I was given some older cans of powder from an estate sale. They are 1 lb cans that seemed to be full except for 1. They were not sealed but still had the card board washer that sealed the lid. I'm familiar with all except for the black powder & the Win ball powder. The IMR powders look consistent in size & shape to the original article. All the IMR powders have an ether smell. The black powder is full & the Win 452AA is half full. The tops of the can seem a little rusty but no where else. The caps came off easily. To give some idea of the date the price sticker on the 452AA is $12.95 & the IMR 4064 sticker is $14,95. The IMR 4350 can has a code on back of E89AV1L6479. I'm excited about getting the IMR powders since all 3 are used in some of my favorite recipes. I hear 4320 & 4064 are to be discontinued so these are a great find. I've heard that older powders tend to get slower with ages & produce lower pressure. I experienced this long ago with surplus 4831 powder.
Would these be safe to shoot in my favorite recipes if I check their performance via chronograph by comparing with fresher powders of the same? Also, I don't load much shotgun would the 452AA be worth while in any pistol rounds? I load .38 spcl, .357, .45 acp, .380 acp, .256 WM. I have no need for the black powder so I'll find a muzzle loader aficionado to give that to.
TIA for your comments & suggestions.
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