Lee PrecisionWidenersTitan ReloadingInline Fabrication
RotoMetals2RepackboxMidSouth Shooters SupplyLoad Data
Reloading Everything
Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 41 to 60 of 66

Thread: How old is too old for powder?

  1. #41
    Boolit Mold
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Arizona
    Posts
    27
    I had a 1 lb container of H322 go bad that I bought in the late 80s. It was made in the 70s judging by the container shape and labeling. The container itself had swelled noticeably and nitric acid smelling fumes drifted out when it was opened. I poured some into a tub of tap water and it reacted by bubbling so I'm certain it was acid reacting with the alkalinity in the water. I neutralized the rest of the bottle and disposed of it.

    For what it's worth, the second identical container I bought with it was just fine and was used up with no incidents.

  2. #42
    Boolit Grand Master
    rockrat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    5,311
    The Red Dot shot OK, seemed just a bit anemic. Really no smell to it, and looks just fine

  3. #43
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Posts
    62
    Some old containers that I emptied (made bullets). The bullets shot fine. I also believe that most powder lasts indefinitely as long as its stored properly.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	20191021_172933.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	44.1 KB 
ID:	250006

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  4. #44
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    brisbane ,qld,australia
    Posts
    2,125
    Ball powders and fluffy powders are supposed to last indefinitely.The only bulk powder Ive seen decompose was early 1970s Du Pont IMR 4895,and other people had the same thing.

  5. #45
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    118
    i still have some sr 4756 from the early 80's. still is good as day 1. down to about 3 pounds. wish i had more, but i don't and will use it up by years end.

  6. #46
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    SoCal, USA
    Posts
    524
    I have red dot from a 15 pound cardboard keg that no longer has red dots. My grandfather bought it decades ago and it still works fine. Other smaller cans have been from the 60's or 70's and are fine. I have had some start to turn, probably due to how it was stored.

  7. #47
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    3,702
    Cleaned out my Dads stuff after he left us ----Red dot was fine ----WST was fine---- in amongst the pile was one had ate the metal can it was in - I was given Nobel 60 and Sr4759 had to be 40 years old --- both fine - this is one of those how long is the piece of string questions - sniff it and see seems best advice - IMI ball powder didnt last for me

  8. #48
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    3,702
    Cleaned out my Dads stuff after he left us ----Red dot was fine ----WST was fine---- in amongst the pile was one had ate the metal can it was in - I was given Nobel 60 and Sr4759 had to be 40 years old --- both fine - this is one of those how long is the piece of string questions - sniff it and see seems best advice - IMI ball powder didnt last for me

  9. #49
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Dead center of Alabama
    Posts
    2,366
    I have some Alcan AL-5 and AL-8 that is 60 yrs old and they still have their identifying flakes ans smell fine but they are in the little cardboard cubes. All of the powder I have ever seen that was suspect or proved to be bad(visually) has been in a metal can. Old paper/cardboard containers seem to be more age friendly.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  10. #50
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    1,308
    I think the real question should be how the powder has been kept and where. I am using Noels revolver No 1 I believe was made in 1961, yet I have thrown out powder that was only a few years old and badly stored. Regards Stephen

  11. #51
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    2,508
    Loaded up some 243 Winchesters today with some H380 that came from a Hodgdon factory can that didn't have a zip code on it.

    If I have the start of zip codes correct, it puts the powder pre-1963. Going to try the loads on Saturday.

    If my posts stop on Friday, then it probably wasn't a good idea to load almost 60 year old powder.

  12. #52
    Boolit Buddy Rapidrob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Thunder Mountain,NM
    Posts
    323
    For the last two months I have been loading Rottweil Number 5 flake powder that was made in 1932. I have several pounds of this powder that I pulled down from German ammunition that has dead primers.
    I have loaded the powder in 8x57, 6.5 Jap, 7.5 Swiss and 7.65 Argy so far with outstanding results. I only shoot long range targets and the powder burns well leaving about the same residue as IMR 4350.
    Another batch of powder was pulled from 7x57 that was badly corroded from being wet. I was able to salvage the bullets and the powder.
    The inside of the brass cases had rust from the primers corroding and most of the powder separated from the rust using a kitchen screen strainer. The remaining powder ( several pounds of it) needed to be washed. Since smokeless powder is made under water today its no big deal to wash powder. I used a large plastic tub filled with distilled water and dumped powder into it. A few minutes mixing and all the rust floated to the top and was easily siphoned away.
    The powder/water mix was then strained and the wet powder was placed on large trays covered in wax paper and allowed to dry inside my shop. The was no damage to the flakes and when the powder was dry,the flakes looked identical to the non-washed powder flakes.
    When dry the powder was bottled and marked. The powder was the standard Hotchkiss Glass Plate Flake type and after a burn rate test a loading chart was drawn up. The powder is very close to IMR 4064.
    While this seems like a lot of work I now have about 10 pounds of this powder and close to five thousand 7mm 175 grain FMJ boat-tail bullets that were salvageable.
    And the corroded brass is now in the recycle barrel going to the salvage yard for cash.

  13. #53
    Moderator
    Texas by God's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    14,334
    I'm using up a pound of DuPont 4F that has a price tag of $2.35- goes Boom.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  14. #54
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    1,091
    Rapidrob, do you have any idea of the origins of the legendary 8mm Turkish ammo, the stuff from the 40's? I was told that Germany supplied the powder to the Turks for their ammo production during the war. that powder is a nice looking square flake powder, which I have pulled and reduced by 10%, and reloaded for better accuracy, as the original loading seemed pretty hot.

  15. #55
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    NH
    Posts
    3,783
    Quote Originally Posted by Texas by God View Post
    I'm using up a pound of DuPont 4F that has a price tag of $2.35- goes Boom.
    And 100 years from now if kept DRY it will do the same with no effect of tempracure. Cause it is Black Powder.

  16. #56
    Boolit Buddy Rapidrob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Thunder Mountain,NM
    Posts
    323
    The powder most likely supplied to the Turks would have been Rottweil #5 smokeless flake. A very stable flake powder.
    The Turk loads are not hot. They are ORIGINAL 150 grain German loads pushing the bullet to 2,800 FPS which was the normal German loading. Brass quality/age can be a factor. I have seen one lot year have bad,weak primer cups. Other years are just fine
    Our Lawyers have caused us to download 8x57mm due to idiots firing .323 bullets out of a non-"S" bored .318 rifles.
    Many of the other countries saved on powder loading's for no other reason than economy.
    Another very common powder you will run into is Hotchkiss Glass Plate Flake. It too was copied by agreement or manufacture rights stolen and loaded into many,many countries cartridges. The burn rate can be controlled somewhat by the shape of the flake ( exposed edge area) and the powder is very stable as well making it ideal for military use.
    It burns very much like IMR-4064.
    I have large quantities of both powders and use them in reloading several calibers.

  17. #57
    Boolit Buddy Gobeyond's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    437
    Cool and dry. I’ve got some only a few years smells a bit like ammonia. But thanks I learned a lot here. It will last a long time!

  18. #58
    Boolit Master FLHTC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    The Police State
    Posts
    909
    Quote Originally Posted by rockrat View Post
    LGS got some reloading stuff in and part of it was a half empty container of red dot and almost full keg of 2400. These things are cardboard and the whole top comes off to get at the powder. The RD is a 15 lb container, so maybe 8 lbs left and maybe 7 lbs of 2400. Leery of opened powder , plus I don't know how it was stored. Probably from the 60's

    On the plus side, I picked up an old red colored metal keg that was for 5 lbs of 2400 (maybe 1.5lbs in it still) and an unopened square metal can of Bullseye (early 70's). Also got some 45-70 brass and Hornady 300gr bullets and an old RCBS EZ Melt I
    Cardboard barrels were used by Hercules and Alliant up to the early to mid 1990’s. I have just opened a red metal barrel of Red Dot from the 1950’s and it’s fine. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

  19. #59
    Boolit Buddy Wild Bill 7's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    S.W. Florida
    Posts
    315
    I have about 4lbs. of Unique that's in a round cardboard container that's over 30 years old and is still good.

  20. #60
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    NH
    Posts
    3,783
    When I had my gunshop any opened can was fertilizer period end of debate. Open cans can be anything or mixture. Pour them on the garden and till them in.

    Being Frugal is one thing being Cheap is another IMHO. 1 pound, 4 pound 8 pound what is your eyes, face and hands worth? 2-300 bucks using any opened container.

    Never use unidentified powder. Factory seals are for a reason.

Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
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