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

[WILCO]

Surplus WWII gun powder?

Anybody know what powder it was?

I'm thinking Bruce Hodgdon?

[Hondolane]

I believe you're right.

[Hondolane]

I believe you're right. H4895?

[gwpercle]

It were Bruce "B. E. " Hodgdon ... started in 1947 selling U.S. military surplus 4895 gun powder ...
and the rest is History !
Gary

[country gent]

It was Bruce Hodgdon, Started with rail cars of 4895 and 4831 then was H 380 named after his favorite load in the 22-250 which was a wildcatt then.

[15meter]

I've got some of that surplus powder, cans with no zip code, which puts them pre-63. My understanding is the surplus powder lasted until the late 60's, early 70's. 4831, H380 and perhaps 4895.

If I can find it I'll post a price list from early 60's. Silliness like 100 pound keg of 4831 for $61.

And I believe the mailman would deliver it.

[country gent]

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

[15meter]

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

I bought Red Dot and Green Dot out of a similar keg. The local guy upped the bags by going to double walled bags with the attached fold over wire closures. Grind your own coffee style bags. He was still doing it into the nineties. Then Clinton's war on "kitchen table" FFL holders finished him off. He was operating out of his garage in a residential neighborhood. It was just too dangerous even though he had been in business for decades.

The bags were a nice dark blue.

[TNsailorman]

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

[JRD]

I've heard that H4831 was originally surplus 20mm cannon powder.

[beemer]

I have an older friend that went in with another guy and split I think a 100 lbs. of 4831 at 60 cents a pound. That was in the mid 60's. He shot out two or three 25-06 barrels shooting crows with the powder. Several years ago he had several pounds left and gave me one to play with. I didn't shoot it over the chrony but shot it alongside the new H4831 and couldn't tell the difference. I know there is some of the stuff still around and still does fine but was stored properly.

[TNsailorman]

Yes, 4831 was used originally in the 20mm oerlok(spelling) AA weapons. james

[WILCO]

Every answer in this thread was perfect!
Thanks for the replies.
I miss the old days.

[Screwbolts]

The first several pounds of H4831 I bought were being sold in coffee sacks.

[35 Rem]

Here is the story from the Hodgdon website:

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/about-us/

[tunnug]

You have to remember that $61 was a lot of money for most people back then, in the late 70's I was working for $1.25/HR making a wopping $50 A week getting ready to get married, no way I could afford that.

[john.k]

I always remember Jack Stacey ...he had a small shop that once was an ice cream parlour .......he sold three kinds of powder,and kept them in the ice cream tubs ....he always had a cigarette in his mouth ,but when he sold blackpowder ,he put the cigarette on the shelf behind the counter ......you would get a dipper full of powder in a brown paper bag for 1/6d ......15 cents,........and a paper tray of primers ......150 for 1/- ...10 cents.

[Jadkins87]

I really enjoy reading the story's from years ago ..Thanks for sharing

God Bless

JDAS

[Brassmonkey]

Rotten clinton, at the same time he killed the reloading company market with cheap foreign ammo.

[WILCO]

Here is the story from the Hodgdon website:

https://hodgdonpowderco.com/about-us/

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!