Using oooold powder, do you find it does not meter as well as current equivelents?

[15meter]

Just finished off the last of some pre-zip code H110, so I'm assuming it's WWII surplus from Hodgdon. I had been loading recent mfg. Winchester 296 with zero problems. With about every third box, I had to pull the bar from the MEC Grabber and clean the bar and bracket it slides in or it would stick and hang up.

Switched to what I believe is same vintage 2400, and I'm experiencing the same thing or worse.

Does the newer powder have more graphite on it to help with progressive presses? Or just my imagination?

By the way, I'm loading 1/2 ounce .410 skeet loads. I've loaded thousands of rifle cartridges with 16 grains of 2400 run through a Redding 3-BR with zero problems. It is the sliding bar that is giving me fits.

I've cleaned it repeatedly, waxed the bar and the bracket repeatedly, to me it points to abrasive powder.

Anybody else experience similar, or am I the only one left trying to burn up 80 year old powder?

Any guesses?

[hoodat]

You're not the only one with ancient powder, but ya might be the only one using a mec/chrarge bar with it.

I'm still using some of the old surplus 4831 and 380, but I use a Uniflow powder measure. - no problem.

I think I'd try applying graphite powder from time to time on the top of the charge bar.

[turtlezx]

sand and polish the bar down give it some free play

[15meter]

sand and polish the bar down give it some free play

It has been, it moves freely immediately after cleaning. As I start loading first and second box no problems, by third box it is sticking 10% of the time, by the fourth box, probably 40% of the time.

The powder is not damp, it shows no difference under a 10x loupe with current manufactured powder. I'm actually considering putting a half a teaspoon graphite into the pound and a half of 2400 I have left and mixing it well to see if that makes any difference.

I just changed from .410 to 12 gauge. I'm currently loading 14 grains of Perfect Pattern a new powder from Hodgdon. Similar to 2400. It is measuring like a dream. First 3 boxes, not a single hung bar.

I'm beginning to convince myself that there is a difference in certain older powders. Over the last several years I have loaded probably 30-40 pounds of 40+ year old powder. A couple of other old shotgun powders exhibited the same binding. Stuff like old Alcan powders or black steel can 700X. The ancient cardboard can Hercules Green Dot that I loaded last year was no problem.

And too much "free play" and you get lots of powder leakage across the top of the bar.

[hoodat]

Now I get to thinking about it, I may have experienced a similar problem quite a while back with ancient Bullseye. I was using it for tiny loads in 32 S&W with my RCBS Uniflow, and it was getting "smudgy" on the rotor. Next time I went with a dose of new HP-38 with similar charge and -- no problem. jd