Need help identifying a powder

[strangwn]

I have some unknown handloads that are 9mm Luger, cast 124 gr RN PB, with 3.0 gr of maybe Red Dot. It has the occasional red flake in it. 3.0 gr is well below the minimum for Red Dot in several of my manuals. The loads are too weak to work the action in my 9mm pistol. My question is: Can I be reasonably sure that this powder is Red Dot?

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Unless you have thousands of rounds to recover, pull the bullets, TOSS THE POWDER and load something you are sure of using the primed brass and bullets.

[mold maker]

Don't trust it. Any unknown powder is just so much fertilizer. Powder is too cheap to take that kind of chance.

[runfiverun]

send them to me.
3 grs of red-dot or bulls-eye will work all of my 9mms.

did you make these loads?
did you have red-dot on hand at the time?
are we talking like 5,000 rounds?
if you get like 4 oz's of powder from pulling these down is it really worth reusing it?
you could just pull them down and bump the charge like .2grs and be okay... or maybe not.

[osteodoc08]

Who loaded them? I don't shoot others reloads with the exception of my late fathers and my mentor, Ralph (45cal)

[mdi]

Unless you have thousands of rounds to recover, pull the bullets, TOSS THE POWDER and load something you are sure of using the primed brass and bullets.

This! Guessing a powder's origin is questionable, at best...

[strangwn]

I guess I should have asked the question a little differently. Is anyone aware of a powder, other than Red Dot, that has the occasional red flake in it?

[buckshotshoey]

I guess I should have asked the question a little differently. Is anyone aware of a powder, other than Red Dot, that has the occasional red flake in it?

The consensus is it doesn't matter what powder it is. Ditch it. Lawn fertilizer. House plants like it too. Just not worth the chance. Could the red you see be deterioration?

[runfiverun]

they made some sheet flake powder with red dots in it back in the day.
but it was a rifle powder and was cut square.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have a 15lb container(paper canister) of red dot powder from the 1970s, there is no red flakes in it. It was stored in a climate controlled basement for all of it's storage years.

My only comment to your situation is, if you have to ask, then you should dump it.

[buckshotshoey]

I have a 15lb container(paper canister) of red dot powder from the 1970s, there is no red flakes in it. It was stored in a climate controlled basement for all of it's storage years.

My only comment to your situation is, if you have to ask, then you should dump it.

Agreed. The red flakes he see's might be a form of deterioration? Maybe.

[strangwn]

Thanks guys for all the input.

[243winxb]

http://www.ilrc.ucf.edu/powders/sample_detail.php?powder_id=119

Photos of most all powder at link. More than one Red Dot Old Hercules is not showing any Red??

[quack1]

I have a 15lb container(paper canister) of red dot powder from the 1970s, there is no red flakes in it. It was stored in a climate controlled basement for all of it's storage years.

My only comment to your situation is, if you have to ask, then you should dump it.

I was given a nearly full cardboard keg of red dot, I figure was made the 70's. Not a red flake to be found. I loaded a few 357"s with a very mild load and a few with some fresh red dot I had and ran them over the chrono. No difference. I emailed Alliant and asked about the missing red dots. They said that the red coloring does fade over time.

[jsizemore]

I've only seen red dots in my Red Dot. Does the rest of the powder look like this :

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=red+dot+powder+picture&view=detailv2&&id=73895B12473E2163FD6462BCA9A8ACAF29957AB7&selectedIndex=0&ccid=ELEqE1tD&simid=607994566640075886&thid=OIP.M10b12a135b4372b432c663319064543fo0&ajaxhist=0

All the Red Dot I've ever bought looked like that.

[fredj338]

I would say yes, it's RD, I am not aware of any other powder with red tags. Yes, 3.0gr is too light with a 124gr bullet. That is what I use as a minor load with 147gr though. I just wouldn't want to pull a bunch of rounds to save components unless I was in SHTF scenario & had to.

[zomby woof]

Shoot it up