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Thread: shelf life of black mz?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master fastdadio's Avatar
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    shelf life of black mz?

    Howdy folks,
    After reading all I can find about Black MZ, I've decided to get some. Sportsman's Warehouse has it listed for $10.00 bux a LB. Since I'm Scottish, I want to maximize my hazmat fee and stock up. I'll be buying other powders and primers also. I'm not a large volume shooter. So, how long will it last being stored in doors? Any one had any sitting around for years? What say ye, the collective, on the long term storage of this stuff.

  2. #2
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    if unopened, most if not all of the smokeless stuff (black mz), lasts "forever", but once opened it can begin a deterioration process that still might last a very long time. however, real black powder lasts forever, even if opened.

    https://www.chuckhawks.com/blackMZ.htm

  3. #3
    Boolit Master fastdadio's Avatar
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    Thank you Sir.

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    Boolit Master arcticap's Avatar
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    It won't deteriorate if the lid is kept on at all times after pouring out the amount needed.

    I have some original Clean Shot powder which is still as good as the day that it was made after many years of storage.
    After the Clean Shot powder company was sued by Hodgdon for making round pellets, it became American Pioneer Powder which made the Black MZ powder for Alliant.
    It's still basically the same original formula, and while there is always the potential for it to absorb moisture from humid air, it can't if you don't let it.
    Always replace the cap immediately after taking the amount out of the container that you need to fill the flask or powder horn.

    I pre-measure charges and place them into pill bottles at home before going to the range.
    And then only put more into a flask if it is needed.
    Otherwise the container stays tightly sealed and it won't lose any potency as far as I can tell.
    Last edited by arcticap; 01-20-2019 at 11:39 AM.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master fastdadio's Avatar
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    I never knew the business side of Clean shot. I tried it years ago when it first came out. This was before the internet so we didn't have a world of info and product reviews to look up. It was very clean just like it said, but my groups were huge. I found it very inconsistent, so I went back to Pyro and made fire crackers out of the rest of it. That was over 20 years ago. A lot has changed since then. Pyro has served me well all these years. I just want to try some thing new and see what all the banter is about. This makes me think maybe I should buy just one can and see how it goes. Thanks for your post.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by rfd View Post
    if unopened, most if not all of the smokeless stuff (black mz), lasts "forever", but once opened it can begin a deterioration process that still might last a very long time. however, real black powder lasts forever, even if opened.

    https://www.chuckhawks.com/blackMZ.htm
    I'm still shooting my grandfather's black powder from time to time. I'm pretty sure it dates back to the fifties.

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    Not sure how long the shelf life is. But I don't know how much it has degraded when you open a new bottle and find this.


    Had to pour the entire 1lb into a container and then use a spoon and gently crush the chunks up. I still get good accuracy, slower velocity than pyrodex but for $9.99 a lb... What the hell. Keeps my rifles smoking.

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    Quote Originally Posted by FrontierMuzzleloading View Post
    Not sure how long the shelf life is. But I don't know how much it has degraded when you open a new bottle and find this.


    Had to pour the entire 1lb into a container and then use a spoon and gently crush the chunks up. I still get good accuracy, slower velocity than pyrodex but for $9.99 a lb... What the hell. Keeps my rifles smoking.
    Just a shake or two seems to loosen it up. I have been blazing away with it in .32 to 10 gauge. Have had a few bottles for going on 3-years and it still lights off great. $10 a pound and close to 2f black in power except for cleans up real easy. Am going to brave it & try some in a Lyman flintlock just to see in a week or so-weather permitting. I'll use some real black in the pan. Think it should work?

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    A shake or two on a rock crusher maybe. I had to empty all of my containers and manually crush the chunks up. Shaking did nothing. It still shoots reliably and with good accuracy. The biggest selling point for me is that it only costs $10.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by FrontierMuzzleloading View Post
    A shake or two on a rock crusher maybe. I had to empty all of my containers and manually crush the chunks up. Shaking did nothing. It still shoots reliably and with good accuracy. The biggest selling point for me is that it only costs $10.
    did you ever contact the manufacturer and asked them why it did this?

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    Didnt bother. Just typical of this powder and the folks that make ( or made it i should say ) it for Alliant.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by FrontierMuzzleloading View Post
    A shake or two on a rock crusher maybe. I had to empty all of my containers and manually crush the chunks up. Shaking did nothing. It still shoots reliably and with good accuracy. The biggest selling point for me is that it only costs $10.
    Next time you get any that bad, send it my way. I might be able to use that in my 16" loads I'm working on. I plan on using it in the board shoot at Winnemucca this summer.

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    it shoots fine, just curious how much of a factor this plays in its consistency. I'll actually be shooting some later today out of my inline. Tired of T7 crud ring really fast after the other day lol.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check