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Old May 30, 2012, 07:04 PM   #1
etcher1
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Any guesses as to how old?

While digging through my stuff to get set up reloading again, I found this.



The one on the left is about 27 years old. The one on the right is new. I did load up 18 rounds of 44 mag with the old stuff. It all went off like it was brand new. Starting to get back into the groove of reloading.
Anybody else have stuff this old or older?
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Old May 30, 2012, 07:33 PM   #2
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My guess is about mid to late 1960's on this one.

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Old May 30, 2012, 07:33 PM   #3
Brian Pfleuger
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Not as old as mine.



My can was guess-ti-dated between the late '50s and mid-70s. I'm going to say yours is from the mid-80s. (Pure Guess).
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Old May 30, 2012, 07:46 PM   #4
William T. Watts
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H4831 was purchased in 1993 (280Rem) & IMR7828 purchased in 1992 (270Win & 7mm Rem mag)), both are still in good condition and I continue to use them. William
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Old May 31, 2012, 05:01 PM   #5
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My dad passed 15 years ago. He hadn't done any loading the last 10 plus years before that. This is 4 cans of his left overs. I like the price on the IMR 4350
My guess is 25 plus for all four. They were bought at 'Consumers Hardware', the precursor of 'Bass Pro'.

100_3055s.JPG

100_3054s.JPG

Enjoy,

OSOK
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Old June 1, 2012, 08:39 PM   #6
Clark
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I like to decorate my reloading room with things older than me, but these old powder are younger than me.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Old cans of powder 6-1-2012.jpg (162.3 KB, 81 views)
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Old June 2, 2012, 03:03 AM   #7
Ethan.G
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oh man, my buddys dad gave us a can just like the first pic, we lit some on fire, burn "looked" good (as if we had a clue to What we where looking for) loaded it up in his 38spc, it actually had enough in there for a couple hundred rounds, worked great hahahaha
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Old June 2, 2012, 07:50 AM   #8
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I still have a "brown paper" bag with a lb. of Unique, we got in the eighties, from a bulk supplier, (LGS).
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Old June 2, 2012, 12:20 PM   #9
Marco Califo
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1980's

That is 1980's packaging. Smell it, it should smell similar to new. It would have a different bad smell if it had gone bad, which I strongly doubt. They were still using that packaging in 1992:

http://www.castpics.net/LoadData/Fre...rcules1992.pdf
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Old June 2, 2012, 01:00 PM   #10
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Etcher I got a can just like that from my dad except I emptied it I ended up reloading some 44 as well about 450 plus rounds
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Old June 2, 2012, 11:23 PM   #11
Ralph Allen
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Brian, I have the exact same Hercules Unique can as you, still full of powder. I also have a 1/2 # can of IMR SR4756 that has a price tag of $2.77 from a local store that changed it's name to what it currently is over 35 years ago. Powder is still like new and as a matter of fact I just loaded up some 10mm rounds from this same can earlier tonight. Shot some this week from the same can and function was flawless. As you all can see by all the above posts, proper storage pays off.
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Old June 2, 2012, 11:31 PM   #12
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I've got a couple old cans, was thinking about starting a similar post. I'll try and get some more pics of them. Here is my favorite, it's an unopened can of bullseye. Still has the metal retaining seal:


Pull tab:
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Old June 3, 2012, 09:48 AM   #13
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Here's a few more. The 700-x is a 5 lb jug, was mostly empty. It was my Grandpa's. Just finished it off the other day. I'm liking 700-x powder; it smells really good burned and it's cheaper than most powders. The Du-Pont 4350 is unopened, the Du-Pont SR 4576 is about half full.

The price tag on the 4350 is $4.60


This W231 is not as old (I assume), but still a cool container:
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Old June 3, 2012, 10:19 AM   #14
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Posted this on THR a while back when a guy asked if his powder was old:



This has a 3 digit lot number...I have chrono'd it along side some from the 70's that I have...I did .38 Special loads, and both are statistically identical, and very close to the velocity in the Hornady Manual #4 where I got the recipe...
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Old June 5, 2012, 10:49 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jepp2
My guess is about mid to late 1960's on this one.
Ha! So the business of putting less than 16oz in a 1 pound can isn't new.
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Old June 6, 2012, 10:12 AM   #16
David Wile
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Hey Sport45,

If I remember correctly, back in the 60s and 70s, Hercules marketed most if not all their powders in less than one pound containers. Dupont and Hodgden, on the other hand, did all of theirs in true one pound containers. In the 50s and into the 60s, Hodgen sold their 4831 in cardboard containers with a metal top and bottom.

They also sold larger containers of powder, but I did not have enough money to buy eight pounds of powder at one time back then. My first eight pound keg purchases were probably Hercules powders in big cardboard cylinders where the top fourth of the container slid off to reveal the powder inside a plastic bag inside.

Actually I did buy more than a pound of powder at one time back in the 50s and 60s. They used to sell bulk 4831 by the pound, and you went away with a paper bag full of powder. It seems like the bulk powder sold for about 50 cents a pound at one time. Even then, I would only by two or three pounds at a time.

The 4831 sold by Hodgden even into the 70s was all surplus powder from WWII. What I would like to know is for what 4831 was used in WWII? I know I used it in my M1 Garands, but other folks have said it was not used for the Garands. Does anyone know for what purpose 4831 was used in the war?

Best wishes,
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Old June 6, 2012, 10:44 AM   #17
huntinaz
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Anybody know when half pound containers were sold? At a local shop the other day I saw some 8oz cans of 700x, 800x, and SR 4756. I believe they were IMR though, and not dupont so it must have been after the merge.
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Old June 6, 2012, 02:03 PM   #18
south.texas.dead.I
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Clark View Post
I like to decorate my reloading room with things older than me, but these old powder are younger than me.
They are older than me!!! I'll take them for my blooming reloading room


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Old June 6, 2012, 02:19 PM   #19
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Clark, thanks for the pic of powders, that can of Herter's takes me way back. Anyone else remember the old Herter's catalogs?
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Old June 6, 2012, 05:18 PM   #20
David Wile
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Hey HuntinAZ,

I made a mistake when I said Dupont powder. I actually meant Dupont IMR powders. If Dupont sold powders without the IMR name, I do not remember it, but it seems to me the IMR powders were made by Dupont as far back as I can remember. I think Hodgdon bought out the IMR line about ten years ago, but I also seem to remember Dupont selling the IMR line out to someone back in the 70s or 80s.

I ought to also mention my buddy just told me that 4831 was used for anti-aircraft cannons during WWII. Considering how big those cartridges were, how much powder they used, and how many A-A cartridges they burned up, that would be a big reason why there was so much 4831 sold for surplus after WWII.

Best wishes,
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Old June 6, 2012, 05:27 PM   #21
huntinaz
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Quote:
I made a mistake when I said Dupont powder. I actually meant Dupont IMR powders. If Dupont sold powders without the IMR name, I do not remember it, but it seems to me the IMR powders were made by Dupont as far back as I can remember. I think Hodgdon bought out the IMR line about ten years ago, but I also seem to remember Dupont selling the IMR line out to someone back in the 70s or 80s.
Ah, I was thinking (errantly) about the IMR/Hodgdon merge. I do have some cans though that say either or Dupont or IMR. I can't see my pictures right now (work blocks photobucket) but I believe the can of 700x I posted says Dupont. The can in the store says IMR. I guess I'll have to check when I get home. I'd like to buy the few cans he has at the shop, but he wants like $15 for half a pound of powder... the cans are cool though. I may have to bite the bullet. I want that old 8oz 700x can.
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