I don't remember how that happened.
Powder Inventory
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Hooda Thunkit
Member
I love those Ramshot/Accurate 1-pound containers. Easy stacking, easy to rack. Unfortunately, I don't use Accurate/Ramshot - at least in 1 lb containers - as often as the others.
I've always wondered why Hodgdon and the rest went with round containers.
I've always wondered why Hodgdon and the rest went with round containers.
I don't think so yet, more like acid eating at the plastic along with some heat, but yes, that is the fear.
No apparent damage to anything else, a bit of brown dust around the jug that wiped right up. Yep, surprised it did that to a plastic cap.
My first gut reaction was "Oh Crap!"
Yes, powder looks fine, did not smell it, it's sitting under cover on a metal can, I do the smell test, but I have no intention of keeping it, it's the last of an 8 pounder, and I have another almost full 8 pounder of N-133 that's several years younger.
Something on my hands? I can't see what.....
It was 3/4 years old when I got it.
I don't see how either metal or plastic would be "better", just different, the powder has been in the house the whole time.
I have powder much older than this was that is in great shape. Single base/double base/conditions (heat mostly) and time. Who knows what else may accelerate it breaking down sooner.
Yes, and always use fresh powder to load any ammo that will be for long term storage. The military gets rid of old ammo for just that reason, the powder inside is old. I had some old TZ surplus .308 corrode from the inside out. Have a pic somewhere.....
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Sweat. Plus a stray kernel or two of powder in the threads of the lid. I’m not trying to convince you to keep the powder but I just wonder if it’s really bad at this moment. And now I wonder about checking powder and maybe accidentally causing a problem like this.
I don’t have any old powders in my collection but I do understand people who do would want to check them occasionally. Don’t want a bunch of popped off lids and loose powder in the cabinet.
Seedy Character
Member
- Joined
- Sep 6, 2021
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- 2,064
I had 1 go bad, years ago. Never corrosion like that, though.
I HAD an inventory of 6-7 powders, before the GREAT POWDER SHORTAGE. When it became necessary to use what could be found.
This has changed. Today:
I HAD an inventory of 6-7 powders, before the GREAT POWDER SHORTAGE. When it became necessary to use what could be found.
This has changed. Today:
tightgroup tiger
Member
I've had a couple pounds of IMR 4350 and one pound of IMR 3031 start "rusting" on me. They were in metal cans and were around 40 years old.
I had some pyrotechnics with it for fun.
I need to start checking my other older powders.
I was thinking @Slamfire had some nasty pictures of VV doing the same thing, I thought it's short shelf life was a well known problem. That's why I don't use it.
I had some pyrotechnics with it for fun.
I need to start checking my other older powders.
I was thinking @Slamfire had some nasty pictures of VV doing the same thing, I thought it's short shelf life was a well known problem. That's why I don't use it.
This makes me wonder about the 8lb jug of H335 I have sitting here. It's still factory sealed, and was given to me about a year or so ago by someone who no longer reloads. The date he had written on the label is March 1994. But he also kept it stored in his garage here in Arizona.
Charlie98
Member
I've always been pretty observant with my powders. I have a fair quantity of it, most of it 15 years or newer. Because I'm an inventory nut, I regularly update my inventory spreadsheet with powder quantities, including weighing partial cans (I buy 8# jugs, but dispense them into a 1# can for use. I have tare weights for each type container, to make it easy.) so I open them about every 6 months, give them the sniff test... not only to see if they are bad, but to smell them anyway... I like the smell of powder. (There. I said it. 
)
My first 8# was a cardboard can of Unique... and I was always scared of it deteriorating in that wide open 'toilet paper roll' of a can.... but in 15 years, including some poor storage conditions in between moves, it never deteriorated. That is not to say I'm lethargic about powder aging... far from the truth, not after some of the posts I've seen here and elsewhere. I have finally retired all my metal can powders (WST, IMR4895, IMR3031) and those horrible Hercules cardboard pop-top cans... and everything is now in plastic.
I'm also not a big fan of keeping powders I'm not using. I poured a half pound of H4831 into the flowerbed some years ago because I was done with that powder, and didn't want it setting around. Of course, a few years later, I started loading for the 6.5CM... where I could have used that powder, but... oh, well.
+1!!!
)My first 8# was a cardboard can of Unique... and I was always scared of it deteriorating in that wide open 'toilet paper roll' of a can.... but in 15 years, including some poor storage conditions in between moves, it never deteriorated. That is not to say I'm lethargic about powder aging... far from the truth, not after some of the posts I've seen here and elsewhere. I have finally retired all my metal can powders (WST, IMR4895, IMR3031) and those horrible Hercules cardboard pop-top cans... and everything is now in plastic.
I'm also not a big fan of keeping powders I'm not using. I poured a half pound of H4831 into the flowerbed some years ago because I was done with that powder, and didn't want it setting around. Of course, a few years later, I started loading for the 6.5CM... where I could have used that powder, but... oh, well.
+1!!!
Charlie98
Member
I was wondering the same thing... but you can't see 'chemistry,' at least with the naked eye. Further... if it's already started to deteriorate, I would not want to load that into cartridges, and then shelve the cartridges for later use.
I'd dump that powder like a bad habit...
Of all the things in the handloading cycle... brass, primers, bullets, powder... powder is, really, the only thing that can ruin your day. (Yes, brass can deteriorate... I've had it happen (case head blowouts in my M1a,) but it was not injurious.)
.45Coltguy
Member
Cans look good. Liking those old Hercules containers in the back.
lightman
Member
Wow is all I can think to say! Thanks for posting this. This is something we all need to be conscious of.
I went my whole life without ever having powder or ammo go bad until last year. My Son and I were getting ready to do some loading and a can of his powder had a strong ammonia smell. Strong enough that it would nearly knock you down! It was a VV powder, N165. The other was a can of IMR4350 that smelled and looked ok but produced a rust colored dust when it was poured out. This came from a friend that had stored it in a rented storage building that was not temp controlled. This was in one of the older metal cans and the top of the can looked ok.
The ammo was a cast bullet 30 Carbine load that was probably loaded by my Grandfather. He passed away in the mid 70's. When my Son and Grandson was shooting these I could hear a difference in the sound. I wish I had kept a few to dissect but we shot them, being mindful of a squib. I expect they were lubed with that old black lube that Ideal or Lyman used back around that time frame.
I have always kept my powder in a controlled environment and out of the direct sunlight.
I went my whole life without ever having powder or ammo go bad until last year. My Son and I were getting ready to do some loading and a can of his powder had a strong ammonia smell. Strong enough that it would nearly knock you down! It was a VV powder, N165. The other was a can of IMR4350 that smelled and looked ok but produced a rust colored dust when it was poured out. This came from a friend that had stored it in a rented storage building that was not temp controlled. This was in one of the older metal cans and the top of the can looked ok.
The ammo was a cast bullet 30 Carbine load that was probably loaded by my Grandfather. He passed away in the mid 70's. When my Son and Grandson was shooting these I could hear a difference in the sound. I wish I had kept a few to dissect but we shot them, being mindful of a squib. I expect they were lubed with that old black lube that Ideal or Lyman used back around that time frame.
I have always kept my powder in a controlled environment and out of the direct sunlight.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Somehow, somewhere, I came up with a box if that lube. 10 or so sticks. I really don't know what to do with it.
lightman
Member
I hated the stuff. It smoked really bad and was bad to dry out and fall out of the lube groove. I'm really fortunate to live near the Guy that makes the White Label Lubes. I just drive up, visit with him and buy a dozen or so sticks.
Bazoo
Member
Preciate you sharing your story. A reminder that powder can go bad quicker than we realize.
GW Staar
Member
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2009
- Messages
- 3,709
I don't either.....but you gotta look at all the variables. You had a house move recently too....gotta look at that upheaval too.
Hope that's the last time you see it.Pictured below is all I have left.....and some is pretty old. Look at the price tag on the Winchester 760.....that and the foil-lined cardboard on top is the oldest. It all smells like smokeless powder's supposed to......relieved...... I don't shoot as much as I used to....and excepting the Tac, Unique, 4895, is stuff I don't use much any more....except 2400, but I'm out of it except for that old one in the picture. Yeah I know, I shoulda used it first. I really like TAC for my AR .223.....and 4895 for my AR-10. Varget?......not as much. See all those 8 pounders? Me neither.
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