Need help identifying powder

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Capt. Capsize

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Greetings gents. A buddy of mine (not a reloader) just gave me about 3 pounds of powder he thought was Unique. It came in two coffee cans one labeled Herco and the other Unique, the person he got it from has passed away so no way to verify type of powder. I have never used either one so don't have anything to compare it to. Here is the problem; both powders look identical and both have an unusual appearance. I think both cans contain the same powder. The powder is a small flake slightly smaller than Clays, it is a two tone powder of gray flakes and black flakes. Does this seem like anything you have seen before? At the price of powder now a days, I hope to be able to use this stuff. Thanks in advance.
 
Just my .02 . . .but I wouldn't use it . . . life's too short to have a Kaboom! (There's no reliable way that I know of to identify powder based on looks)

Good Luck!

Regards,
Dave
 
Scatter it in the yard.
It will make good cheap lawn fertilizer.

With the possible exception of some of the "Dot" powders like Red-Dot, Green-Dot, & Blue-Dot, I would not even attempt to use unidentified powder I got somewhere in coffee cans.

rcmodel
 
Is your life, hands, arms, face or other body parts worth using an unknown powder? I know mine are not. I personaly would use to for starting a nice brush fire and be done with it. Or I would sprinkle it on the lawn and hope to see the grass SHOOT up LOL ok sorry enough with the bad jokes.

DO NOT USE IT BURN IT ALL OF IT.
 
I think you must consider the risk that the Herco and Unique got mixed to give the two-tone appearance. There is no truly safe way to positively identify the powder or make use of it that I can think of. If it were all I had and I was loading up for the Revolution, there are some workarounds but I don't think them worth mere money.
 
A couple of guys with tremendous experience and expertise have answered. Now, for balance, I'll answer. I've been reloading for about four months.

Don't use the powder. I can't tell the difference between Bullseye and 231, but they load different. It's too risky.

However, I would be tempted to do something more... "spectacular" with it than pour on the yard.
 
Don't listen to these guys! You'll waste good powder. You can have it analyzed, the specs, burn rate, preasure curve, etc can be determined, then you can develope loads with it. Probably won't cost more than a couple or three thousand bucks, maybeso ten grand max. Great savings!!! It could really make your reloading economical!
 
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Well you guys aren't much help! I know safety is paramount but I'm not a neophyte I just don't know Unique or Herco by sight. This powder is one of them. They both have similar load data specs. I plan on loading some rounds to .38 special low pressure and fire them in my T. Contender and compare the results to rounds loaded to similar specs with my known powders. It would be helpful if someone could identify the powder by my description. Or at least say no, that doesn't sound like either one!
 
Pard, NO ONE can identify it by appearance!
You seem pretty confident that it is either Herco or Unique, and what you're doing is probably quasi safe, so good luck.
 
Capt Capsize.

There is no way that any of us could tell you which powder it is. I have used both Herco and Unique and other Alliant powders and I can tell you the vast majority of Alliant powders look nearly the same, with notable exception of red dot, green dot and blue dot. We cannot in good mind or safely tell you which powder it is. Even if I were looking at it myself, I don't know if I could tell you if it were in fact unique, herco or any other type of powder shaped like discs. Even if one of us did guess, if we guess wrong, it could severely damage your firearm or you.

The best option here is to safely dispose of the powder. Sure, it gets wasted, but the risk is not worth taking.
 
I'll take a stab at this and offer that you COULD use the powder 'IF' you start low and work up the loads with cronograph. Seeing as 38 Special can use the very fastest of pistol powders, I can see using what you have to get your bullets up to standard Special speeds. It cannot be faster than Bullseye, so a workup is safe.

Does it really matter what the powder is?? No, not really so long as you are going to develop your own loads and NOT go with something out of a book. Start low...like 2.5 grains and see what it does. If it sticks a bullet (and it might) you will need to bump the load up until you get the 750-800 fps you are looking for.

If I were you....I would NOT throw out the powder. It would go down the barrel behind some bullets. But, I'd enjoy working up a pair of loads for the two cans of unknown powder that you have.
 
Why don't you sell it to Recoil Rob. He knows what to do with it.
You don't know what to do with it, or you wouldn't have started this thread.
 
Capt Capsize :
What you decide to do with this unknown powder is up to you. Sounds like you are going to try to use it anyway. Reloading safety is something none of us should ignore just to save a few dollars. Posts like this saying you chose not to follow good safety guide lines send the wrong message , especially to the many new reloaders who come here for advice.
 
I can't believe anyone would even remotely consider using a powder that they couldn't identify. I do some incredibly risky things, but I wouldn't try that. Come to think of it, I wouldn't use a powder that had been stored for any amount of time in a coffee can even if I knew what it was. Not exactly a stable enviroment.
 
After seeing what high pressure will do in a M-16. If you are thinking about loading this powder. Don't hold or stand close to the weapon while firing it.
It's better to be safe than lose a part of yourself.
 
Hahahaha, I'm enjoying all the comments. No need to continue this thread. Am I going to use this powder? Sure, as I already stated it is either herco or Unique. They have similar load data so what's the big deal. I just wanted to be able to say for sure which one it is.
 
Capt. Capsize:
Well you guys aren't much help! I know safety is paramount but I'm not a neophyte I just don't know Unique or Herco by sight. Or at least say no, that doesn't sound like either one!
Click to expand...
NO, how was that. Let us know if you were successful or if you blow yourself up. It would be fertalizer if it were mine.
Rusty
 
Your buddy thinks it's Unique, but he's not a reloader. You've never used either Unique or Herco, but you're sure it's one or the other. It has an unusual appearance, you've gotten lots of sensible advice warning you not to use it, but you're going to use it anyway. Good luck to you sir.
 
Pitch it. As mentioned, there is absolutely no way of identfying any powder by just looking at it.
"...going to use this powder? Sure..." Please bring your insurance payments up to date. Especially your disability insurance.
 
Seven people with well over 1,000 (some several thousand) posts have recomended against it. I'm not saying post-count means everything, but in this case I'd say it means something.

Posts like this saying you chose not to follow good safety guide lines send the wrong message , especially to the many new reloaders who come here for advice.
Click to expand...

Don't worry too much. This new reloader has been shaking his head and, I know it's sort of sick, but, giggling.

Honestly, I hope the OP doesn't get hurt.
 
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