What Is It?

[jimkim]

This is from FB. What the devil is this? No number. No information. Left to someone by their father. I've never seen any powder without some type of number or letter designation. My first thought was, sounds like 4895. Then he posted a picture and it looks like W748, BL-C2, H335 etc... It's spherical. That killed the 4895 theory. He says he does not plan to use it unless he can identify it.

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[tobywan45]

I think it's a River Valley ordinance take down. There should be an. RVO #
IF there's one perhaps Jeff Bartlett could help identify it.

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[Moleman-]

WC852 My Army small caliber ammuntion manual has IMR4895 and WC852 listed for M2. Do a google search for WC852 and you'll find jugs just like yours.

[jimkim]

Thanks!

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[1hole]

What it is not, is a canister powder. That means it falls outside the burn rate of an established and labeled powder for sale to reloaders. As a spherical powder for .30-06 we can know it's similar to but not the same as BL-C2.

Eight pounds is a lot of powder and a lot of money to just toss out. A LOT of military surplus non-canister powders have been safely used by experienced reloaders.

If you have the experience to start with midrange BL-C2 charges and slowly load up to overpressure signs, use it and establish your own charges. If you're not yet experienced enough to be comfortable doing that, try to find some old hand who is and pass it along to him.

[jimkim]

It's WC 852.

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[TNsailorman]

Some of the most accurate loads in my WW II 98 mauser was used with the WC852 powder and Remington 185 grain JSP bullets.

[jason280]

I realize this is an older thread, but I have a jug of this exact same powder. I can't recall where I found the information, but in experimenting with it a bit in a 26" NEF .280, I found it was very close to H450 (which itself is an older, obsolete powder). I still have close to 5or 6lbs of it...