surplus 4831 ?

[autofix4u]

I have seen , and loades some of the old surplus 4831, but havent seen any for sale in a long time.
While setting up for a gun show tonight the fellow at the table across from me brings in 2 cardboard kegs
of the stuff. One a 20lber and the other a 50lber both still sealed with the paper tape. Hes says it was his dads, Bought in the 60'S and thats all that he thougt was still good since those were not opened.
I opened a keg and it still smells good? Think it would be worth buying? I havent ever seen this guy before and he says this is his first show.
The kegs have an arizona address?

[TCLouis]

That is the first rifle powder I ever loaded with. 48 grains with 129 grain Hornady round nose in my trusty 6.5X257.

Offer him 50 cents a pound!
That is what I paid for the last of it I bought.

Oh wait that was 1967 . . . Never mind.

I gave the last two pounds to a guy here as he said he had never found a powder that would perform in his 270 like the old Milsurp 4831.

[Stick_man]

My dad picked up a big can of it about 40 years ago. It weighed probably 15 lbs or so full. It worked great in the '06 with the heavier j-words. I still have maybe one pound of it left. Haven't loaded anything with it in years, but probably will soon. There is no value in the can itself and not really enough powder to do much else with.

[littlejack]

Back in the mid sixties, I had a mentor that had shot in a lot of matches in southern
California.
He taught me the basics, and then some of the reloading hobby.
We would go to the surplus store down on Willammette Street in Eugene, Oregon, and buy
the surplus powder for .79 per pound, poured in a brown paper bag.

[FrankG]

Good stuff ! Just make sure it hasnt drawn any moisture ! If its gone bad it will have a acidic vinegar odor . If its good it will have the ether odor to it .

[schutzen]

I bought a 20 LB keg last year for $2.50 per lb. It was manufacutered in 1973. Shoots great in .30-06, .25-06, and .325WSM.

[autofix4u]

Well, I am the proud owner of 70lbs for 4831. The guy still had it and didnt want to cart the stuff back home. Got it for price of a Franklin. I sure hope it will work in my rifles........
Also got 14k primers from him for another C note, 7k fed lr and 7k fed small rifle br. I need to buy a rifle that takes small rifle primers I now have about 25k and nothing to burn them in.
I let the seller set the price by the way, so no how could you rim him off like that comments please.

[swheeler]

You did good! Really good:)

[FrankG]

It does super in my 6.5x55,6.5-06,30-06's,30-338 .

[clearwater]

Worked good in my 25-06 and 25-284, also as a compressed load in 22-250 (j bullets)

Watch for rust coloration or bad smell when it turns.

Don't use reduced loads.

Crony your loads if you can to make sure it compares well
to published data.

[TCLouis]

He got rid of the powder and primers, and you got something to use, and something for trading goods.

Congrats

[Fishman]

Great deal! You could burn up a couple of barrels with that much powder!

[atr]

YES !....
I bought a 20# barrel of H4831 in cardboard kegs back in the 60's. Burned it all in my 30-06 and .303. I always found it to be a very good powder, especially good for large cases and heavy bullets.
I just got re-aquainted with 4831....a friend sold me his lot as he didn't like how it performed...

[beagle]

Bought the first of that stuff for $.40 a pound. They scooped it out of a container and you carried it home in a doubled paper bag.

Slow burning but was cheap and it loaded okay. I think it was military over run powder that was used in the 20mm Hispano Suizo.

Well worth the $.40. You could get it in a can for a dollar a pound but that was big money then./beagle