Who was the guy that launched his company by selling.......

[SSGOldfart]

My local gun shop named Mahoney's had a big barrel of 4895 and 4831 way back in the early 60's. He would sell to you in a paper bag as little as a half a lb.. It was the only way I could afford to shoot back then. I still have a 1 lb. carboard can I keep for nostalgia and I believe the sticker on it says $.79. And yes it was Hodgdon. james

James I also got powder at Mahoney's (I was in Carter co.then) back in the day when you could get it by the pound

[35 Rem]

I sure miss the informal atmosphere of those old time gunshops. The one I grew up close to had more guns than any of the big stores such as Bass Pro or Cabela's AND all the long guns were on racks around all the outer store walls. You could pick up any gun you wanted and work the action, look through the scope, etc. I never saw powder being sold in sacks though or any of the surplus powder at all. I didn't start loading ammo until 1976 so apparently that was all gone by then but I've heard of it for years from older shooters. Makes sense considering that powder was WWII surplus!

[dtknowles]

My cousin had a gun shop just outside of Bangor, Me. Morrison's, he was also a gunsmith. Anyway, the Shop was in a converted barn with racks of guns like 50 of feet long. Must have been four of more racks that long behind the counter and very many of the nicer guns out in a showroom area in front of the counter. My dad bought me a Win MDL 94 30-30 there in the early 70's

Tim

[15meter]

I didn't start loading ammo until 1976 so apparently that was all gone by then but I've heard of it for years from older shooters. Makes sense considering that powder was WWII surplus!

I was buying bulk shot gun powder into the mid-90's here in SE Michigan. Red Dot and Green Dot.

[gc45]

My dad had lots of that stuff, we loaded it up for years and years. Can't remember where he got it..

[curiousgeorge]

Old man I hung around with in the late 1970s told me about buying 100 pound kegs of 4831 from Hodgdon back in the 1950s and having it delivered by train at the local depot. He would sell it for $1.00 / pound in paper bags and said he made enough to pay for all his shooting supplies.

Another story, but I was given a 3 pound keg of a flake powder by this older gentleman and the only information was that he remembered getting it with one of the 100 pound kegs of 4831. I called the Hodgdon factory hoping to get some kind of info on it, but was told that there wasn't anyone there at the time who could help me. She took my name and phone number and I figured that would be the end of it. About 6:00 that night while we were eating supper my phone rings and a voice said "This is Bruce Hodgdon and I understand you have a question about some old powder that I sold". Needless to say that after I stuttered and stammered for a few minutes describing the powder as best I could, he asked me if I or any of my friends shot a .38 special. Upon answering that of course we all did, he said to put 3.0 grains under 150 to 158 grain swc and shoot it up. We did and many thousands of rounds later it was all gone. Much simpler and younger in the late 1970s.

[Kraschenbirn]

Another story, but I was given a 3 pound keg of a flake powder by this older gentleman and the only information was that he remembered getting it with one of the 100 pound kegs of 4831. I called the Hodgdon factory hoping to get some kind of info on it, but was told that there wasn't anyone there at the time who could help me. She took my name and phone number and I figured that would be the end of it. About 6:00 that night while we were eating supper my phone rings and a voice said "This is Bruce Hodgdon and I understand you have a question about some old powder that I sold". Needless to say that after I stuttered and stammered for a few minutes describing the powder as best I could, he asked me if I or any of my friends shot a .38 special. Upon answering that of course we all did, he said to put 3.0 grains under 150 to 158 grain swc and shoot it up. We did and many thousands of rounds later it was all gone. Much simpler and younger in the late 1970s.

Kinda reminds me of the time, back in the mid-1980s, when I called Dillon with a question about setting up my then-new Square Deal and Mike Dillon answered the phone. He said everyone else was out to lunch.

Bill

[TNsailorman]

SSG, I have hunted in Carter Co., many, many years ago. That was in the 50's though and I doubt if the places I hunted would be open to hunting now. East Tennessee vacant land is disappearing at an alarming rate. The long and wide valley I live in only had about 5 large farms in it when we built our house in it. Now the whole valley is built up to the point that there is only one section of land in the valley that has over 5 acres of land. AS I remember Carter County; back in the 50's they had some really good football teams over there. Take Care and God Bless, james

[maxreloader]

My cousin had a gun shop just outside of Bangor, Me. Morrison's, he was also a gunsmith. Anyway, the Shop was in a converted barn with racks of guns like 50 of feet long. Must have been four of more racks that long behind the counter and very many of the nicer guns out in a showroom area in front of the counter. My dad bought me a Win MDL 94 30-30 there in the early 70's

Tim

Morrison did some nice work. Amazing smith he was.

[upr45]

I remember buying W748 in a waxed cardboard container that the top folded over like how you would get a large milkshake in, back in the mid 80's. Was about $5 a pound then!

[elmacgyver0]

Plenty of wars going on and plenty of surplus powder, you can thank our leaders for none of it coming our way.

[hpbear101]

I can remember the one local shop had a keg of h4895 and h4831 on a table with a scales and stack of brown paper lunch bags. sold by the pound weigh out what you want.

Would be interesting to see the impact of a person buying powders by the rail car or the above

My dad had two 1 gallon mayo jars of the 4831 and I still have about half a jar left, still shoots as good as new.

Tom

[schutzen-jager]

found this in Oct.2018 American rifleman -