Can of Goex ffg from the 70's ?

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kyron4

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A coworkers dad passed away and asked if I wanted a can of black powder they found in his house. It's a red metal can of Goex ffg. with a black metal cap offset to one side. Marked " Goex Black Rifle Powder" and "American made since 1912" On the bottom is stamped in black ink, "02 73 " and a lot number. Is this to mean it was made in Feb. 1973 ? It's about 3/4 full and powder looks to be in good shape, no clumping. Still good to use ? Any input ? Thanks
 
I remember reading about powder being recovered from ships that sank in the 17 and 1800s. Even thought it was wet, it was dried out and worked fine.
 
If it gets heavily wetted, the potassium nitrate will dissolve. If there is no "flushing" effect to move it away from the charcoal and sulfur, it should crystallize back where it started when dried. Remember, black powder manufacture is a wet process, the milling is done in a paste.
 
A coworkers dad passed away and asked if I wanted a can of black powder they found in his house. It's a red metal can of Goex ffg. with a black metal cap offset to one side. Marked " Goex Black Rifle Powder" and "American made since 1912" On the bottom is stamped in black ink, "02 73 " and a lot number. Is this to mean it was made in Feb. 1973 ? It's about 3/4 full and powder looks to be in good shape, no clumping. Still good to use ? Any input ? Thanks

Shoot it in remembrance. I hope my whole stock gets used after I go.
 
IIRC, Goex powder did not come around until the 1980s. Before that it was Gearhart-Owen (GOI).

So I don't think the "02 73" mark is the date of manufacture.

Regardless, unless it's a solid clump, I'd have no problems shooting it.

I believe that the date is correct for the production of Goex. EDIT - "02 73" IS NOT THE DATE CODE -- SEE POST #18 BELOW

"In the early 1970’s, the Belin Plant became a part of GOEX.
GOEX continued to supply black powder for Military and Industry and for a growing Sporting interest. "
--->>>SEE POST #9 --- https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/the-hazard-powder-company-1836-1913.868889/
 
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That information including the story found on the Goex web page is incomplete. AFAIK, "Goex" did not start appearing on cans until after 1976.
 
That information including the story found on the Goex web page is incomplete. AFAIK, "Goex" did not start appearing on cans until after 1976.

Then how do you explain the date code?
The code on the bottom of the can seems to apply to all of their other BP production over the years, and Goex states early 1970's.
A source for your contention would be very helpful toward explaining how such an error could be made.
 
It'll be good forever plus 3 1/2 days, but
after that you must not use it.

If you're keeping it, pour it out in a
glass or ceramic bowl and slowly and
carefully stir it with a spoon.
Then carefully pour it back into the container.
Anything settled from handling and jostling
around will get put back where it belongs :)
 
I'm using powder from the sixties. Elephant, DuPont, Curtiss and Harvey. All fine to go.
 
My shoulder can bear witness that 11mm black powder ammo made in Spain in 1889 captured in CUBA in 1898, stored on Bannernans island and them stored who knows where for 100 years retains its viability.
 
That number on bottom of can is the work shift and batch number. The date is coded in the other longer number.
IIRC, Goex powder did not come around until the 1980s. Before that it was Gearhart-Owen (GOI).

So I don't think the "02 73" mark is the date of manufacture.

Regardless, unless it's a solid clump, I'd have no problems shooting it.

I am wrong and both of you are right about which set of numbers is the Goex date code.
Many thanks for the correction.

I found a post on the MLF that explains how to read the date code, and it is the longer number and not the one on top.
Here's a copy of the post that I found: SEE POST #5 --->>> https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/old-goex-cans.22680/

"Here's how to read the manufacture codes on the bottom of the can:

The code on the Goex can gives the granulation, the lot number, and the date of manufacture.

For instance: 02/73.00NO3B

From left to right, this breaks down as 2f granulation, lot number 73. It was manufactured in the year 2000, the month of November, on the third day of the month, and packed on the second, or "B" shift."
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I have a can of Goex 4F with 2 sets of numbers. one above the other.

04 83 and 10AU05B

That would mean that it's 4F, lot number 83, year 2010, August 05, packed by shift B
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A coworkers dad passed away and asked if I wanted a can of black powder they found in his house. It's a red metal can of Goex ffg. with a black metal cap offset to one side. Marked " Goex Black Rifle Powder" and "American made since 1912" On the bottom is stamped in black ink, "02 73 " and a lot number. Is this to mean it was made in Feb. 1973 ? It's about 3/4 full and powder looks to be in good shape, no clumping. Still good to use ? Any input ? Thanks

kyron4, what's is the 2nd set of numbers on your can?
That 2nd set is the date code.
The numbers "02 73" stands for 2F lot 73.
The other numbers are the production date.
I apologize for the confusion.
 
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I apologize for the confusion.

Don't sweat it, none of us is perfect, least of all me. You certainly more than made up for it with a very informative post. Thanks.

I started shooting BP in the 1970s and all we had was Gearhart-Owen. I don't recall seeing "Goex" until sometime in the early 1980s.
 
Don't sweat it, none of us is perfect, least of all me. You certainly more than made up for it with a very informative post. Thanks.

I started shooting BP in the 1970s and all we had was Gearhart-Owen. I don't recall seeing "Goex" until sometime in the early 1980s.

I found a more detailed history of Goex which begins with this incomplete statement:

" In 1916, Du Pont moved its black powder manufacturing to a plant just outside of Moosic, PA, and operated the facility there until 1971 - when the decision was made to end production of Du Pont black powder.
That opened the door to a new name in black powder production, GOEX Inc. - which began producing powder again at Du Pont's old Moosic mill in 1972. " --->>> http://namlhunt.com/mlpowders8-1.html

As Dave Markowitz pointed out, the GOEX label was not developed right away.
There were a series of label changes from GO, to GOI, and then to GOEX.
There are some threads that explain the details, which indicate that the Goex name on the label may not have been used until 1976, and they explain why.
There's also a thread from 2011 that talks about the change in the "American Made Since XXXX date" on the Goex label from 1912 to 1802.
Apparently Goex is taking credit for the amount of time that Dupont was making black powder before being purchased by Gearheart Owen.
At least these threads help to identify some of the facts about the history of Goex powder and its labels, the real history verses the abbreviated company version. ;)

1. https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=21047.0
2. https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/gearhart-owen-powder.36770/
3. https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/goex-can-change.68920/
 
The reason there was no GOEX labled cans before 1976 is that when they first bought it from Dupont they were only going to produce powder for military and blasting. There was no small cans at that time. In 1976 they decided to sell sporting powder and that's when their first can came to be. That first can is Dupont's last can with only the Dupont name removed and the Gearheart Owen icon added in it's place. otherwise it's the same can. They only advertise it being made at the same plant since 1912.
These are full cans I have. 1st is 1976, 2nd is 1986 and third is 2007.
GOEX cans.jpg
 
Looks like my can was mas made in 2000. The ink stamp reads " 00NO07B" . The can looks just the can on the right in RodDoc's picture. So it's only 21 years old; good to go for sure. Thanks for all the information , very interesting. This site is full of good knowledgeable people.
 
Oldest powder I've fired off was some 11mm mauser stamped from 1880. Needed the brass and was young 'n' dumb, so I fired off the 10 rounds I found.

They all went off eventually. 2 had to be re-primed, 3 had glacial hang fires and 2 click..bang and the rest went off with only a tiny hang fire.


Also fired plenty of turn of the last century 45-70.
 
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