Are there any problems reloading old gunpowder?

steve45

Ive got a half a can of IMR 4350 powder thats 22 years old. Does anybody know of any problems using older gunpowder?

browser900

I do not know of any, as I have used 40 year old pouder. HOWEVER you must remember tha a new batch of the same brand and number may be faster and if you were loading close to max the load could be hot. Many years ago I had this happen to me using H4831 when I aquired new pouder. I had to drop 2 full grains in a mag load.

mrbruce

If the powder has been stored in a correct manner, and has no unusual smell to it, it will be no problem to use it.
If it has a different smell than new powder, or if it seems to have broken down in any way, or discolored, toss it on the lawn as it's good fertilizer.

Gun control is hitting what your aiming at.

RadCat

Maybe I am succumbing to manufacturers sell hype, but I listen to them. I store my powder in a cool dry place. I understand that air/oxigen is the enemy of "smokeless" powder, so I return unused powder back to it's canister. I also cannot help but to notice the extra empty space that manufacturers seem to leave in each container, supposedly for safety reasons. This can also lead to "extra" doses of air/oxigen getting inside, helping decompose the powder, and shortening their consistent usefull life. I for one want my loads to be consistent and predictable, rather than just go bang. When I read this post yesterday, it reminded me of my yearly ritual of powder disposal. I went outside and made several piles and designs in the ground using my "old" powder leftovers, making several trails leading into one. Now I'll leave it to you to figure out what I did at midnight with a lit match. When "smokeless" powder is stored, hermetically sealed, like inside a properly made round of ammo, it can last without losing much strenght for many, many years. But when powder is left exposed to the open air it deteriorates quickly, changing its properties and burning rate, making it no longer predictable. Unpredictable burning powder is DANGEROUS TO LIFE AND LIMB. If your powder was not stored hermetically sealed and exposed to air as little as possible, get rid of it. I also do not suggest mixing old batches of powder with newer ones to homogenize performance. Mixing powders that have developed different burning rates together, will result in possible catastrophic explosions.

gruntled

I asked this question of each of the manufacturers reps at on of the NRA annual meetings. Even when I mentioned that some of my powder was nearly fourty years old they said that was no problem as long as it passed the smell test.

Ray B

The extruded single base powders, of which IMR4350 is one are the most resistant to changes due to age. The ball type, double base that have burn deterent coatings are more prone to change burn rate due to age and changes.

bpost

Hey Radcat....I'll take your stale powder off your hands....Old Powder shoots better than I can in the toys I have.

RadCat

Hey,"bpost1958". Are you nuts? I spend the entire "year" saving my old powder so that I can make a pyrotechnic display, either on the fourth of July or New Years Eve, and I going to give it away? Haven't you heard of burning "good" money? No, seriously, while I do dispose of old powder, it is just that: rancid smelling,decomposing, smaller left-over portions of powders that won't be enough to make a decent batch of loadings. Usually this is the end result of my having found a powder I like better for a particular load, and the other one becomes orphaned for a while. So I store it properly for a while, and eventually I find a use for it, if not and I don't have any more room for storage, I use as fireworks. Ah! The smell of burnt powder is as sweet as the smell of fresh minted money. I don't think you would want to obtain "used" powder from a stranger, though.

bpost

Well now to be honest [8D] I would just add your old rancid stuff to my old rancid stuff and make-um Big fire out here in the boonies....[:D][:)][:D]... I would Never think of any fellow shooter as a stranger, Just a friend I don't know yet...[:)] I would be happy to test his surplus powder in HIS gun for him [^] (from a safe distance with the gun tied to a tree and a string for firing.)

Happy New Year

steve45

Thanks Everybody![:)]