Age question of black powder and caps

[248dm]

I have a quality Thompson Center 50 cal cap & ball rifle that I have not shot in 15 or so years. I still have a 1 pound can of ffg black powder and about 70 caps. They have been stored in my office/reloading room (heat and air) in a waterproof 50 cal ammo can.

Does black powder get to old to use? I also have a 1 lb can of Pyrodex ffg equavilant. I like the smell and smoke of real black powder but it is hard to find locally. I found a website but they only sold 5 lb cans and the caps were about $1.00 ea., plus shipping.

Any advice on age or where I can possibly get powder and caps? I don't really need 5 lbs but could if I had too. The price of the caps seemed to high relative to my centerfire primers.

[Jniedbalski]

I got black powder older than that and is good to shoot. It doesn't break down just keep it dry in a sealed can. As far as caps go wall mart has them if your store doesn't u can order them online and have them sent to your local Walmart. As far as real black powder goes good luck finding it

[Don McDowell]

I've shot blackpowder from the 1880's. Black doesn't break down.
You can get black in 5 lb lots from Powder Inc, Grafs, and Buffalo Arms.

[Safeshot]

Alliant MZ Black Powder substitute is available from Sportsmans Warehouse. I like it

[craneman]

As others have said your powder should be just fine.
The businesses that Don mentioned are great to deal with when ordering powder.
The Bass pro near me sells regular Goex powder I believe so if you happen to be near one or traveling near one that may be an option for just a pound or two.

[country gent]

Some of the local shops may have it but its not on the shelves you have to ask for it. Id call several and ask if not the Shops Mr. Mc Dowell mentioned are great to do business with. If you know others who shoot BP most of those will allow the price discounts and 1 hazmat fee on a mixed case of 25 lbs or 50 lbs reducing the haz mat fee per pound.

[AllanD]

I still have percussion caps from Dixie GunWorks made in the 1960's that are still reliable.

I've seen a flintlock pistol fired that we later determined had been loaded no sooner than the 1820's and it fired.... That only required a cleaning of the flash hole a new flint and a fresh charge of priming powder

Not too long ago a cannon that had been part of a monument in Central Park in NYC and had been there since the
mid-1840's was found to be loaded with both Shot and powder it was a tickilish job of unloading it...
And that particular cannon was loaded with only solid "round shot", I.E. a big iron ball.

It used to be routine to find particularly Confederate Ordinance Unexploded on various battlefields.
(Confederate bursting shells were known even at the time to have less reliable time fuses that would
fail for various reasons to ignite the bursting charge, but even Federal shells were not perfectly reliable.

So black powder has been demonstrated through numerous historical demonstrations to still work for Centuries ,
IF it is sealed away from moisture.

the best recommendation for Civil War UEXO It to either leave it where it is and mark the spot with a large pile of sand or drop it gently into a DEEP body of Water.
(preferably Salt water which will eventually eat the Iron and allow moisture to get to the powder)