Is my powder any good?

[Nomadnailer]

I have some ffg black powder that my father bought in 1986 it has been stored all over the house from the mud room to the attic. I can shoot one time but when I load the second shot I have to pull it and the patch comes out with wet tar looking powder on it.

[swathdiver]

Hmm, I'd dump it all out and let it dry up. If it doesn't dry out, use it for fertilizer and get some new cans.

[Nomadnailer]

It sounds dry in the horn could it still be wet?

[Fly]

Lay it out on new paper & let it dry in the sun for a day. It will be fine.

Fly

[bubba.50]

if you use a lube that is not compatible with black powder you can get some of the awfulest, hardest to clean tar-like foulin' you've ever seen & in unbelievable amounts.

[bedbugbilly]

+1 to what Bubba says . . . . I'm assuming it has been stored in the original container (can)? If so and it was kept dry, there shouldn't be a problem at all with it. I'm guessing that if it goes bang on the first shot . . . something you are using for lube (as Bubba says) is making it that way. Or . . are you patching your barrel between shots with a wet patch? Perhaps too wet? A spit patch is fine but a very wet patch can leave moisture in the breech. I have multiple cans of BP . . some of it dating back to some I bought back in the early 1960's. I have always kept it stored in my powder chest in a dry place. In fact, was shooting some of it this afternoon in my '51 Navy - DuPont 3F. It went bang just fine.

[labradigger1]

Are the pre-lubed patches that you are using BP compatible.
Black powder LOVES moisture. The wet you are seeing is more than likely just the black drawing moisture from the lubed patch after ignition.
I am assuming you are using a patch and ball?
For an example of what I am referring to do a search here for "blow tubing".
I doubt your powder is wet because I would think you would have a dud every time. Wet powder won't burn.
It this a rock lock or percussion?

Perhaps you could try running a spit patch followed by a dry patch between shots. Also, run a few caps through your nipple and clean it well. This will help dry out the honey hole area.
If this is your rock lock, are you using 3f in your pan? If not, you will not get good ignition with 2f and this could be your main problem.
BTW, nomad is my BIL for the last 15 years. I've tried to "take him out " twice and he keeps coming back lol.
Lab

[oldfart1956]

I don't think age affects black powder much. Moisture yes. I have a can (6 1/4 lb.) of Dupont Powder setting here that is marked 1906. Still has the labels top/bottom fairly legible and yes I shot it about all up. Worked fine. Some old originals found loaded from God only knows when still had viable loads in the barrels. Audie...the Oldfart

[blueeyephil]

Love this forum. I was thinking about this the last couple of weeks. I have some that I know is about 20 yes old and was wondering if it would still be good. I was going to post this question tonight.

[Pyro&Black]

Nobody but the owner of the powder can say for-sure it's still good. Take it to the range and shoot it at 25-50 and 100 yards. Those bullet holes on target paper is the only way to find out.

[fouronesix]

Since it's a mechanical mixture of fairly stable chemical components… the shelf life of BP is practically unlimited unless it's been exposed to some extraordinary contamination. Something that can't be said about smokeless or the BP subs. Recovered "archaeological" BP a few hundred years old has been tested and it fires without problem. Water won't affect it much once it re-dries. So I have no idea about what the problem is as described in the OP. I have used some very old BP (+/- 100 years old) and it fires just like any other BP.

[Col4570]

Test your Lube by putting some on a hotplate if it burns away OK but if it leaves a sticky mess and eventualy bakes hard then it will probably be the lube causing the problems.Some time ago I had a 36 cal rifle in original percussion.It was loaded,I drew the patched Ball,The patching pulled apart,the Powder was hard but a jag got it out.The Powder was a brown rust colour but flashed off when I threw a match on it.Later it was sold by the owner to somebody who decided that he would find out how to shoot a muzzleloader,He obtained powder but he made a ball by Hammering some Lead into a rough sphere,apparently he used an Aspirin Bottle full of Powder and the ball would,nt go all the way down but he decided to shoot it out,as we all know and expect the barrel would,nt stand the pressure,he lost two fingers on the left hand and damaged the others.It was a nice slim elegant Rifle and would have made a good shooter.

[Nomadnailer]

I figured out the problem to much powder in my pan, powder is good,thanks for replies

[bigted]

nother thing on the subject of how long powder will last.;

I obtained several pounds of GOEX cartridge powder a bunch of years ago and in the continuing shooting I began with the cartridge rifles [sharps and Hiwalls] I could never get any kinda groups out of this powder. in exasperation I kept loading with different columns to find the "sweet" spot for each rifle [for about three years] ... never came and as I were about to throw in the towel I bought a couple pounds of plain ol 2Fg GOEX and began to use it ... short story long ... it grouped like a charm and as I loaded the 2Fg powder with success ... I began to wonder the why of this horrible batch of dry shiny cartridge powder I had obtained thru trade ...[25 or 30 pounds as I recall]... so in working back n forth with this cruddy powder I at last discovered that somehow this had become compromised in some fashion and I never could get it to shoot in any firearm I tried it in.

I never found out what happened to this powder as I wanted to make the least outta it as I could. needless to say I did no further dealings with this MEMBER here and moved on to getting good powder and my difficulty's went away permanently. I still have better then a pound of this **** and I will use it someday in something that matters very little on how it functions ... however ... I just wanted to add here that there is some powder that is/can be effected by something [still not certain what] by a previous owner that we have no control over.

I would dearly love to drag this fella out here and tarnish his name but ... will do no good as I will never get my value back from this trade that I received this **** in. also I have no proof that he knew of the condition of his powder [however I surmise that he did as the rest of that trade was lopsided in the long run as well] so I just let it settle and have moved on with a good lesson learned from a one time good member here on this great forum

just take the subject powder out and hammer away with it to see if it is still good or has become compromised by something in its past.

[Lead Fred]

Just use Thompson Center 1000+ products, and you will NEVER have a loading or cleaning problem

152268

[dondiego]

bigted - Use that powder in a cannon or mortar. They are not too picky.

[bigted]

bigted - Use that powder in a cannon or mortar. They are not too picky.

there we go ... nother thing to add to my wish list ... LOL ... thanks ya enabler.

[30calflash]

Just use Thompson Center 1000+ products, and you will NEVER have a loading or cleaning problem

152268Dittos on the T/C products, never a loading or cleaning problem in thousands of rounds.

[Boogieman]

If the first round fires ok I wouldn't think the powder is bad. sounds like oil not cleaned out of the flash channel or too much of the wrong kind of patch lub not cleaning all the oil out of the barrel before loading will do it also. please know don't ask how I