Winchester 680

[hdwhit]

I just unearthed a pound of Winchester 680 powder.

It was purchased at a small gun store in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1978 or 1979. It still has the price sticker on it of $3.70. At the time I bought it, most powders were going for about $6 a pound, so I figured that was too good to pass up. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but I figured something would come along.

It never did.

Does anyone have any information on this powder and what it was used for?

Thanks.

 

[Walkalong]

The only thing I remember about it is that it is a very fast rifle powder.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Superlative in the .22Hornet, and .218 Bee. Much was shot in the 7.62x39 when it started getting traction in the US. Very good powder, but, alas, in the intended market, a little goes a long way... led to its demise.

Since Accurate started marketing Acc1680, little demand for it to return. It had just started drying up when I was starting with the .22Hornet in 1977. Never have seen any "in the flesh".
I'd be afraid it has deteriorated by now.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

From what I've read AA1680 duplicates W680 and that's why the very similar number. I think W680 was dropped from the Winchester line ~1975 so it's,old powder you have there.

If you load for an SKS or AK-47 give it a try. It will probably work well for the 30 Carbine too.

 

[Sunray]

Rumoured that AA1680 replaced it. Supposedly good for 7.62 x 39 from a High Road post from 2009. Steve's Pages does have 122 to 125 grain data. Listed under .310" bullets. http://stevespages.com/page8a.htm
Also used for .357 Maximum and other small capacity cartridges.

 

[Tilos]

Used it for 30 Herrett...
worked great,

 

[243winxb]

W680 Powder- Winchesters 14th Edition at www.castpics.net has data for 357 Rem Maximum, 30-30/110 gr bullet, 30 Carbine, 25/20 and 22 Hornet. Look under "Powder Company Manuals"

Computer only. Site doesnt work on my phone or tablet.

 

[hdwhit]

Thank you 243winxb, I was hoping someone had a link to an old Winchester book.

 

[hdwhit]

GooseGestapo wrote:
I'd be afraid it has deteriorated by now.

Same here.

The can, however, has no rust, the powder has the acetone smell associated with good powder and a sample poured from a well shaken container had no brown or rust color.

With the exception of some Green Dot, every powder I bought in the early to mid-1980s has survived to the present day with no apparent signs of deterioration and only tiny - if any at all - diminution in performance. My Green Dot produces velocities that are 40% lower than cartridges loaded in the 1980's and a couple of IMR powders produce velocities 5-8% lower, so I consider them to be deteriorated, but the rest act just like their brethren that I purchased new last year.

Since this was a Hornet/Carbine powder, I might give it a shot in 5.7mm Johnson.

Might be interesting to find out that the only powder that works in a 50 year old cartridge was discontinued 40 years ago.

 

[steveno]

I remember the reason it was discontinued was due to being temperature sensitive. It was also not very consistent between lot numbers. I used it in the 357 max and heavy bullet loads in the 41 mag and 44 mag

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I remember the reason it was discontinued was due to being temperature sensitive. It was also not very consistent between lot numbers. I used it in the 357 max and heavy bullet loads in the 41 mag and 44 mag

If i recall correctly that's the same reason why W230 was discontinued around the same time. That's when W231 replaced it.

 

[243winxb]

Chemistry
List of components W680.

Nitroglycerin
2,4-Dinitrotoluene
Diphenylamine
Ethyl centralite
Dibutyl phthalate
2-nitrodiphenylamine

Looks like it contains 2 Stabilizers. " Stabilizers prevent the nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine from decomposing by neutralizing nitric and nitrous acids that are produced during decomposition. If the acids are not neutralized, they can catalyze further decomposition. Some of the more common stabilizers used to extend the safe life of the energetics are diphenylamine, methyl centralite, and ethyl centralite. " http://www.firearmsid.com/Feature Articles/McCord_gunpowder/

Ball powder = magnum primer.

 

[hdwhit]

Thank you, 243winxb.

I appreciate you including the reminder about ball powder preferring a magnum primer.

Interestingly enough, back in the early 1980's when I developed my "standard" 223 loadings (i.e. powder charge selected to give the same point of impact at 100 yards regardless of which power it was), I used whatever I could get in the way of primers without regard to the powder type. I loaded hundreds of rounds using Win 748 on top of both standard (CCI 400) and magnum (CCI 450) primers and never noticed a difference.

I also didn't know that diphenylamine was used as an antioxidant in smokeless powders. I had only ever heard about it being used to preserve fruit put into cold storage (at least until everyone became concerned about it being toxic).

 

[Tony k]

There are a couple tin cans of w680 for sale at the hardware store, along with tin cans of bullseye, unique, red dot, and a few others. Stuff looks too old to me.

They let me sniff test one of those old tins a few weeks ago. It had the slightest hint of acetone/ether, but nothing like a new container. I'll pass on that old stuff.

 

[hdwhit]

Tony k wrote:
It had the slightest hint of acetone/ether, but nothing like a new container. I'll pass on that old stuff.

The can in question was purchased in late 1978 or early to mid-1979. It's not a question of passing on it or not as I already bought it somewhere between 38 and 39 years ago. It had just gotten shoved to the back of the cabinet when my father brought all of my reloading supplies to me in Texas after my wife and I bought our house in 1988.