How easily does powder go bad?

SLOMountaineer · July 23, 2006, 07:06 PM

I searched but didn't find anything so sorry if this is a repeat. I have had several pounds of powder sealed and in storage for a few years. Most of the time it has stayed cool but has gotten warm a few times. Does it ever go bad to the point of not being usable? I heard somewhere that if you open it and it has a strong acetone odor that it has gone bad. Is this true.

I have a wide variety from different manufacterers and for different types of reloading...

Jim Watson · July 23, 2006, 07:34 PM

Acetone aroma is just residual solvents.
An acid smell, reddish nitric fumes, and rusted can are bad signs.
If you store your powder under conditions where you are comfortable, it will last for many years. Last year I was loading powder marked as first opened in 1981 and it did fine.

hpg · July 23, 2006, 08:21 PM

If kept cool and in a dry place it will last for decades. hpg

Ammo Junky · July 23, 2006, 08:28 PM

SLO, any powder over 6 mo. old is very unstable and dangerous. Do the right thing for you and your family, send all the 6+ mo old powder you have to me. I have and achient chinese method for burning large quantities of powder threw many, many small combustions.

P.S. Welcome to TFL

SLOMountaineer · July 23, 2006, 10:45 PM

Hey Junky, I may be dumb but I am definitely not stoopid!

I probably have 20 lbs of everything from BLC2 to Win. 748. 50 bucks a pound if you are interested.

Thanks for the replies everyone. Not sure why I haven't found this forum until now. I have been shooting for 35 years and reloading for a while, but, as you can see by my question, I have a lot to learn.

SLOMountaineer · July 23, 2006, 10:47 PM

BTW, do primers go bad? I have about 20k primers, small pistol to large rifle, want those too Junky?

El Paso Joe · July 24, 2006, 01:22 AM

I have some very old powder - a can of 5066 (you won't find it in the manuals anymore) and others. Stored reasonably it may or may not go bad - but some I have I got from a buddy or two in the 1970's and they were old then. They seem to work fine. The only can I dumped had rusted out (it is a bad sign...). Store the stuff well and be careful - err on the side of caution. Good luck.

Doubletaptap · July 24, 2006, 02:59 AM

Stored well,kept dry,cool or hot, it'll last darn near forever. Now powder in cartridges is another story. I won't shoot any old ammo.
Oh yes, make sure you store it where it won't be changing temperatures too drastically. Condensation can form inside the container from this and then you will have bad powder.

Ammo Junky · July 24, 2006, 06:21 AM

20K of primers,

I am sure that is agianst your local fire code and primers are only good for 3 mo befor they become unstable. You had better ship them out to me today.

**Mike Irwin** · July 24, 2006, 10:24 AM

give it access to a switchblade and a leather jacket, and it will go bad on you REALLY easily...

Otherwise, not very easy at all.

Primers can go bad, ESPECIALLY if they're stored in an area where volatile oil vapors can reach them, but again, that takes a long time.

As for shooting old ammo, I have no problems with that at all. Some years ago a friend and I burned some 110-120 year old ammo in his .56-56 Spencer. About 70% of the rounds fired without too much trouble, about 10% of them were complete and total duds.

.499 BigBore · July 25, 2006, 08:42 AM

Quote:

I have some very old powder - a can of 5066 (you won't find it in the manuals anymore) and others. Stored reasonably it may or may not go bad - but some I have I got from a buddy or two in the 1970's and they were old then. They seem to work fine. The only can I dumped had rusted out (it is a bad sign...). Store the stuff well and be careful - err on the side of caution. Good luck.

how about this for old ??

DuPont Military Rifle Powder #15 1/2

the can is red white and blue with the military eagle on the front

how about Lafflin& Rand ?? i got some of that too !!

Poygan · July 25, 2006, 11:05 AM

I bought a can of P5066 in 1964 and just used the last of it last year. No indications of deterioration and didn't always have ideal storage conditions. Been reloading since 1962 and have yet to throw away any powder, including older stuff I've bought at gun shows. Having said that, its only prudent to check any powder prior to using if you have any doubts. As I understand it, the double base powders hold up better than the single base ones. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.

**Unclenick** · July 25, 2006, 05:30 PM

Powder goes bad for the same reasons children do. Provide a safe, dry, non-hostile home environment and it will be OK for many decades. In fact getting it out of the house will take an intentional effort. It probably benefits more from air conditioning than a child does, and a lot less from spanking.

Nick

virginia scout · July 25, 2006, 06:06 PM

I had some IMR 4320 that went bad. The stuff was only 5 years old but started to give off a fine orange powder.

I will never buy powder from that supplier again.

The scarry thing is I decided to talk to IMR about it. I was thinking that this would not be a problem and I was thinking going bad, lower pressure, what to worry about. Well IMR set me straight, the deterioation would probably have raised the pressures, kaboom in a 30.06.

I had 100 loaded with that charge, had fun pulling bullets and redoing the powder in all of them.

IMR also made good on the powder and shipped me some replacement powder for the hasle even thought they were pretty sure that the powder was exposed to high heat and that is what caused the problem.

I looked at the dealer I bought the powder from and guess what his storage is an isolated metal container in the sun.

So yes it will go bad, not very often but it does.

July 23, 2006, 08:21 PM	#3
hpg Senior Member Join Date: September 14, 2002 Location: in the Bluegrass State Posts: 1,610	If kept cool and in a dry place it will last for decades. hpg __________________ NRA member Semper Paratus

July 23, 2006, 08:28 PM	#4
Ammo Junky Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: IL Posts: 537	SLO, any powder over 6 mo. old is very unstable and dangerous. Do the right thing for you and your family, send all the 6+ mo old powder you have to me. I have and achient chinese method for burning large quantities of powder threw many, many small combustions. P.S. Welcome to TFL __________________ Will work for brass. I apologise in advance for spelling errors.

July 24, 2006, 02:59 AM	#8
Doubletaptap Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2006 Location: Around north Houston Posts: 287	Stored well,kept dry,cool or hot, it'll last darn near forever. Now powder in cartridges is another story. I won't shoot any old ammo. Oh yes, make sure you store it where it won't be changing temperatures too drastically. Condensation can form inside the container from this and then you will have bad powder. __________________ Don't believe the hype!!!

July 24, 2006, 06:21 AM	#9
Ammo Junky Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: IL Posts: 537	20K of primers, I am sure that is agianst your local fire code and primers are only good for 3 mo befor they become unstable. You had better ship them out to me today. __________________ Will work for brass. I apologise in advance for spelling errors.

July 24, 2006, 10:24 AM	#10
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,389	give it access to a switchblade and a leather jacket, and it will go bad on you REALLY easily... Otherwise, not very easy at all. Primers can go bad, ESPECIALLY if they're stored in an area where volatile oil vapors can reach them, but again, that takes a long time. As for shooting old ammo, I have no problems with that at all. Some years ago a friend and I burned some 110-120 year old ammo in his .56-56 Spencer. About 70% of the rounds fired without too much trouble, about 10% of them were complete and total duds. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

July 23, 2006, 07:06 PM	#1
SLOMountaineer Senior Member Join Date: July 23, 2006 Posts: 238	How easily does powder go bad? I searched but didn't find anything so sorry if this is a repeat. I have had several pounds of powder sealed and in storage for a few years. Most of the time it has stayed cool but has gotten warm a few times. Does it ever go bad to the point of not being usable? I heard somewhere that if you open it and it has a strong acetone odor that it has gone bad. Is this true. I have a wide variety from different manufacterers and for different types of reloading...

July 23, 2006, 07:34 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	Acetone aroma is just residual solvents. An acid smell, reddish nitric fumes, and rusted can are bad signs. If you store your powder under conditions where you are comfortable, it will last for many years. Last year I was loading powder marked as first opened in 1981 and it did fine.

July 23, 2006, 10:45 PM	#5
SLOMountaineer Senior Member Join Date: July 23, 2006 Posts: 238	Hey Junky, I may be dumb but I am definitely not stoopid! I probably have 20 lbs of everything from BLC2 to Win. 748. 50 bucks a pound if you are interested. Thanks for the replies everyone. Not sure why I haven't found this forum until now. I have been shooting for 35 years and reloading for a while, but, as you can see by my question, I have a lot to learn.

July 23, 2006, 10:47 PM	#6
SLOMountaineer Senior Member Join Date: July 23, 2006 Posts: 238	BTW, do primers go bad? I have about 20k primers, small pistol to large rifle, want those too Junky?

July 24, 2006, 01:22 AM	#7
El Paso Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2006 Location: Spokane Valley Posts: 340	I have some very old powder - a can of 5066 (you won't find it in the manuals anymore) and others. Stored reasonably it may or may not go bad - but some I have I got from a buddy or two in the 1970's and they were old then. They seem to work fine. The only can I dumped had rusted out (it is a bad sign...). Store the stuff well and be careful - err on the side of caution. Good luck.

July 25, 2006, 11:05 AM	#12
Poygan Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 2004 Posts: 125	I bought a can of P5066 in 1964 and just used the last of it last year. No indications of deterioration and didn't always have ideal storage conditions. Been reloading since 1962 and have yet to throw away any powder, including older stuff I've bought at gun shows. Having said that, its only prudent to check any powder prior to using if you have any doubts. As I understand it, the double base powders hold up better than the single base ones. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.

July 25, 2006, 05:30 PM	#13
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Care and Feeding Powder goes bad for the same reasons children do. Provide a safe, dry, non-hostile home environment and it will be OK for many decades. In fact getting it out of the house will take an intentional effort. It probably benefits more from air conditioning than a child does, and a lot less from spanking. Nick __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

July 25, 2006, 06:06 PM	#14
virginia scout Member Join Date: March 9, 2005 Posts: 22	It does happen I had some IMR 4320 that went bad. The stuff was only 5 years old but started to give off a fine orange powder. I will never buy powder from that supplier again. The scarry thing is I decided to talk to IMR about it. I was thinking that this would not be a problem and I was thinking going bad, lower pressure, what to worry about. Well IMR set me straight, the deterioation would probably have raised the pressures, kaboom in a 30.06. I had 100 loaded with that charge, had fun pulling bullets and redoing the powder in all of them. IMR also made good on the powder and shipped me some replacement powder for the hasle even thought they were pretty sure that the powder was exposed to high heat and that is what caused the problem. I looked at the dealer I bought the powder from and guess what his storage is an isolated metal container in the sun. So yes it will go bad, not very often but it does.