Old DuPont Powder Lot Numbers ... What Year?

[John Boy]

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=8142.0

[NickSS]

I have no idea but dupont went out of business in the 60s I believe and then they became GOI then GOEX so you got to figure it is around 4- or more years old. However, Black powder does not go bad so it will work just fine. I one time bought some powder from an old guy who told me his grand pa had it in with his things. His grandpa died in 1924 and the can looked really old and was of a brand I had never heard of but it all went bang just fine. As I recall it was first rate powder. Me like an idiot through the cans out.

[John Boy]

Nick, in 1972, DuPont sold the Belin, PA Plant to Gearhart-Owen (GOEX) along with their powder making “technology”. This was a forced sale because the Federal Government injunctioned DuPont for restaint of trade to dissolve it's BP manufacturing under the Fair Trade Practices Act. But this didn't stop them from selling BP.

DuPont contracted with Nobel, (Imperial Chemical Industries Limited), in Ardeer, Scotland immediately. Nobel shipped the powder to their C-I-L subsidiary in Canada and DuPont opened an office in Plattsburg, NY (the address on the cans). Then the DuPont salesmen sold the powder to retailers in the US.

I have multiple full cans of the Nobel powder, named Meteor, and the lot numbers are 1973. The DuPont stuff I have is a much earlier production I believe than vintage 1960's or era 1972. I have a couple of 1964 DuPont cans and the lot number is different
Here's what the Meteor cans looked like
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/Meteor_FB.jpg


Nobel bought out Curtis's & Harvey's in I believe 1969 that was located in Ardeer. Then they produced C&H under their ICI monaker. Here's a can of that:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd220/Meadowmucker/CHmadebyICLInc.jpg
So I am convinced that the Meteor powder is either old C&H inventory or the same formulation because it is really good powder ... as was C&H

I do thank you for the post and wish you had the production year(s) I'm looking for. In the meantime, I'll continue my search

[4060MAY]

JB
A friend give me three cans of BP
One Meteor 3F, one Dupont 2F, And one GO 3F
The Dupont in a Muzzleloader shot clean, in my 38-50 shot well
The GO was dirty but was accurate
The Meteor that I have was unimpressive, tried it in my 38-50 and it was more than 2 min difference at 200yds, 60 Grs 3F Meteor to 3F Goex 2008 IIRC, was no where near as clean burning as the Goex

The can is clean and bright, looks like 72 AP 14 on the side of the can, the FFF is stamped on the can not a sticker, and the spout is to the right side, the powder seems dusty compared to Goex, almost like Elephant
HTH

[John Boy]

HTH, here are some comparisons. All were shot at 1000yds:
Bold: actual bullet weight - Powder & Charge - Velocity

45-70 L457132 531gr 358 1:20 Starline Br2 Goex 3F Sifted 73gr Wax Paper 3.014 1194 fps

45-70 Paul Matthews-Lyman 457677 492gr 545 1:20 Starline Br2 Meteor 3F 70gr Wax Paper 3.1 1241 fps

45-70 Lee 459-500 3F 493gr 547 Bhn 11.1 Star Br2 Meteor 3F Sifted 70gr NewsP 0.020 Felt 2.977U 1237 fps

45-70 Lyman 457123 520gr 1:15 Starline Fed 150 Meteor FFFg 70gr .003 Fiber 0.01 PrimerW 2.950 1179 fps

45-70 Lyman Postell 522gr 352 1.2 Star Br2 Dupont FF 70gr .02 Felt 3.006U 1129 fps