Old H4895 in metal can

[newton]

Friend of mine got a bunch of old loading stuff that was his grandfathers.

In it was a new can of H4895. I believe he was the first to break the seal. It was one of the old metal cans with a metal top.

I went over to take a look at it and it seems fine, no discoloration but it does not have the same green tint as my new H4895. No clumping, no fumes or red dust or anything. In fact, I would not even think twice about using it. But there is one thing. It has almost no smell to it. Is this normal for old powder? I would think that if it was deteriorating in any way there would be something that would indicate it. I have never seen/used any smokeless powder that did not have even a slight smell to it.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Use it! The lack of smell is a good sign. The odor comes with deterioration. Just finished up a metal can of IMR 4895 last summer.

[Bruntson]

Some times there isn't a odor. I would use the powder. The first 5 rounds I made up of the stuff would be a low pressure round just to test it out. I'm using AL-7 and AL-8 from the early 70's that are still good. A very close 90 year old friend gave them to me before he passed away.
Then there was the H-110 that smelled funny and clumped. It's grass fertilizer now.

[waksupi]

I've been using up a couple cans of the same powder. Shoots well. Be aware, it has been one of the worst powders I have used for bridging in my powder measure. Be sure to inspect cases after dropping charges.

[newton]

Good to hear. I was just surprised. I can buy a brand new canister of powder and be able to smell something. It just did not have any.

He is just starting out, so he will be using and weighing charges by hand for a while. I told him to start low at first. I'm sure I'll bring my chrony over there at some point to check. Should be interesting to see if the powder is still as potent as today's is.

[Bent Ramrod]

New smokeless powder will smell like the ether-alcohol solvent mixture that it was prepared with. Most of the solvents are evaporated out of the granules and recovered at the factory, but a small amount is left. The powder can smell like that for years, but eventually the solvents evaporate completely and then the powder smells like nothing, hopefully for the rest of its storage life.

If it starts smelling sour or nitrous, and clumping together, that is the sign that it is going bad.

[triggerhappy243]

THAT GREEN COATING IS SOMETHING NEW. i HAD A STEEL KEG OF H-4831 AND THE POWDER WAS BLACK AS COAL. AND IT WAS NEW PRODUCTION.... 1979

[Motor]

I'm pretty sure Hodgdon bought their first "lot" of surplus 4895 around 1947 and only recently run out of it so there is no reason that the stuff you have in the condition you describe should not be good to use. :)

Motor

[atr]

THAT GREEN COATING IS SOMETHING NEW. i HAD A STEEL KEG OF H-4831 AND THE POWDER WAS BLACK AS COAL. AND IT WAS NEW PRODUCTION.... 1979

this is correct!
.....the original H or IMR4895 did not have that green coloration.

[waco]

I've been using up a couple cans of the same powder. Shoots well. Be aware, it has been one of the worst powders I have used for bridging in my powder measure. Be sure to inspect cases after dropping charges.

One of the reasons I bought an RCBS Chargemaster. It works flawlessly even with SR4759