Powder hoard bummer

[Buck Neck It]

I opened a "new" can of Clinton-era Imr 4831 to load my .338 mag, and found the dreaded red dust mixed in with the grains. Dang. I have another 15# of this powder.

I loaded some test rounds, and it shot just fine, it seemed. Rattled my teeth as always, hit the target where it was supposed to. Always nice to shoot a 1 inch group while someone else is watching. No bad pressure signs, primers maybe a little less flat than usual.

However, it is obvious that this powder is going south. I need to find some creative ways to burn up this powder in the next year or so before the cans rust out. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.

Hoarding powder may be false economy. The price on this stuff was $14 after hazmat to AK. This just means that the dollar is going sour also.

[762 shooter]

I had some IMR 4895 go red about three years ago.

I emailed IMR and their tech said if it still smelled good (like solvent) I was good to go. Check with them before you send it south. I used my "red" can with no ill effects.

YMMV

762

[35remington]

Given that I have IMR 4831 that is much older than that which is just fine, I am curious about the conditions under which it was stored. Clinton era 4831 is just a pup in terms of age compared to its potential lifespan when stored properly.

Hoarding powder is never false economy IF you need it and it is properly stored. I have Hercules powder in cardboard cans quite a bit older than that and it is still good. Hell, some guy gave me some Sporting Rifle Number 80 and Sharpshooter and it's still fine. Some of that exceeds 70 years old by quite a bit.

[Fluxed]

It might be just some humidity causing rust in the can. Was it opened and then sat for a while? I had one can do that of similar vintage IMR powder. I opened another sealed can of the same and it is perfect.

FWIW, I had some original surplus 4831 from WW2 that finally went bad about 10 years ago. It was not stored well at all, but lasted a long time.

[Buck Neck It]

These cans have never gotten warmer than 60 F. An open can of Imr 4350 bought in the same shipment looks brand new. All of my other powder looks good, some as old as 35 years. This can of 4831 looks new on the outside, light rust on the inside. The seal was intact when I opened it. Just the way that batch was made, I guess.

I need to find some cast loads for 4831. Bruce B said that it shoots good in a 30-30, I will start there, I guess.

[jeepvet]

In a pinch you can go to your local dollar store (or whatever you have) and buy several brown, plastic quart bottles of cheap Hydrogen Peroxide. Dump the peroxide, rinse the bottles and let them dry really well. Put the powder in these bottles and securely affix a large print label of its contents to the bottle. This has worked really well for me as long as you have the bottles labeled well.

[leadman]

A well cleaned bleach bottle works good also. If you are concerned about the rust in the powder set up a fan and slowly pour the powder out in the breeze and catch it in a container. Best to do this outside and stay upwind.
I have WWII surplus 4831 that is still going strong.

[Uncle R.]

It ain't always about storage conditions. Sometimes the flaw is in the manufacturing process. I had a can of IMR 4895 give me the dreaded red dust some years ago. It was less than ten years old when it went bad. Other cans of powder - including other IMR powders - that were stored in the same cabinet on the same shelf for much longer periods of time were just fine. Never seen a ball powder go bad. Never seen an old Hercules double-base powder go bad. Can't say it doesn't happen - but I've never seen it and some of mine are getting pretty old.
<
Come to think of it - so am I.
Sigh...
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Uncle R.

[cowboybart]

I had some red H380 from the 50s/60s. I poured it back and forth between 2 containers until the red dust subsided. Leadman's method might be quicker but the same effect. Shoots fine in my 7x57.

[prs]

I don't think I have any more metal cans, but maybe. I will check. I go through a lot of powder and rotate stock. I have some BLC-2 and 3031 that might be getting long in tooth. Even "kegs" now are plastic and that might help with rust; not sure about age degradation.

prs