When someone offers to give you powder .....................

[Jack Stanley]

A fella I know asked me the other day if I use black powder . Well yeah from time to time I do burn the holy black . So he said to remind him the next time I was in town he had a partial can of it for me .

Today I was in town and stopped by to remind him . When he brought out the can I was pretty sure it was black in color only . The can was an old four pound cardboard container made by Hercules and marked as 2400 .... oh gee ... I'll never find a use for that! There is probably three and a half pounds in it and it looks and smells ok even though the outside bottom of the can is a bit crusty with rust .

I know it's been a long time since they packed cans like that . Is there a sight I can track down when the lot number was made by chance ? The number is TE 539 .

And no I won't be using it in the fifty-four caliber front stuffer .

Jack

[CHeatermk3]

I can't answer your question abput the lot/mfg. date but I stumbled into a partial 15# paper keg last weekend..the guy I bought it from gave me his phone # and said he'd purchased it new in the '80s.

I tried it in a Mosin at 16gn and it worked fine. When I gave it the "sniff test" all I could smell was the paper the container is made of.

Try some in a 30 cal case and if you have a chrony it should tell the tale.

[oneokie]

Contact Alliant. Email or phone call. They can tell you when it was made.

[littlejack]

Last year, another member of the gun club that I belong to gave me a sealed keg of Green Dot. No kidding. He was just getting started in reloading. I DID tell him that he could use it in his peeestol rounds. He said that he had enough other powders that he didn't need it.
Well ok if you want to, I'll take it.

[Lead Fred]

I have some Herc in paper, works just fine, Ive shot upall my 60-80s holy black, now Im using the 90s and 2000s stuff

[Artful]

I must not be living right - congratulations.

[Jack Stanley]

The last time someone offered "black powder" for sale it was at an auction . The fast talker set an eight pound DuPont can on the stand pushed the center dimple to release the clamp and removed the lid . He then broke through the factory seal and looked at the powder then looked at the crowd and said "I gotta can o' black powder here" and started his ramble . The homeowner was on the stand next to him and I was watching him and the can which for all the world looked like one of the IMR lineup . As I got closer it was obviously 4198 and I asked the owner it that was what the can said it was . With a sad nod he gave the affirmative and I started to bid .

As my brother and I were walking back to the truck he asked why I kept looking over my shoulder . He understood once I told him what that eight pounds sold for at the store

Jack

[Harter66]

I'm not 100% because the lotting numbers weren't standardized for the industry until the 70s but.....
the LE is for the plant and line of production and the 539 is likely that actual run number rather than a coded date . I have a steel Unique can that 683 from 68' but also another of Red Dot that is 538 from 69'.

[Jack Stanley]

I sent them an e-mail , I'll see what turns up .

Jack

[btroj]

I once had a customer at work bring me a new, unopened cardboard 4 pounder of Unique. Seemed rude to say no.

[Charley]

Local guy has two four pound containers of Green Dot on Craigslist. Both open and partly used. I don't need powder badly enough to take the risk. I'd buy/trade with him if it was sealed.