Primer & powder life

[JoeHenry]

This has probably been talked about before but here goes.
About 8 years ago I quit NRA action pistol. About once a month there was a local match, and all the practices. Anyway, to get right to it. I was left with a fairly large amount of powder, tight group, solo 1000 and power pistol. Plus a large supply of primers, Federal match and WW. All this stuff is climate controlled with very little humidity. Since I am in my 70’s, I figure it could be a life time supply.
The big question is, what is the shelf life of powder and primers? Not to worried about brass and bullets.

 

[Bearded Phil]

low humidity, climate controlled....

Powder- at least 10 years
primers- probably decades easy

If you're worried about the powder just do a periodic smell and visual examination and check for any deterioration before using.

 

[twarr1]

Yes. Been discussed a few times. Most agree modern smokeless propellants will last a minimum of 20 years and there are cases where powders even much older are still fine.
The US military doesn’t even start checking until a lot is 15 years old. All assuming good storage conditions, which you stated yours is.
If it passes the ‘smell test’ no worry.

 

[twarr1]

Primers don’t deteriorate unless they’re contaminated, so last indefinitely

 

[Blue68f100]

Open the powder in a good clean area and look for out gassing. If not do the sniff test. If it has a solvent smell or no smell it's good. Then pour some out on a clean sheet of white printer powder. Look for dust, rust if metal can, clumping. These can indicate the powder is starting to break down. If rust I would not use it. If clumping it's breaking down and has a limited time left, use it up quickly or dispose of. I'm still shooting powders from that era, still good.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have powder 20 to 30 years old that I am using.

 

[lightman]

In a stable temperature and out of the direct sunlight, just about forever.

 

[Walkalong]

Powders start deteriorating the moment after they are made, very slowly of course, but it’s a matter of chemistry. Powder can go bad in under 10 years (like my N-130), or it can be 40 years old and shoot like new.

As posters have mentioned check it all periodically, looking for brown/red dust, corrosion on metal cans or lids, acid smell, etc.

Smell it frequently for awhile to get a good understanding of what good powder smells like. Solvent like yes, acidic no.

 

[Reloadron]

Since I am in my 70’s, I figure it could be a life time supply.

You are not alone in the universe. I have been using powder and primers from the early to mid 90s which has been stored properly. The stuff works just fine or at least nothing I notice. Also, in my 70s and I figure lifetime supply and I shoot quite a bit. I could use some Bullseye when it shows up but that's about it. Recently I sold 50 Lb or so of powder for $10 a Lb just to get rid of it. A member drove from Pittsburg to here in Cleveland to get it. Still in original sealed containers. I would load it and see whet you get.

Ron

 

[Iwsbull]

I am shooting some Hercules 2400 that was not kept climate controlled and was purchased in the early 80’s, 8 pounds in a cardboard cylinder and was given to me and shoots great.

 

[WeekendReloader]

Most powder lasts decades. There could be lot to lot variances that could cause some to sour and another bottle of the same type of powder to be just fine. That’s why the periodic visual and smell tests are so important.

 

[bullseye308]

I found some powder I remember using in 89 that was stored on my patio for at least 10 years before bringing it back into the house and it’s still good. AA2460. I have other powder that is from 91-92 that has been in the house since purchased and it’s all good, so I’d expect yours is too. Check it out and load happily.

 

[N555]

I just finished off a keg of unique that was still sealed form 1994 that I bought in 2018. Have no idea how it was stored for those 24 years, good enough I would say.
Single base powder should last even longer.

 

[mec]

I have some Yugoslav 8x57 in stripper clips and bandoleers from 1942. They are loaded with a square flake powder. The last time I checked they produced higher velocity and smaller extreme spreads than modern loads. Some pulp magazine gunwriiter loads using AL7 in .357 were too hot but shot well enough in my GP100. These were loaded on a CH press in 1963. A box of .357 146 grain Hensley and Gibbs cast hollow points over 7 grains of unique were also loaded in 1963. The loading manuals gave these mid 1200 fps range back when nobody had a home chronograph. I dug them out ion 2003 and compared them to some lead semi- wadcutter over the same charge of "new, cleaner burning Unique" which propelled them along a little faster with a slightly lower extreme spread but essentially the same performance.

a couple of days ago I took the partial box of 1963 Unique loads and checked them after they had aged another 19 years. The ten round string was actually a bit better per velocity and extreme spread.
The Speer number 3 manual had a story about a can of Laughlin and Rand Infallable ( went to Hercules and named "Unique" in 1898 )from the 1890s found sometime after mid-20th century that, like the above loads/powder above delivered original performance.