Neat older powder cans!

[Miata Mike]

I got a few old powder cans tonight. Several have some powder missing, but contents smell OK. You think the 2400 on the right would be OK to work up some .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum loads with 158 grain lswc bullets? I think they will make a cool addition to the powder shelf! How old might they be?

 

[wankerjake]

Sweet. I ended up with an old can of Bullseye that looks like those. It's unopened with the metal retaining strap still on it. It's sitting on the shelf behind the can I already have opened. I'm kind of excited to get to use it.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Pretty old since they have Hercules on them....I know that 20 years ago, Hercules powder came in cardboard canisters. I'd guess those cans are 70's or so.

 

[fguffey]

Miata Mike, chain of custody, 'ole' reloading books list powders pictorially, before using powder from unsealed cans that have been around for 40 plus years I would suggest making ever effort to identify the powder. Bruce Hodgdon came to our house many years ago, long story, Mr Hodgdon directed my older brother never purchase Hodgdon powder that is not sealed, and powder goes one way, it goes out the door, powder does not come back. And then he went to visit his friend at Sisk bullets, Mr Sisk got the same lecture.



F. Guffey

 

[FROGO207]

I have several old containers of propellant on the shelves in the reloading room myself. I think that they are cool to own. I will use the product with period reloading data if it is still good but if usability is in question I dump it on the lawn and save the container for my collection. I am sure others will say that it is unsafe but I have had no problems and I DO check it regularly for deterioration. I have seen old containers on the auction sites on occasion and they go for serious money. Good find.

 

[Miata Mike]

I also got several full cans of H335 that I plan on loading and shooting. I do have plenty of that powder to compare to.
I was given the Unique can of powder in trade for an empty can of H335. Fair trade on that one.

 

[billyjoe]

Nice addition to your collection. Those cans are 70's production. If you ever get tired of looking at them collectors will pay a nice buck for those old cans. I have several from back when my dad and grandpaw started loading and have being off as much for the cans as a new can of powder cost. I'm a antiques guy though and won't part with them.

 

[JohnM]

Most of us never thought those old cans would be worth anything.
I'd hate to think how many dozens of empty cans and kegs from the 60's and before I tossed.

 

[billyjoe]

I've used some older cans of powder that my dad and grandpaw had from back in the 70's and i can say that the powder in sealed cans worked fine but the powder in partial cans didn't seem to be consistant in ignition. I used it up in plinking loads. On another note i know my dad and grandpaw didn't pour powder in a can it didn't come in. I would not use partial cans of powder that someone else had because they may not do the same. I know of a guy who got a can of powder from an estate auction that turned out to be a bunch of differant kinds mixed together. Point being if the can is sealed it should be ok if it's not use it for yard mulch.

 

[dickttx]

I have had an opened 4# cardboard keg of Herculese Unique for more than 40 years. When I started reloading again last year I tried a new can of Unique, then tried the old one. Couldn't tell any difference in the two.

 

[fguffey]

And some of Hodgdons powder came in paper sacks, I ask Hodgdon if they were going to continue using metal cans when they took on IMR/Dupont etc., and they said they could not take the risk, at the time there were two sources for metal cans, so it was plastic.

F. Guffey

 

[ranger335v]

The Unique and 2400 cans in red, white and blue are from the mid-60s. (The ones in my loading room have retail prices of $2.50). The red, white and yellow 2400 can is older.

 

[fecmech]

Here are some oldies!

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[gamestalker]

A buddy of mine who is no longer with us, used to keep me in IMR-4350 that was really, really old, and that was back in the early 1980's and he had that powder since the 1940's or 1950's at that time. I wish I had kept some of those cans around for their collector value.

 

[Miata Mike]

I love the 2400 can above with the "easy pour spout".

 

[CraigC]

I'd love to have some of them old Unique and 2400 cans!

 

[Para Cassatt]

Those are neat. My oldest ones are an old round steel can in 231 and a smaller in 296. Then I have 3 old cardboard ones in RL-7 & 15 and an empty Bullseye.

 

[Miata Mike]

Today I picked up 2 Bullseye cans like above and a cool Red dot like my older 2400 can. I really like these old Hercules cans. That was the end of the pistol powder cans this gentleman had.

I would have loved the autographed Elmer Keith book he showed us!

Pictures will follow when I am able to transfer the pictures from my phone.

 

[CraigC]

I just watched a signed edition of "Sixguns" go for $262 on Ebay. Not too bad for what it is.