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View Full Version : Surplus IMR4895 appearance



Junior1942
12-21-2005, 03:23 PM
I just opened my new jug of surplus IMR4895. The grains look like the grains of H4895, but there's also tiny round-ball-like grains mixed with it. Does y'all's look like that?

sundog
12-21-2005, 04:00 PM
Junior, I've used some already but i guess I didn't look that close at it (with my 'goggles' on, that is) to notice any little balls. Getting ready to use some more so I'll be takin' a closer look. I'll report back... sundog

StarMetal
12-21-2005, 06:12 PM
We've discussed this before. Surplus powders may have other powder mixed in with what you are supposed to have. I just bought a jug of 860 which is ball powder. Well occassionally I see a gew big long grain powder kernels. Looks like surplus 5010. I think mike from co mentioned this too. Unless you have ALOT mixed in, it poses no problem.

Joe

PatMarlin
12-21-2005, 07:45 PM
My Mil surp 4895 has no balls... :groner:

PatMarlin
12-21-2005, 07:46 PM
Wherdcha git yours JR?

Junior1942
12-21-2005, 08:02 PM
Hi-Tech. This p----s me off. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

StarMetal
12-21-2005, 08:03 PM
I bet it doesn't matter where you get it, I'll say there are only one or two govt installations that surplus this stuff. I got my 860 at Wideners and I know Wideners doesn't put it in the jugs. I have a friend that works there.

Joe

PatMarlin
12-21-2005, 08:16 PM
I just dumped some out in a tray to double check. There are no balls, just some of the shorter cut extrusions.

I bought mine from HiTech. I found a lot that I liked and specificly asked for that lot. What lot number didcha get?

PatMarlin
12-21-2005, 08:26 PM
I went out to the shop, in the pouring rain, and checked my last order.

All extruded. NO balls.

Junior1942
12-21-2005, 09:03 PM
If I don't spend all day at the VA tomorrow I'll take a close-up digital photo of my 2-powder surplus powder and post it. This #@$%^& is a (*&^%. On top of that, it really ^%$#*.

kenjuudo
12-21-2005, 09:17 PM
Mine came from HI-TECH # LC-TAL 1005 no balls, I do have some 820 with bug parts in it.

jim

sundog
12-21-2005, 11:25 PM
Just took a look -- no balls. Lot # LC-L-107678. But VERY strong ether odor. sundog

PatMarlin
12-21-2005, 11:53 PM
whooooooeeeeeee... that's the stuff I've got Jim, and it is gooooood!

Ed Barrett
12-22-2005, 10:56 AM
I wish you would stop all this stuff about who's got balls and who doesn't have balls, it sounds like we are not talking about reloading lead bullets!!!! <g>

C1PNR
12-22-2005, 04:37 PM
Well, in a very limited test my Bartlett 4895 Lot #104728 rolls only left and right, with no up and down motion.

This is a pulldown powder and if I thought any powder would be easily "contaminated," it would be pull down.

Ed, is this a little better?:wink:

Ed Barrett
12-22-2005, 04:56 PM
Ed, is this a little better?:wink:

I just couldn't resist it.

Junior1942
12-23-2005, 08:26 AM
The tiny ball-like grains mixed with my surplus IMR4895 look like grains of WC860. I'm betting that's what they are as both powders are surplus pull-downs. Since 860 is much slower than 4895 I shouldn't have any problems with high pressure, huh guys? Maybe a little lower velocities, huh? I'm guessing the mix is 95% 4895 and 5% 860. :confused:

StarMetal
12-23-2005, 12:23 PM
Junior

There's very few surplus ball powders that are going to be faster then 4895. Witht that said just load conservatively and and don't push the envelope with that particular lot that you have.

Joe

felix
12-23-2005, 12:47 PM
Junior, you shoot mostly the 30-30 size cartridge, right? I wouldn't hesitate shooting your 4895 as Joe suggested. Just treat it as just another lot of the same. Chances are very good that you have nothing faster than H335 mixed in there. A good way to find out is to chrono the loads with another 4895 version laying around. If you really want to find out, just shake the stuff out using a metal kitchen screen. Hopefully you can get enough balls to test the speed of it. That way you can find out if it is a H335 or a H870 equivalent, or somewhere in between. Perhaps a 820 or 680? I would be surprised. ... felix

Oldfeller
12-23-2005, 02:23 PM
Them wee little bitty balls should run down between the sticks of powder pretty readily, this makes it sortable.

Try shaking the jug upside down real good (with the cap screwed on). Then, without changing the upside down jug position orientation, unscrew the cap over a bowl, allowing "some" powder to escape past your fingers -- along with letting the cap drop free of course -- before blocking off the opening completely with your fingers -- only then go vertical with the jug. Letting that last inch or so of stick powder in the neck of the jug to escape should carry away most of your little balls with it.

Do this twice or so and you should sift out the vast majority of them small round balls that are flowing around in the jug.

Now you got a concentrated population that's in the bowl to sort out. Try a tilted cookie sheet for that, the sticks will orient up down and won't roll down very fast, but them little balls will. You should be able to cut out a good bit more "pure sticks" that way by transferring the sticks to a piece of paper then sliding them on back into the jug.

You will wind up with mostly balls at some point -- either throw it away or shoot it in very small loads as fire-formers or plinkers or some such incidental very minor type useage where it really doesn't matter much what the stuff really is.

Jr. -- you do seem to get all the really odd stuff, you realize that don't you? First you got that oddball built-from-pieces LEE 8mm Maximum mold now you got the world's only jug of mixed Hi-Tech powder .....

<g>

Oldfeller

Oldfeller
12-23-2005, 02:29 PM
Them wee little bitty balls should run down between the sticks of powder pretty readily, this makes it sortable.

Try shaking the jug upside down real good (with the cap screwed on). Then, without changing the upside down jug position orientation, unscrew the cap over a bowl, allowing "some" powder to escape past your fingers -- along with letting the cap drop free of course -- before blocking off the opening completely with your fingers -- only then go vertical with the jug. Letting that last inch or so of stick powder in the neck of the jug to escape should carry away most of your little balls with it.

Do this twice or so and you should sift out the vast majority of them small round balls that are flowing around in the jug.

Now you got a concentrated population that's in the bowl to sort out. Try a tilted cookie sheet for that, the sticks will orient up down and won't roll down very fast, but them little balls will. You should be able to cut out a good bit more "pure sticks" that way by transferring the sticks to a piece of paper then sliding them on back into the jug.

You will wind up with mostly balls at some point -- either throw it away or shoot it in very small loads as fire-formers or plinkers or some such incidental very minor type useage where it really doesn't matter much what the stuff really is.

Jr. -- you do seem to get all the really odd stuff, you realize that don't you? First you got that oddball built-from-pieces LEE 8mm Maximum mold now you got the world's only jug of mixed Hi-Tech powder .....

<g>

Oldfeller

Junior1942
12-23-2005, 04:52 PM
Only thing worse than my luck with reloading stuff is my luck with women.

sundog
12-23-2005, 05:39 PM
Whadya mean, Junior. Do they blow up BEFORE you get to the range? sundog