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Old April 8, 2009, 12:50 PM   #1
Sixer
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Transferring powder to a different container?

I know that it is probably "against the rules" but I really want to transfer about 3lbs of powder into a generic plastic container with a screw on lid. The powder I have now is in a jug with a pretty small opening at the top. This makes it difficult to scoop out and load up the hopper on my powder measure.

I am working up loads, so I am using small quantities at a time. It would be much less of a hassle if I could just pour the powder from the original container into a gallon tub with a wider opening. Of course I would carefully label the new container. What are your thoughts on this?
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Old April 8, 2009, 12:56 PM   #2
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Is the new container made of heavy black plastic? Do you intend to keep it in the new container? If it's a non-clear container that can be tightly closed and sealed, and then kept out of direct sunlight, and clearly identified, then it's okay.
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Old April 8, 2009, 01:12 PM   #3
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I don't scoop powder out of the factory container, I pour it through a good sized funnel into the measure.

Not all plastics are compatible with smokeless powder. Stupidly enough, even in reloading equipment. One powder heavily etched my Dillon hopper and another turned my CH measure yellow.

If you just must have it in a wide mouth container, put it in a metal coffee can.
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Old April 8, 2009, 01:24 PM   #4
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Not a good idea. Keep it in the original container to clearly identify what's inside.
The original container is designed to rupture if the powder starts to burn. The new container might explode with some force.
Just an odd note:
When I was two years old my Dad was working on the car. He had put some gasoline in a Coca-Cola bottle to clean some parts. I was two, Coca-Cola came in Coca-Cola bottles.
Yep, they took me to the hospital. No damage, but scared everyone.

It's alwas best to keep any dangerous product in the original container.
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Old April 8, 2009, 01:29 PM   #5
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Small laundry detergent bottles work really well. Look at the recycling arrows on the bottom for HDPE; that's what the powder companies use too. (they also work well for storing small lead shot)
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Old April 8, 2009, 02:13 PM   #6
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Good info guys. That helps alot!
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Old April 8, 2009, 03:06 PM   #7
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Snuffy is right, but I do it like Jim Watson said. The right label, and material of what it is made of, and the dark contairner or stored in the dark.
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Old April 8, 2009, 03:14 PM   #8
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In addition to the tips others have given, if you are going to transfer it to another container you should make sure the "lot #" and other information get transferred as well so you can reference it in case of a problem.

Personally I'd just keep it in the original container.
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Old April 8, 2009, 05:34 PM   #9
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Personally I'd just keep it in the original container.
I would have to agree. I can foresee all kinds of problems transferring it to another container. Why don't you just use a funnel?

When I reload a small quantity, I pour the powder in a small bowl so I can scoop it out and when finished pour it back in the original container using a funnel. That way no confusion, no accidents.
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Old April 8, 2009, 09:13 PM   #10
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I lost the lid to my pound of black powder container. I keep old powder jugs/containers. I completely peeled off the label off of one of the plastic bottles and used a label maker and typed up the exact contacts of the black powder container and placed it on the plastic jug.

I think I should be okay but then again, I just reused an empty plastic powder jug.
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Old April 9, 2009, 04:13 PM   #11
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I think I'm missing something here. I have only used three types of Winchester and four types of Hodgdon powders and I have been able to pour the powder from the bottle to the hopper and back without spilling every time I load. I'm curious what powder you have that the mouth on the bottle is so small that you can't do that?
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Old April 9, 2009, 05:05 PM   #12
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I'm curious what powder you have that the mouth on the bottle is so small that you can't do that?
I have quite a few 8-pounders that have small lids (like a bleach bottle.) I like to transfer a pound or so of the powder to an appropriately-relabeled empty 1# Alliant powder bottle for the loading bench and keep the 8's out in the powder shed. But I don't have enough empty small powder bottles yet so I use quart detergent bottles for now.
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Old April 9, 2009, 08:19 PM   #13
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I have quite a few 8-pounders that have small lids (like a bleach bottle.)
Thanks that makes sense. I haven't bought anything bigger than four pound bottles and they have the same mouth as the one pounders. I do the same thing and refill the one pound bottle when it gets low.
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Old April 10, 2009, 11:15 AM   #14
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I myself do leave it in the original container, and use a funnel. I have a couple differnt size ones. Reading the other posts after mine, make sense keeping it in the original container if you can.
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Old April 11, 2009, 06:08 AM   #15
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It's not recommended of course but I have done it. I survived.

I have even dumped the last few grains from one lot into the container of a different lot. I survived that also.

What can I say? I'm a survivor.
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Old April 11, 2009, 10:59 AM   #16
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I'm going to shock everybody with this tale. A local gunshop used to buy powder in the largest bulk containers he could find. Then when somebody needed a pound, he would pour the powder from the keg into styrofoam cups with a opaque lid,(while sitting on a precise scale). Each cup was then written on with a permanent marker as to what the cup contained.

Mostly this was shotgun powder like 700-X or red-dot. This powder would be used up within a couple months. Yes he did it for 10 years or more, nobody ever got hurt. It got to be a major hassle, easier to sell powder in 1# bottles, or 4 - 8 pound kegs.
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Old April 11, 2009, 12:37 PM   #17
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Well, I wouldn't say that I'm shocked, but obviously... that's pretty crazy. Especially in today's litigious society. There's probably some small laws and/or ordinances being broken with regards to the "packaging" of a styrofoam cup of smokeless. And you could lay down odds that any powder manufacturer or distributor getting wind of your shop's methods would like intervene in some manner.

What I would like about such a setup would be to stroll in to a shop and ask for, say, 4 ounces of a particular powder, to give it a whirl. Not sure your guy would have done that...

But everyone in this forum could go the rest of their lives and never see another shop doing what you just detailed, that's for damn sure.
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Old April 11, 2009, 01:30 PM   #18
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I buy in 8 pound cans/bottles, jugs, whatever, and transfer a pound at a time into one pound powder cans always using actual gun powder cans to do so (usually the same type, if not I apply a big stick-on label to both sides and the lid).
I keep the 8 pound jugs in their shipped double containers and the one pound cans in a military wood crate.
Those that do not can not make mistakes are certainly better than I am as I assume if there is a way to screw up Murphy will be there to make it so. Therefore, assuming I am fallible I take the required precautions.
Dumping powder back and forth from 8 pound containers does not sound like a bright idea as a mistake can be 8 times as costly or deadly then a one pound can.

IMO

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Old April 11, 2009, 02:21 PM   #19
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Snuffy, it's funny you mention that... I get my powder & primers from a little "Ma & Pa" reloading shop just outside of town. The powder is taken from the original container and sold by the pound in small paper bags. The white paper bags have a plastic type lining and they are labeled with a permanent marker.

I remember the first time I went there to pick up some powder. I thought it was a little odd, but I'm new to reloading so I didn't give it much thought. I usually only purchase by the pound if I intend to use it fairly soon. So it's not like I'm storing powder in little paper bags for an extended amount of time, but still...?
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Old April 11, 2009, 02:45 PM   #20
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Well, I wouldn't say that I'm shocked, but obviously... that's pretty crazy. Especially in today's litigious society. There's probably some small laws and/or ordinances being broken with regards to the "packaging" of a styrofoam cup of smokeless. And you could lay down odds that any powder manufacturer or distributor getting wind of your shop's methods would like intervene in some manner.
I've bought a few pounds of powder like that, but instead of Styrofoam cups, it was heavy-duty paper cups (like take-out soup might come in.) I transferred them to empty gunpowder containers when I got home because I wasn't planning to use them up right away (still have some.)

After seeing what gasoline does to Styrofoam, I'm not sure I'd trust the solvents and nitroglycerin in gunpowder not to eat a hole in it
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