Found a can of deteriorating powder

[dale2242]

I recently made a sniff and look test of all my powders to check them for deterioration.
All is well in the loading room.

[Cast10]

New discovery this week. I had run some test loads without chronographing, just seeing which load was more accurate. This was my first mistake. I usually chrony all test loads while shooting for group.

The accurate load chrony’d about 150fps SLOWER and ES was very high. This powder was from 1987 and had only the usual smell. I had not loaded any of this type in a while, so visually, it looked ok.

I pulled some bullets and dumped powder and weights didn’t reveal anything that just stood out. I use a Chargemaster Combo and on spot tests, it has always been VERY VERY close if not spot on. I tested again, OK.

I was able to locate some new powder fairly close and picked it up. Upon pouring into the Chargemaster I notice a definite ‘color change’. I retrieved the older canister and poured some out. The older powder had a GREENISH tint, but smelled OK, maybe a bit stronger, but pure nitro.
The canister was also very clean, no rust on bottom or inside/outside lid. It was an older Winchester tube type can of cardboard with metal bottom and top/screw-on lid.

Wondering if anyone has every experienced this?

[K43]

Being a former Ordie and weapons test conductor who did some lot testing for a few years, I always check my powders. They do go bad and ammo gets condemned.
I just pulled down a box of 1960s Remington 270 Winchester that was given to me. The cases were corroding from the inside out, the primers had corrosion growing from around them, and some of the bullets "popped" under gas pressure when pulled. It smelled strongly acidic and not that good solventy smell we like.
If your containers feel warm, like in warmer than ambient where stored, check.

[K43]

New discovery this week. I had run some test loads without chronographing, just seeing which load was more accurate. This was my first mistake. I usually chrony all test loads while shooting for group.

The accurate load chrony’d about 150fps SLOWER and ES was very high. This powder was from 1987 and had only the usual smell. I had not loaded any of this type in a while, so visually, it looked ok.

I pulled some bullets and dumped powder and weights didn’t reveal anything that just stood out. I use a Chargemaster Combo and on spot tests, it has always been VERY VERY close if not spot on. I tested again, OK.

I was able to locate some new powder fairly close and picked it up. Upon pouring into the Chargemaster I notice a definite ‘color change’. I retrieved the older canister and poured some out. The older powder had a GREENISH tint, but smelled OK, maybe a bit stronger, but pure nitro.
The canister was also very clean, no rust on bottom or inside/outside lid. It was an older Winchester tube type can of cardboard with metal bottom and top/screw-on lid.

Wondering if anyone has every experienced this?

Sometimes the manufacturers do make little changes to color due to batch changes in the coating materials. It's common to see IMR powders grey/black to greenish/grey in color from different lots.

[Cast10]

Sometimes the manufacturers do make little changes to color due to batch changes in the coating materials. It's common to see IMR powders grey/black to greenish/grey in color from different lots.

Thanks for the info. I found another partial can and it was all grey. It was from 1996. Also, a friend with me noticed lots of smoke when I fired it. W231.

[Bill M]

In the early 90's, I helped a friends mother clean out her house to sell it. He husband was a reloader, and there were partial "kegs" of powder, the Red Dot was fine, but the 4895 smelled, and had "rust" in it. An older fellow I shot with said he would buy it, and I watched him "clean" it. He put a fan in the rear of his garage, and newspaper on the floor, dribbling the powder in front of the fan, the "rust" fell out, and "clean" powder ended up on the newspaper!
A couple of weeks later we shot service rifle match, and the fellow commented, "my old Garand likes that powder"!