old gun powder

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4t5
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old gun powder

Post by 4t5 »

How old is too old, got some containers been open a couple years, kept indoors with tight lid?
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DocRock
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Re: old gun powder

Post by DocRock »

"A couple of years" is somewhat broad. Tight lids, dry conditions and no big temperature fluctuations allows the propellant to stay stable for quite a long time, certainly five years should be good. If there's discoloration / marked color variation, a strong smell, clumping of granules, or powdering of granules, those are all signs that all is not well.
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rock-steady
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Re: old gun powder

Post by rock-steady »

I have a 1lb cardboard can of Red Dot from 1982. I still use it every now and then for 357 snake stopper loads.

It still looks and smells fine and goes boom when lit.
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GunnyMack
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Re: old gun powder

Post by GunnyMack »

I've had an lbs jug of WC846 for over 25 years, it has started to go bad. I need to find somewhere that I can burn the remaining powder. It has a red color to it. I also had a can of 3031 given to me that was bad.

Like stated above, if no color change, dust and it smells 'right' use it up.
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Re: old gun powder

Post by Pisgah »

GunnyMack wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:07 pm I've had an lbs jug of WC846 for over 25 years, it has started to go bad. I need to find somewhere that I can burn the remaining powder.

Dump it on your flower beds. It's fertilizer.
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Blaine
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Re: old gun powder

Post by Blaine »

This is where a crony might come in handy along with a good loading program....
IE, X grains powder behind X bullet = X FPS....
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.45colt
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Re: old gun powder

Post by .45colt »

I have a "large cardboard keg" of 7625 that I have had since the early 80's . I keep it cool and dry , it's fluffy, no clumps and goes bang every time. The Guy here who would know is Sixgun Sr.
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GunnyMack
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Re: old gun powder

Post by GunnyMack »

Pisgah wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:44 pm
GunnyMack wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:07 pm I've had an lbs jug of WC846 for over 25 years, it has started to go bad. I need to find somewhere that I can burn the remaining powder.

Dump it on your flower beds. It's fertilizer.
Sure just what I need - bigger, stronger weeds! :lol:
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Re: old gun powder

Post by Jay Bird »

I could write a book on that...thanks 45 Colt......

It all depends on how it was stored and even then you can still use it...if you know what your doing. A sure fire way (pun intended) to see if it's good is to smell it.....if it has an ether smell it's good-to-go.

I collect this stuff, having smokeless powder from the 1890's on. Jack Kort gave me his collection to add to mine. Three years ago I shot up 6 pounds of Hi-Vel #2 that was not produced since around 1962 or so. Last year I shot up 3 pounds of Reloader 11 that was discontinued around 1972. I'm currently playing with some 4320 from the forties...it no longer has the ether smell..you got to be somewhat careful as you can load more than what your supposed to as the moisture content dries out...you need to have a chronograph and start Low and NEVER load it to maximum pressures....it becomes erratic when it's dried out. Do this at your own risk.

I've used up cases of Bullseye, Unique and 2400 from the thirties-fifties in the old cardboard containers and the later metal boxy style containers.

Black powder is forever good.....I shot up some from the 1880's and it produced velocities higher than anything I've ever used...good stuff.

Forgot how much ammo I've shot from the turn of the century up to WW2 that went bang and chronographed right. You get some hangfires cause from deteriorated primers or misfires.....I'll,take the cartridge apart and put in a fresh primer and bang!

Another great powder from days gone by is Lightning......commonly used in the old black powder-to-smokeless cartridges. I have a couple of pounds from the 1920's-30's that still smells great and shoots great. I also use some of the powders that Elmer Keith used to like..# 5 pistol powder and (can't think of the name) but it has a funny smell after you use it.

If you are in doubt and don't want to risk anything don't throw it out...just put it in a small pile in the yard, play some acid rock music from the sixties, fire up a joint (or hash pipe) and shoot a flaming arrow in it for a pyrotechnics display to impress your neighbors. No....don't feed your dog any of it...it will kill the dog and not make it mean as old wives tales says it does...also, don't snort any...Jay (Old Win) and GunnyMack did that and burned out their nostrils with some old DuPont #3.----6

Just a small sampling of some stuff I have laying around. The #80 is the powder that smells funny after shooting it. Has a burn rate like blue dot.

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4t5
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Re: old gun powder

Post by 4t5 »

Thanks for the reply's, it all look as good as the day it was bought. Smells the same too, I guess I better start shooting it up this year.
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marlinman93
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Re: old gun powder

Post by marlinman93 »

I'm using gunpowder that dates back to right after WWII still, and no problems. Have lots of gunpowder that's from the 60's also. I don't think I've got any that only a couple years old? It's all much older.
I keep mine in my finished basement and it stays around 60-70 degrees all year. If powder is kept dry, and lid tightly closed, it should last for many decades. Heck, even armament found in the ground from WWII has still gone off when someone accidentally dug it up!
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Re: old gun powder

Post by Jay Bird »

marlinman93 wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:59 am I'm using gunpowder that dates back to right after WWII still, and no problems. Have lots of gunpowder that's from the 60's also. I don't think I've got any that only a couple years old? It's all much older.
I keep mine in my finished basement and it stays around 60-70 degrees all year. If powder is kept dry, and lid tightly closed, it should last for many decades. Heck, even armament found in the ground from WWII has still gone off when someone accidentally dug it up!
Marlinman,
Don't know if you remember but a few years back, not many, maybe 3? , a Civil War collector of fused explosive cannon balls was killed when it blew up while he was cleaning it.

I have an unopened can of DuPont blackpowder that has to be a 100-140 years old...the oval can....got to play with this stuff before I get a dirt nap.--6
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Re: old gun powder

Post by AJMD429 »

I've used 30-40 year old stuff with no issues. Storage temperatures 50-70 degrees maximum range probably.

ONE THING THOUGH - remember some powders, at least judging by their factory published data, as well as real-world chronograph data from other reloads, have CHANGED over the years. I see lots written about 2400 in particular.

So I guess the question would be - if you're using powder from 1975, should you use factory load data from then, or from now....? I'd say use the older data unless there seems a good reason not to.

Regardless, as others have said, I'd never go to 'maximum' loads with old powder.....but then again, I really don't do that with ANY powder. If I can't make my 44 Mag do what I want with a 'moderate' load, then I'll go to a 444 Marlin, or 45 Colt, or 454 Casull, or 500 S&W, instead of pushing limits.
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marlinman93
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Re: old gun powder

Post by marlinman93 »

Sixgun Sr wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:03 pm
marlinman93 wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:59 am I'm using gunpowder that dates back to right after WWII still, and no problems. Have lots of gunpowder that's from the 60's also. I don't think I've got any that only a couple years old? It's all much older.
I keep mine in my finished basement and it stays around 60-70 degrees all year. If powder is kept dry, and lid tightly closed, it should last for many decades. Heck, even armament found in the ground from WWII has still gone off when someone accidentally dug it up!
Marlinman,
Don't know if you remember but a few years back, not many, maybe 3? , a Civil War collector of fused explosive cannon balls was killed when it blew up while he was cleaning it.

I have an unopened can of DuPont blackpowder that has to be a 100-140 years old...the oval can....got to play with this stuff before I get a dirt nap.--6
Yes, I recall the incident.

We had our monthly collector arms meeting last weekend and the topic of old armament came up during dinner. One fella collects strictly military armament and told me a story about a guy he knows who was taking apart a Japanese 25mm cartridge to make it inert. The Jap 25mm had an explosive tip, and the tip of the bullet actually unscrews to reveal the ignition system. Some sort of device similar to a blasting cap that has a fair amount of energy to set off the charge in the projectile. It's also left hand thread to keep it screwed in as it exits the rifling, and he was attempting to unscrew it clockwise. My friend said he called him up to ask why he couldn't get the tip off, and he told him it was left hand thread, but not to mess with it if it was live. The next day he got another call from a mutual friend telling him the guy was in the hospital with three missing digits on his hand! Seems he got it unscrewed, but bumped the device after removing it, and the device exploded in his fingers!
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Re: old gun powder

Post by Jay Bird »

Well MM...you know the old saying, "if you don't know what your doing, stay away from it.. :D

I have a 40mm bofors round that's inert...HE Round.......yep, the tip unscrews on a left hand thread....talk about a cool hiding place......years ago in my twenties I used to hide things like cash that I didn't want the wife to know about.....even weed and hash used to be put there for "safe keeping".---6
jnyork
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Re: old gun powder

Post by jnyork »

I recently went to reload with some older 4350 I had had for a long time, maybe 25 years or more, when I poured it into the powder measure a cloud of red dust came up out of it. Fed it to the hollyhocks. :lol:
Last edited by jnyork on Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Griff
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Re: old gun powder

Post by Griff »

GunnyMack wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 7:36 pm
Pisgah wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:44 pm
GunnyMack wrote: Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:07 pmI've had an lbs jug of WC846 for over 25 years, it has started to go bad. I need to find somewhere that I can burn the remaining powder.
Dump it on your flower beds. It's fertilizer.
Sure just what I need - bigger, stronger weeds! :lol:
:lol: :lol:
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65bee
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Re: old gun powder

Post by 65bee »

A couple years ago an acquaintence bought a lot of reloading stuff from an estate. In it was several unopened cans of WW2 surplus original BALL C powder sold by Hodgdon in the 1950s. He was leery of it and asked me if I wanted it. Having read that ball powders had an almost unlimited shelf life, I took it and experimented with it in my .222 Mag. and .308., starting with reduced loads. It seemed fine and I slowly worked my way up to normal loads as recommended in my old reloading manuals. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the most accurate powder in both calibers I had ever used, and I then tried it in my .350 Rem. Mag., .35 Rem., and .223 AR. It was excellent in all! Amazing! One facet of it I took note of was the lack of muzzle flash as opposed to some newer Ball C(2) powder I had used in the past. I called Hodgdon and talked to one of the tech guys and he said the original Ball C WW2 stuff was made with a flash suppressent and the newer Ball C(2) did not have it. I told him that was one of the reasons I did not like Ball C(2) and why would they leave the flash suppressent out? He stated he did not know why, only that that was the way they decided to do it. Regarding other powders, I have found that the old-style IMR powders do tend to deteriorate more frequently than some. I have had IMR 4350 and 4831 types go bad after 20 years or so. Other than that I believe most powders, if stored well, dark & cool, have a very long shelf life.
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