Contaminated Unique??

[elgoatropo]

Gentlemen, I finished off a bottle of Unique on .44 spl loads, and got into a full bottle that was given to me a couple years back by my dad’s friend who has quit reloading. It’s got an orange label, unlike the current production powder. The seal was already broken, and when I dumped some in my powder measure, I noticed it’s a mixture of flake and coarse black stick powder, about 80/20 by volume.

I compared the sticks with my H4895 and IMR4198. It’s not a match, so the contamination happened elsewhere. It is thoroughly mixed with the flake powder, like its been intentionally mixed.

I’m ready to destroy it, unless someone can convince me that Alliant used to mix two types of powder back in the day...

[vtech26]

Gentlemen, I finished off a bottle of Unique on .44 spl loads, and got into a full bottle that was given to me a couple years back by my dad’s friend who has quit reloading. It’s got an orange label, unlike the current production powder. The seal was already broken, and when I dumped some in my powder measure, I noticed it’s a mixture of flake and coarse black stick powder, about 80/20 by volume.

I compared the sticks with my H4895 and IMR4198. It’s not a match, so the contamination happened elsewhere. It is thoroughly mixed with the flake powder, like its been intentionally mixed.

I’m ready to destroy it, unless someone can convince me that Alliant used to mix two types of powder back in the day...

Dump it in the yard. Sure sounds like someone's oops and used the wrong container.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Dusty Bannister]

I have used Unique since the '70's and have never seen anything but the flake powder. If this is in the cardboard cylinder type container it might have a lot number to perhaps determine when it was made.

[Winger Ed.]

No, that container of powder wasn't born that way. That was somebody's left overs and dump bottle.

It's common for people to dump the last little bit of left over powder after a run of doing rifle ammo.
If a pound makes 125 loads, but components come by the 100, rather than mixing the powder with
another batch of even the same stuff, and keep going,,, it can end up in a dump bottle.

I wouldn't use it.
Its fun to burn it off, but putting it in the flower bed really helps them.

Higher and higher Nitrogen content is what makes the price of fertilizers go up.
Gunpowder has a bunch of Nitrogen locked up in it, and is a great fertilizer.

[elgoatropo]

Thanks, guys. I’ll make fertilizer out of it!

[Slugster]

@elgoatropo: I seriously doubt the powder was manufactured as you described. Probably junk powder collection. I have a junk powder container that I use to collect all of the
oddball or pulldown powders that I amass (very small quantity, less than a pound) but hate to throw away. Very well marked JUNK POWDER DO NOT USE. I will use it in my garden as soon as I break ground this year.

[mr surveyor]

good tomato food!

[joebaja]

Coincidentally, my "dump bottle" is a Unique bottle. It was what I had finished off most recently when I needed one to dump contents of pull-downs or any other cartridge I was unsure of. Your post made me think that maybe I need to put a label on it in case it somehow, someday, ends up in someone else's hands

[lightman]

My dump bottle is a fruit jar and has no markings on it. I guess I should label it. It catches the powder from the odd ammo that people seem to want to give to reloaders and from the duds and unfired ammo that I pick up at the range. I save it for the campfire at deer camp. It makes a neat light show.

[cwlongshot]

Yup dump it!

I always worry a lot of this.

I got a 4# bottle of 296 years and years ago. I was very happy as I used a lot of that in 410 and 357 mag loads. Took a few months before I used all my current bottle and opened the “new” one.

Well it appeared sealed but wasn’t. When I dumped the powder it was mixed with 7.5 shot...

I dumped all of it in big clear rubbermaid containers and made a screen. Then used the powder. I have lived but thinking back was probably foolish to still use it. I didnt know person or situation past what my buddy said. Divorce and needed $$. Coulda been ugly. I was Lucky.

Just last week I bought a bunch of “used powders”. Two # where dumped straights way. Three more didn’t pass inspection. All but a couple Where really Factory sealed. ALL where closely inspected and compared to known quantities of same. I’m confident in what I have now. If at all questioning... it becomes fertilizer.

CW

[smithnframe]

I'd pour it out in the driveway and light it up at night!

[WRideout]

I once poured some old powder on my garden and grew the biggest zucchini I had ever seen. I called it my "exploding zucchini."
Wayne

[redhawk0]

It's good you looked at it....sprinkle it on the lawn or in the garden.

This is the reason I don't keep any old powders that were given to me by someone else. It just isn't worth the risks.

redhawk

[FredBuddy]

I use unknown powders as mentioned above
for the ceremonial blanks for our Legion Post's
21 gun salutes.

I add some Red Dot to it.
Our guys don't want to hear 'pop', they want
to hear 'BANG'.

[gwpercle]

That's a real shame ...it was perfectly good powder until...
the Absent Minded Professor got involved.
Keeping powder in it's correct container can't be over emphasized .
Good thing it was a stick powder...easier to spot , if it had been something like Bullseye I don't think I would have spotted it .
Glad you caught the faux-pas before it caused trouble ...ATTABOY !!!
Gary

[mdi]

I'm not a fearful kinda guy but I ain't stupid either. Some things I just won't do and using an "unknown" or mixed powder is at the top of the list...

[cupajoe]

Dump the questionable stuff. I sure would not keep a container of mixed powder for any reason. Recipe for disaster, its too easy to open the door and toss it on the lawn or garden.

[PositiveCaster]

Perhaps someone was being helpful....

[bedbugbilly]

it's coming up to spring . . . the flowers will be starting to bloom . . . they'll need some fertilizer.

[2A-Jay]

I use powder like that in my Signal Canon. Makes a nice bang and annoys the Liberals