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Bad Powder?

litetriggerlitetrigger Member Posts: 320 ✭✭
edited May 2011 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
I bought a can of I 4198 at the gun show. Not the new stuff, the metal can. It had been opened before, but 85-90% full. It did not smell bad and it looked fine. When I used some it had a rust dust in the air. anyone had this? Almost afraid to use it.
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    gotstolefromgotstolefrom Member Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Your instincts are guiding you well. It's not worth a chance.

    TOSS IT ... your flower bed is a good place, it's only good for fertilizer now.
    A 'rust looking' powder is one of the signs of powder gone bad.

    And, to a loaders nose, good powder smells, well, GOOD .

    my 2 cents.
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    Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,190 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Red dust is THE signature clue that powder is bad. You have one pound of expensive fertilizer.

    Get rid of it NOW. Once powder starts to go bad, every new influx of air (by opening it) makes it deteriorate faster. In a worst case, it can spontaneously ignite.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    got a garden??
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    b0400879b0400879 Member Posts: 256 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    That reddish "dust" is fuming nitric acid, which is a natural by-product of chemical breakdown for nitrates. At some point in it's opened life, this can was unfortunately exposed to uncomfortable levels of heat.

    Some good advise is already offered here - donate/scatter it onto the lawn, etc.
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    v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bought a tray of about 20 containers of powder from an estate auction.
    Some were sealed.
    One container had powder lumped together and went on the lawn.
    A can of H380, had a neutral smell but flowed freely.
    It gave me 1 1/2" patterns at 100 yds out of a scoped 03A3 Springfield using medium loads from a Herter's powder measure.
    I believe a good trigger would have refined patterns.
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    sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    don't waste that on flowers....You need a big fast fire you can say WOW! over.....[}:)][:D]

    find a clear area and watch a little fireworks.[:D]
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