can /1 lb 3031

[brassbullets12]

i know this has been hashed before, but no time to search for proper answer. I have a sealed metal can of 3031. I opened today no signs of rust on outside. powder had light amount of rust dust on inside, though powder still smelled good.
this is first time this has happened to me in 30yrs. from memory I should toss it, or can I load and shoot this weekend safety
thanks in advance for reply's
price was 13.95 so its been a few years

 

[deadeye dick]

I don't think it would gain potency with age. If anything it would weaken. I would load some on the light side and see what happens. Should be ok

 

[FROGO207]

I would not load up any ammo to store away but if you were going to shoot it this weekend and a couple sample rounds worked I would go for it. The red color inside is rust that has come off the inside of the can and IS mildly abrasive. Your call as to what to do with that propellant and choice of firearm damage resulting from that. I would not keep any propellant around that had the visible signs of deterioration just to be safe from a fire. YMMV


FWIW I have some metal cans that have a $5.25 price tag on them from the 50's that are OK, no signs of deterioration and I use it to load presently.

 

[GLOOB]

I would hurry up and shoot it, as long as smells ok. And I would transfer any other powder in metal cans into plastic jars. I don't know if that will make it last longer, but rust in the powder can't be helping, any.

I think some powders will burn quicker when they deteriorate. So you are taking your own chances.

 

[Slamfire]

The rust is from NOx escaping from the gunpowder. Gunpowder deteriorates and as a by product of the break down, NOx is released. One of the chemicals that comes from the NOx spectrum is nitric acid gas, and that is the most likely candidate for the rust.

Once gunpowder has hit a neutral smell, it should be shot up quickly or tossed. As long as your gunpowder has the ether smell, I for one would use it. I would not leave it in the case for over a year as your gunpowder is old, is outgassing, and would crack case necks.

A rule of thumb for gunpowder lifetime is 45 years for single based and 20 years for double based. Constant heat over 86 F reduces powder shelf life, heat. See table below.

UN manual on ammunition inspection. See section 7.3.

Surveillance and in-service proof - the United Nations

http://www.un.org/disarmament/conva...20-Surveillance_and_In-Service Proof(V.1).pdf




Early in the last century the storage lifetime of smokeless powders was considered to be 20 years or less:

Army Ordnance Magazine, June 1931, page 445 says:

“Smokeless powder constitutes one of the greatest hazards from a storage standpoint, due to the fact that it is subject to deterioration and at the best cannot be expected to have a life greater than about twenty years…….Master samples of all lots of smokeless powder are under constant observation in the laboratories at Picatinny Arsenal. Should any of these samples indicate rapid deterioration, notification is given at once, and steps are taken to use this deteriorating material within a very short period, if possible, or else withdraw it from service.”

 

[TexasDon]

SlamFire1,

Thanks....That was a good read.
Information is power.


TxD

 

[243winxb]

Old Dupont Powder IMR

What i did with some Dupont IMR 4198 is , dump back and forth from plastic containers to let the wind blow the red dust away. Load and shoot. I did move remaining powder to a different empty metal can of the same lot number, had 10 cans. Just checked whats left after about 1 year, no rust/dust. Soon as the snow melts, its getting used. This can of IMR4895 looked bad, but powder seemed ok. I did not use it.

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since you can load ~225 rounds of 30-30 or ~140 rounds of 45-70 you better get to shooting right quick. Like said above, if it still smells good you can surely use it but I wouldn't let it sit around much longer without shooting it up...

 

[brassbullets12]

thanks for reply
and the chart.
I will shoot this weekend.