Testing older black powder ?

[6.5 mike]

Not sure where to ask this so here goes, I have an older can of 2f black & I was wondering if there is a simple way to see if it is still good. It has always been stored in the orignal can & that in an ammo can with a good sealing lid. I 've had this for 20 years so if it needs to go away that's what I'll do. Thanks ya'll have gotten me thinking about trying some holy black in my 45-70.

[jhrosier]

Mike,
Black powder that has been kept dry should be good for centuries.

Jack

[451whitworth]

if you know someone who has an inline muzzleloader, have them shoot some in it. in the minute chance it's no good the breech plug can be pulled and the load pushed out the muzzle. it will probably go bang.

[RayinNH]

Just take a little bit and put it on the ground and set a match to it. Don't stand over it. If it burns quickly it's still good...Ray

[6.5 mike]

I are a dummy, got one in the closet.

[VintageRifle]

My dad has had some black powder stored in a powder horn for 25+ years. The horn is stored in a plastic bucket with a lid. He got it out about 2 years ago and it was fine.

[405]

If it will pour out, it should work. Pouring a little on the ground and lighting is as good a test as any. The actual shelf life may be so long that the answer may not be known. At least centuries I'd guess. Way different from smokeless powder.

[waksupi]

If it is black, it will boom.

[waksupi]

Come to think of it, send it to me, for safety testing!

[Bert2368]

Yep, black powder kept dry will last centuries. Some over 3 centuries old was found in an
English castle, stored in a bucket up under a roof up high where it had kept dry the whole time. It worked fine when tested- The musket balls had taken more damage than the powder.

A classic test for powder is to put a pinch on a clean tile and touch it off with a burning splint of wood. If the powder goes POOF instead of fizzing or smoldering and leaves a uniformly colored scorch mark with no little white balls of fused, unconsumed nitrate, it is of good enough quality to use in a gun. Powder that has been wetted and dried tends to leave the little "pearls".

[adisonpol]

If we take one of those new-age instructors who often declare, with no small amount of sneer evident, that "Clint's a nice guy, but old fashioned" -- and then add a dose of cranky (old guys are always cranky, or so we are told) then factor-in a modem gun loaded with some of that old black powder ammo, what happens? What happens is very interesting.

Take one old (but nice?) guy with a new Taurus model 450 2-barreled .45 Colt revolver, add 32 grains of old FFg black powder and what do we come up with?

What you come up with is a flame-throwing, fire-starting, butt-thumping blaster with -- believe it or not -- no hand or teeth jarring recoil. This combination is more than accurate enough used in the double action mode to solve any problems at acceptable self-defense ranges. And, it provides several self-defense assets

[Boz330]

I have some Kings Mill Powder that was stored in a metal can and it still works. An old guy, long gone now, bought it when Kings Mills closed in 1937 so he would have plenty for his muzzle loaders. Wish I had more since IIRC Kings powder was supposed to be a good one.

Bob

[Bill*]

I have some blackpowder left over from when Atlantis sank (at least 3000 years) It still works fine ( however, I don't use it because it is primarily for hunting gorgons and such. They are now a protected specie) But seriously, I have some fffg from the sixties-still works fine

[Freightman]

Just happen to have a Taurus 450 2" barrel think I will try that about dusk at the range, sounds fun. By the way I have shot it with 11gr of Unique it will open your eyes and cronos at 1100fps with a 185gr lead SWC. That isn't my regular load it is more like 8gr Unique, the 11gr were for my '92 rifle just got them by mistake. No damage to gun or shooter.

[6.5 mike]

Thanks for the advice & help everyone. I'll give it a light test when it dries out here. mike

[Multigunner]

I think Navy Arms or a similar dealer in the 60's used to sell reproduction powder quality testers.
Quartermasters and gunners used these to test shipments of powder in the field.
I expect store keepers and others would have also had use for them.

The test chamber was mounted to a pocket pistol frame, some flintlock and later on percussion lock, and the chamber was capped with a hinged spring loaded cover. When a measured pinch of powder was ignited in the chamber the pressure flipped the cover up and a dial and pointer mounted on the side indicated the strength of the powder.

These powder testers were also occasionally used to start a fire in a hurry. A pinch of powder being used to ignite tinder stuffed in the chamber.

With the recent interest in home made BP those little powder testers would come in handy once more.

PS
Here it is, at Dixie Gunworks, which is probably where I first saw these advertised years ago.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=903
Kind of pricey, but if well made it would be worth the price.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

The way to check is simply to load a standard load for your M/L or BPC. Shoot it. If the smoke has brownish color, whether distinct or slight, the powder has been exposed to dampness and decomposed a bit. I have seen this many times at shoots where there are several or many shooters and several individual shots can be seen at one time.

Seems like some fellows keep their gear in the garage or other places where powder is really exposed to humidity. The kind where fog drips. You may know some fellows like that. BvT

[KCSO]

Whe I was working on duplicating the original 45-70 round I tested powder from FA 82 to FA90 and it all not only went boom, but it was in some cases cleaner burning and gave more velocity than modern powder. Canned stuff will be 100% if the can isnt rusty under the lid.

[BPCR Bill]

I bought a can of old DuPont 2F black a few years ago for the antique can (The flask style can, definitely over 50 years old). Paid $25 for it. I used the powder for my 45-70 match rifle, and it shot every bit as good as the Swiss I shoot. Wish I had more of it.

Regards,
Bill

[oksmle]

I still have one unopened 25 lb. can of DuPont 3f purchased in 1973. I gets turned twice each year, on Jan. 1st. & July 4th., regular as clockwork. I fully expect it to go bang. No reason for it not to.

[Lead Fred]

I shot up all my 70s and 80s powder without a hitch

[Boz330]

Circa 1975. I did shoot it up some time ago but the keg is kinda neat.

Bob

[higgins]

When my Grandfather was a younger man, he shot BP guns back when only eccentrics did such things. Shortly before he died, he gave me his shooting bag and a horn that contained several ounces of ancient powder, probably FFFg since he shot pistols and smallbore rifles. I was about 14-15 at the time (I'm 60 now). Since I had no BP guns at the time and was uneasy about keeping the explosive in my closet, I decided to burn it in the back yard. Like any good kid raised on TV, I made a short trail and heaped the rest of the powder at the end of it. I would light the trail with a match, watch it burn slowly along the trail, and by the time the burn reached the heap of powder I would be a safe distance from it. You can guess what happened. I crouched down, and the shower of sparks from striking the old-timey wooden match lit the trail; I never got to touch the match to it. Trail and heap went up in one whoosh, singeing the hair on the back of my hands and a bit of hair on my forehead. I'm very fortunate none of the residue or other misc. trash got in my eyes (blink reflex?). Anyway, that's how I learned to respect the sensitivity and longevity of BP. I still have the bag and some musket caps that could be civil war surplus for all I know, and Winchester no. 11 caps that are also antique. I've never tried the caps to see if they're still good, but one of these days I will for old times sake.

[6.5 mike]

I checked the can today, I had never opened it. No rust at all on either can ,& the ffg was still sealed. Don't rember where or when I got it. CRS. Is fffg to fine to use for a 45-70? That's what the other can is.
higgens- I'll keep your story in mind if I try to "fire check" this. Thanks again for all the replies.

[John Boy]

I was wondering if there is a simple way to see if it is still good
Mike, original powder stored properly will last foe eons. That said, the only way to determine the strength of old powder, is load 5 rounds and run them over the chronograph. If the velocity is there - good stuff
Open air burning of BP isn't going to tell one squat other than it burns. Of course, if it doen't burn - not worth reloading any of it!

[calaloo]

Every once in a while someone around here blows themselves up drilling into a Civil War shell. I wonder how old that powder is?

[Taylor]

Does this apply to pyrodex?