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Thread: How old is too old for powder?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
    Tom W.'s Avatar
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    Yup, that looks ugly!
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    Did I ever mention that I hate to trim brass?

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy Rapidrob's Avatar
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    I'm still using powder from WWI, as in ONE. It has been properly stored all these decades and is still as good as new.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dutchman View Post




    Looks like you may have found one of the Alexander Fleming experiments, that is like nothing I ever saw. Regards Stephen

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy Rapidrob's Avatar
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    A few years back a guy was selling pulled .50 BMG powder for cheap. We bought 100 pounds in 8 pound milk jugs.
    One "lot" of the powder was loaded and within two months the outside of the case necks had verdigris on it. I pulled the bullet and white FUMES came out of the casing! The powder had started to brake down and the nitric acid had attacked the inside of the brass cases.
    All 100 loaded .50 BMG ammo had to be destroyed,even the primers were badly corroded.
    The powder grains had turned fluffy gray and there was a distinct odor of metallic-acid ( think Draino)
    The seller did refund the money and posted a warning on his sold powder.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master

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    I'm 68 and not too old for powder. Will gladly accept any sent to me.
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  6. #26
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    I found an old keg of IMR 4227 at a local shop a few years ago that appeared to be dated from the 70s. Don't have much remaining but it's performs great.

  7. #27
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rapidrob View Post
    I'm still using powder from WWI, as in ONE. It has been properly stored all these decades and is still as good as new.
    Howdy, I'd be interested to know which powder if you don't mind telling.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Gianni View Post
    I still have some Bullseye in a steel 3 lb drum. It works fine. I have some much newer 4198 that doesn't. It all depends on storage. Really though, canister powders are a cheap as they ever have been.
    I had a can of IMR 4198 that went bad on me. I had been using it and it was fine....then a couple years later I went to open the can and the lid was stuck...can didn't feel right was soft and squishy. The can was rotted from the inside out....powder was rusty looking and stank! I dumped it in the yard but should've spread it around some as it left a rusty/burned looking stain in the grass for a long time.

    I had never seen powder go bad before....I checked all my powder that was in steel cans and all the rest was fine. Perhaps I didn't get the lid on the 4198 tight last time I used it or something like that

  9. #29
    Boolit Buddy glaciers's Avatar
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    I bought 20 pounds of H-4831 in the late 60's that was surplus from WW2. Still have 6 pounds, works good. Never had problems with powder, and I have some old stuff, mainly from the mid 70's and 80's. It's dry and cool where I store my powder.

  10. #30
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    See post #2. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...rge-Primer-etc
    You can click on the pic to enlarge the readings.
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  11. #31
    Boolit Bub
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    I have only had a couple cans of powder go bad on me over the years. A can of IMR 4895 and one of IMR 4198. In both cases when I opened the cans they smelled bad (acidic smell) and when poured out had rust flakes mixed in with the powder. I have noticed the same smell when breaking down old, questionable ammo (corrosion around bullet or primer or sometimes clean looking stuff that wouldn't fire) to salvage the bullets. The stuff often has nasty green corrosion in the powder too. The cans that went bad were from an estate and still sealed when I got them but went bad within a couple years.

    On the other hand I have much older production stuff that is still fine in my powder stash. My loading room is in the basement, fairly constant temps and humidity. Don't know how some of the older stuff I had was stored before I got it but it seems to be holding up fine. The ones that went bad could have been stored in a high heat area before i got them, no way to know. Or there could have been another unknown cause. It was easy enough to tell when they went bad though.

  12. #32
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    Several years ago a friend gave me two 6 pound kegs of a Hercules powder called Lighting. It looked like very small doughnuts. It was made in Nov 1939. The range master at the local range had a Lyman loading manual from the early '50. It listed loads for various cartridges using Lighting so I loaded some 30-o6 and fired them in my Springfield. They worked fine. I gave the powder away, mainly because I had so much other powder I ran out of storage space. Also, it left unburned powder in the barrel. As far as I know my friend still has the powder.
    A GUN THAT'S COCKED AND UNLOADED AIN'T GOOD FOR NUTHIN'........... ROOSTER COGBURN

  13. #33
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    That's neat gopher slayer, thanks for sharing.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Acetone/Paint thinner smell is expected and is sign of good powder.

    Vinegar/Sour smell is no good.

    Rusty is no good.

    Growth in it is clearly no good.

  15. #35
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    I have some powder that was stored in the attic of a house in Louisiana from the 60's.
    140 or so in the summer days 40's in the winter nights.
    All is still good.
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  16. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by farmerjim View Post
    I have some powder that was stored in the attic of a house in Louisiana from the 60's.
    140 or so in the summer days 40's in the winter nights.
    All is still good.
    I think you may have broken a record with that! I live in Louisiana also, wouldn’t know great weather if I saw it.


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  17. #37
    Boolit Buddy Went2kck's Avatar
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    I have some from the early 70's shoots just fine

  18. #38
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    .................This is a long thread and I tried to scan most of what had been previously posted.

    For the most important thing, .................HEAT IS THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE ELEMENT.
    In any chemical reaction heat is the major progenitor/accelerator.

    Secondly, OXYGEN is one of the most active re-agents................Oxygen will react with a VERY wide multitude of items. Iron into iron oxide (Rust) and Lead into Lead oxide, for example.

    If the smokeless powder that you have run across still SMELLS okay (sharp chemical smell), exhibit's no dust particulates, or sour smell, it should be okay. Having said that, you would be wise in doing some low pressure testing in a firearm in good condition.

    Beyond that all I can say is, "What is your personal face or fingers worth?

    ................Buckshot
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  19. #39
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    I have some # 80 powder from the 20's or 30's that I still load 44 special with!

  20. #40
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    I recently acquired a canister of DuPont Marksman, a powder that was inherited from Laflin & Rand in the early 1900s. In 1913 DuPont renamed this powder Gallery Rifle No.75, so the sample I have is at the very least 106 years old, with no signs of degradation or decomposition.

    Properly, and sometimes even improperly, stored smokeless powder can have an indefinite shelf-life.


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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