Shelf Life of Powder & Primers

[fl2ak]

Hi, I'm new here and just getting back into the shooting sports after a 12-year hiatus.

I've just found, in my Dad's shed, a still sealed, unopened, one-pound can of Hogdon 4895 and about 400 Winchester large rifle primers, which were stored in a sealed ziplock bag. I also found a lot of brass, some of which having already been reprimed. I'm guess those primers, exposed to 12 years of humidity, are useless. I also found about 300 projectiles, in unopened boxes as well as three other cans of various powders, open and partially full. (I think I'll ask the local police department how to dispose of those; I don't know what to do with them, but I don't want to just toss them in the landfill either.)

Does anyone have some input on the usability of this stuff? It has all been stored in a metal cabinet inside a metal shed in Tampa, FL.

Thanks.

 

[rcmodel]

In all likelihood it is all still good.

Primers may get wet and die.
But when they dry out again they will be good to go again.

They manufacture them in a wet state, like putty, then dry them as the final step in production.
I believe if the "shed stored" primers & primed cases are brought indoors into a dry environment and left to their own devices for a few days, they will all go bang.

Powder can degrade due to high temp storage conditions.

Open the can and smell of the powder.
If it still smells like ether solvent, it is fine.
If it smells like acid, or has red dust in it, it has gone bad and can be used as lawn fertilizer.

rc

 

[Vacek]

Interesting post and subject. It is appropriate because yesterday I bought all of the reloading items from a family whose father had passed away (84 years old). It looks like he quit loding in the early 90's from the dates on his latest reloads. Anyway scored a C&H 2 Press, a Redding C press, 2 MECs, 1 Pacific, spotting scope case trimmers, scales etc. Anyway along with this wee 2 unopened cans of HiVel #2 as well as unopened cans of IMR 4250, 3031 + several others. Then there were 70+ boxes of 12 and 20 guage reloads, hunreds of 30-06 reloads, plus many many others. That is just a start, not mentioning all te brass, bullets, shot, tons of primers (rifle and shotgun) hulls, wads, etc.

The question is what should I do with the vintage HiVel #2?

 

[Otto]

Considering that's it's only 1 pound of powder and a hand full of primers...I wouldn't mess with it.
It may have been in a shed for 12 years but it's likely to be much older.
When in doubt throw it out.

 

[rondog]

The shelf life of that stuff is probably better than your own shelf life.

 

[ReloaderFred]

You can test the primers by shooting them in just a primed case. My bet is they will all go bang. I'm still using primers that I bought in the 1970's (Winchester small pistol magnum) and I've yet to have one not go off.

If you're in doubt about the powder, you can either lay it out in a line and burn it, or just spread it out on the ground and make fertilizer out of it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[fl2ak]

Thanks you guys, I appreciate it. What a deal, Vacek; wish you were local, I'd offer to buy some of if from you.

 

[mbopp]

I've heard of 2 ways to dispose of powder, either spread it on the lawn as fertilizer or burn it in 1# piles with a powder train leading up to it.
I was out of reloading and shooting for 25 years. My stuff was in the basement but I have a dehumidifier. The only questionable loss was a pound of Dupont I4198, everything else still went "bang."

 

[dickttx]

I am currently using on a 4# canister of Unique I bought and opened in the early 70's. It has been stored in both heat and cold for 40 years. I am igniting it with a case of 5000 primers I bought at a gun show a few months ago that has a penciled date of 1992 on the outside of the case.
I single loaded them in a 41 mag Redhawk for the first several rounds just to make sure I would not get a squib load.
I did not start with the powder and primers at the same time. I used new primers with the old powder for awhile. When I got the old primers I used them with new powder for awhile.
I cannot tell the difference in the old Herculese Unique and the new Alliant Unique.

 

[matrem]

I cannot tell the difference in the old Herculese Unique and the new Alliant Unique.

I hear ya.
My chronograph can't seem to tell the difference between 32 year old IMR 4064 and brand new 4064.

 

[fl2ak]

Wow, good stories, you guys, thanks. makes me wonder if I should even be tossing out the open cans of powder or using them, too. Although I think it's all pistol powder; I don't own any more handguns, so not very useful to me. I know that my 9 yr old son would love to see a pound of powder go up in smoke, lol.