Powder.

[Johnson1631]

OrangeP9...Hey, we have 4 moulds. My ol' lady just got up from her nap and started a little supper. I told her what you said about the moulds. She said we'vd had them for over eleven years but no pot or lead. She also said that a couple of her small cast iron pots with the wooden handles would work just fine for melting lead and they have the little spout formed into the side for pouring so it should work. She said the moulds have wooden handles and were bought from Cabelas. I didn't know... I know I bought a complete set of cast iron cooking stuff for her from Fingerhut years and years ago...Hell, might as well look on E-Bay and check out some lead. I might get off into this stuff a little so I'm not that far outside the pale. I seldom make it past my Ruger Mark 2 with my Remington and Peters .22LR hollow point Yellow Jackets. I know she is really up on this blackpowder stuff. Hey! She just looked over and grinned at me and said "The family that shoot's together stay's together"!! Hell, we'vd been together for right at 30 years. I don't know where either of us would go!! Thank's for the information Orange..Johnson..

 

[crazyjennyblack]

OK.... seriously? I doubt anyone will be coming for BP anytime soon. They still have BP in Europe and other places that are far more repressive. Worry more about an assault weapons ban or something along those lines, rather than whether or not you ordered BP online.

And now, back to the question....

I've used Pyrodex, 777, and real BP. I have stored all three in limited quantities for 8 years or so (one can I got from a neighbor, and he had it for 10 before I got it 2 years ago). None of these cans seemed reduced in power in any way, including two that had the seal broken. As long as you keep them sealed and don't immerse them in water, the storage life of real BP is longer than your own life. The storage life of BP substitutes is at least in the decade or so range, most likely much longer.

 

[Patocazador]

My black powder is old ... probably 20-25 years. As long as it doesn't get wet, it will go boom.

As far as survival is concerned, you can make black powder with charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter so, theoretically, you can never run out.