Pictures of destroyed/Melted Powder hoppers wanted.

[Linstrum]

Smokeless powders use various combinations of solvents like diethyl ether, ethanol, ethyl acetate, ethyl carbonate, propyl carbonate, and acetone, to name a few, and it is the residues of these in conjunction with nitroglycerine that are what dissolve the plastic powder hoppers. Nitroglycerine is a plasticizer as well as a solvent, it does damage to highly soluble common plastics like styrene and polyvinyl chloride.

As was mentioned, high density polyethylene and polypropylene are virtually immune to solvents. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) aka Dacron also seems to be immune, it is what crystal-clear water bottles, 2-liter pop bottles, and vodka/whiskey bottles are made from, and I've kept WC860 and WC872 double base powders in 2-liter pop bottles for 10 years without any sign of dissolving/damage.

rl 1,206

[jetinteriorguy]

Lately I've been leaving the powder in the hoppers for up to a week, I have noticed my Lyman 55 hopper is a little darker which I assumed was from the graphite. My Lee PPM shows no sign of anything happening. I think I'll just empty them when done like I always used to do, can't hurt anything. I have been putting some bright red plastic party cups over the top to block out any sunlight to protect the powder though. I also mark each measure with what powder and amount it's set for when last using it. I do this with a sharpie and on a piece of masking tape that I stick on the hopper just for reference.

[44Vaquero]

MtGun44, You are correct some powders more than others BE and TG being two of them! The other issue is over the years various manufactures have used different types of plastics and vinyl's for their hoppers with varying degrees of success/failure.

I know I destroyed my Hornady with BE, it's hopper/tube was a very soft vinyl to start with. You see plenty of smoked Lyman 55's from the 50's and 60's, back when BE was the go to pistol powder for everthing!

[stephen]

MtGun44, You are correct some powders more than others BE and TG being two of them! The other issue is over the years various manufactures have used different types of plastics and vinyl's for their hoppers with varying degrees of success/failure.

I know I destroyed my Hornady with BE, it's hopper/tube was a very soft vinyl to start with. You see plenty of smoked Lyman 55's from the 50's and 60's, back when BE was the go to pistol powder for everthing!

Here's my inverted Hornady hopper. Left BE in it for too long...

You can see how the protected baffle area wasn't affected.

I wouldn't mind picking up a brass hopper eventually.

[olereb]

The first one I ever bought I ruined by leaving Bullseye in it,i lived in AZ and it was so dry I figured it would be ok not knowing that the powder would literally melt the plastic over time. I now empty it within a day of finishing reloading to avoid that from happening again.

[destrux]

I was given an RCBS measure that has signs of damage, I haven't seen any rapid damage like some of you describe. I usually keep mine full and slide a long tin can over the top to keep the light off the powder (what little there is in my dark basement).

I'm in the habit of keeping the can next to it, and that being the only can out of the powder cabinet.

I will make it a point from now on to empty my measures from now on. I thought the damage was done from a bad can of powder being dumped in there. I didn't realize powder would attack the plastic.

[merlin101]

More than melting plastic nitroglycerin can migrate from the powder into the plastic, this changes the powder chemically.

Powder just doesn't get stored in a measure. Ever.

UH OH!! I gotta go dump that 296 back in the jug. I guess thats why the plastic tube is no longer clear? Learned something new .