Tell Me What I Don't Want To Hear

[Jumptrap]

I emptied a jug of H4895 this evening and just knew i had another...some place. I found it hiding behind a jug of H110. Much to my chagrin, when I opened the jug, it was set up in a chunk and smelled awful. A whole jug of 4895 gone sour and then......my last 6 pounds of old MR 3100 was found to be the same way. Is there no hope for the widow's son! How I hate to make fertilizer out of 14 pounds of powder!

Tell me, is it beyond use? Makes me take a hard look at the other 8 jugs of various powder I have on hand.GRRRRRRRRR!

[felix]

Hate to say it, Jump, but the bugs got to it. It can happen to any powder, any time. Every time you open a jug you are allowing a gateway for these little critters into something they might enjoy. If you have a doctor friend in town, have him scope the stuff and see if he can match the critters to something in the books. I am curious to say the least, because it happened to me too in loaded cartridges. Luckily I did not fire the lot, except for one which gave the tell tale sign that something was not right. I told Sundog about this lot of 308's and he took the rounds and recovered the match brass and the 168 grainers ... felix

[Junior1942]

Buy a used frost-free refrigerator ($150??) and store your powder, primers, and loaded ammo in both the freezer and fridge sections. Put bricks of primers in zip bags and slowly return to room temp before opening the bag. Do ammo the same except use MTM-type boxes. Don't open powder until it returns to room temp.

It makes a good place to store extra beer, too. . . .

[sundog]

Yup, had to dig it out with a small screw driver. Couldn't get all of it, because it was caked in there. Got most, loaded a small charge of ?? and a cast boolit and shot them. Then they went in the tumbler. Managed to recover some good brass, but what a job. Powder all went on the summer hybiscus out by the barn. sundog

Junior, isn't that an oxymoron? "Extra" beer???

[PatMarlin]

Is this a southeastern phenomenon?

[Jumptrap]

Junior.......please tell us all what EXTRA beer is........hehehehe!

I think your idea is perfect. My conclusion on the bad powder is heat is the culprit. I had it on a high shelf in the garage....where the heat is the greatest..but out of reach of my kiddies. The thoughts of $180 worth of powder going bad, galls my ass in the worse way. First time I have ever had this problem.

[Junior1942]

Junior.......please tell us all what EXTRA beer is........hehehehe!
It's what you buy when you make an infrequent trip to a big town where your beer is $10 per case instead of $13 a case in the small town in which you live.

I lost probably 15 lbs of various kinds of powder and more that 10,000 primers when I stored them for about 9 years in my dad's un-airconditioned, un-heated front bedroom in his old house in north Louisiana. A divorce, what can I say?

That won't happen again because (1) I don't plan on another marriage, and (2) I store powder, primers, and loaded ammo in a refrigerator, as I posted earlier. Make sure it's frost free and doesn't have an ice maker as (a) you'll need the room and (b) ice cubes provide moisture.

Call your local refrigeration man and tell him you're looking for a beat-up frost free refrigerator without an icemaker. You might can get one delivered for $100. It would be easy to put a lock on the door to keep kids out of your powder, etc., and your friends out of your beer.

[Bucks Owin]

Junior, I have powder that is 40 yrs old that still performs perfectly. It's been stored at 115 degrees and at -30 degrees. It was stored in the original can, tightly capped. I also have CCI primers in the old box with the wooden tray. They work 100%...

If I buy another freezer it'll be for more venison storage! :-D

Dennis

[Junior1942]

Junior, I have powder that is 40 yrs old that still performs perfectly. It's been stored at 115 degrees and at -30 degrees. It was stored in the original can, tightly capped. I also have CCI primers in the old box with the wooden tray. They work 100%...What's your average humidity? 10%?? Here in Louisiana, if it ain't raining it's trying to rain or it just stopped raining. Listen. . . . is that thunder?

[Jumptrap]

Junior,

Here in eastern Kentucky the humidity is awful....damp in the winter, suffocating in the summer...70-90% is normal in summer....no kidding.

These two jugs were original containers and kept tightly capped.

[PatMarlin]

Up here in far N. Cal it's the driest I've ever lived in at 3100 feet.

We use 1 little sized sawp cooler, and it does a good job on the whole house. That sucker wouldn't even cool the family room in Sacramento.

I don't see how you guys get anything done back there. I couldn't breath.

[TCLouis]

All the powder comes in plastic jugs today. Powder seemed to keep forever in metal cans. Is the plastic jug part of the issue.

All my powder has come in jugs and it seems the best situationl would be the 1 pound can so one would use a lot of it in one loading session. 4, 6, 8 pound jugs get opened many times before they are emptied compared to 1 lb can!

I recently gave away 1/2 of a Coleman fuel can of milsurp 4831 we packaged from a BULK deal in the late 60s and it smelled and performed as it did when "new" to me. How long had the government had it before they surplused it?
The fuel can was designed to fail rather tha build pressure just like the "normal" powder cans.

One used to be able to buy the solvent cans from a paint dealer, but the world of prepackaged everything seems to have killed that.

So who is the plastics expert that can tell us about the "breathing rate of plastic" vs metal and . . . AND will it make any real difference??

[Junior1942]

All the powder comes in plastic jugs today. Powder seemed to keep forever in metal cans. Is the plastic jug part of the issue.Nope, plastic jugs and metal cans do not breathe. The issue is high temps and high humidity. Followed by low temps which create varying internal pressure in the container and tend to suck in high humidity outside air.

[slughammer]

All my powder has come in jugs and it seems the best situationl would be the 1 pound can so one would use a lot of it in one loading session. 4, 6, 8 pound jugs get opened many times before they are emptied compared to 1 lb can!


I have a 1 pound can to match each of my 8 pound jugs. Powder for a loading session comes from the 1 pound can and then goes back in the can when the session is over. 8 pounders only get opened when the lil ones get light.

[Jumptrap]

Well, I burned the 3100 and tried the 4895 today...it has lost it's mojo. I loaded 26 grins in a 30-30 and just got a 'pop'...not once, but twice i tried it. damn shame.

[StarMetal]

Jump,

Lost it's mojo???? You sound like an Austin Powers movie fan...har har har :Fire:

Joe

[9.3X62AL]

Well, it took this thread and almost 8 years of posting to FINALLY discern ONE good thing about living in the PRC--the dry climate, and it's positive nature for powder/primer preservation. Thank you for that.

Oh--there are good freeways OUTBOUND in all directions, too. Nevada is probably as good for powder as CA is, come to think of it.

[Poygan]

Deputy Al, By your logic, hell would also qualify....

[StarMetal]

Jump,

That's "baaaaaaaaby", the way Austin says it. Hey, I'd give anything to hold and kiss Elizabeth Hurley, like he did in that one movie. She just tears me up, know what I mean.

Joe

[PatMarlin]

I can hook you up Joe... me and Liz are tight!!

-just let me know.. :mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

I'm currently in the market for a "dead' fridge to put out in the milk room with all my other gear. When I was banished to the barn I determined rust would be a real problem on my dies and other metal gear and the humidity would not be good for my primers etc. Ammo cans for the powder and primers and mouilds, and a dead fridge with a 15 watt light bulb in it for the dies, etc. Add a hasp and lock and there's some security there too. I have a '50's Kelvinator fridge that runs like a champ for animal meds, worms and cold drinks, (sorry, no beer here. I watched my folks too many times to subject any child to that thank you). May even break out my old 4 cup coffee maker from my bachelor days and add it to the decor. A little heat for winter and the barn may become my favorite place!

[PatMarlin]

I know a 15 watt bulb is cheaper to set up Brett, but you may want to consider one of these. It will do a better job, and use less power:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41100

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
UTAH is great on powder & primers. 30+ yrs. sorage life on the shelf in my finished basement on some types.

[Ed Barrett]

Here in Missouri we have the best of both worlds, Winter is what you dream about in the summer time and summer is what you dream about in the winter. I have kept my powders in the basement for the last 45 years. It never gets above 70 and never gets below 60. I setup a little vent system and cast down there summer and winter (mostly winter) I live on a bluff so I have never had any seepage problems. Everyone I know who uses an outbuilding for storing powder seems to have trouble. I remember when I was a kid the Joliet Arsenal had all their powder stored in dugout bunkers so they would stay cool. The fridge sounds like a good idea, I'd have to keep diet, caffene free soda in it, I'm on too many medications to drink beer, but it sounds good.

[Newtire]

I live in Central Coast Calif area & here they have to use special kinds of plastic so it won't start rusting. I had a whole batch of 12 ga loaded with bullseye go into the "clump" mode on me and primers...don't leave them in the garage. reloading & redwood forests don't go well together.

[PatMarlin]

Plastic rust?

Like Spock used to say.. "explain"? ...or was that spock? ...who was that?. :confused:

[Newtire]

Plastic rust?

Like Spock used to say.. "explain"? ...or was that spock? ...who was that?. :confused:
I think Captain Kirk would say something like...That's an Earthling thing. It's called humor. Spock would then say, I'll have to make a note of it Captain...It is real damp & foggy here in the mornings. If there is iron anywhere exposed, it will be red with rust in the morning if you don't watch out.

[wills]

Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do.

[Randy in Arizona]

Deputy Al, By your logic, hell would also qualify....

Nope, too many open flame sources!:twisted:



:kidding:

[Junior1942]

I'm currently in the market for a "dead' fridge to put out in the milk room with all my other gear. Trooper, you want a live fridge, not a dead one. Make sure it's frost free and you'll never have a moisture problem. Store powder, primers, and loaded ammo in both the freezer part and the fridge part.

Put primers and loaded ammo in quart Zip bags. Don't open powder cans or the Zip bags until they've slowly come to room temperature.