thereto is attached to the Company's Form
8-A filed August 6, 1999 as an exhibit and is incorporated  herein by reference.
The  foregoing  description  of the  Rights  is  qualified  in its  entirety  by
reference to such exhibit.


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         Item 7.           Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial
                           Information and Exhibits.

         (c)      Exhibits.


         99.1              News Release of American  Pacific  Corporation  dated
                           August 3, 1999.

         99.2              Form of Rights Agreement, dated as of August 3, 1999,
                           between  American  Pacific  Corporation  and American
                           Stock  Transfer  &  Trust  Company  (Incorporated  by
                           reference to the Company's  Registration Statement on
                           Form 8-A  filed  with the  Commission  on  August  6,
                           1999).

         99.3              Form of Letter  to  Stockholders  to be  mailed  with
                           copies of  Summary of Rights to  Purchase  Preference
                           Shares  (Incorporated  by reference to the  Company's
                           Registration  Statement  on Form 8-A  filed  with the
                           Commission on August 6, 1999).




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                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Dated: August 5, 1999                  AMERICAN PACIFIC CORPORATION


                                          By: /s/ David N. Keys
                                              ----------------------------------
                                          Name: David N. Keys
                                          Title:   Executive Vice President



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                                  EXHIBIT LIST


         99.1              News Release of American  Pacific  Corporation  dated
                           August 3, 1999.

         99.2              Form of Rights Agreement, dated as of August 3, 1999,
                           between  American  Pacific  Corporation  and American
                           Stock  Transfer  &  Trust  Company  (Incorporated  by
                           reference to the Company's  Registration Statement on
                           Form 8-A  filed  with the  Commission  on  August  6,
                           1999).

         99.3              Form of Letter  to  Stockholders  to be  mailed  with
                           copies of  Summary of Rights to  Purchase  Preference
                           Shares  (Incorporated  by reference to the  Company's
                           Registration  Statement  on Form 8-A  filed  with the
                           Commission on August 6, 1999).



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