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Old December 26, 2007, 06:34 PM   #1
NOWUS
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How do you tell if Powder container has been opened?

How well is the Powder containers sealed....?????

Bought some Unique at Gander Mountain, along with some IMR 4227,
Thought I would check the seals before buying,
The IMR seal was loose on 1 side, looked to me like someone lifted the
seal up. Didn't buy it. Checked the Unique it looked ok
When I got home and got ready to use it, I lifted the seal by the tab.
Whoa, Seal was torn in the center , Again looked like someone had opened it.
( Note: The Powder was in Locked Wooden Storage Closets, But they were left open )
??? I have only bought a few lbs of powder over the last 5 years, I do
not recall the seals being loose..

So , I figured I would check the H110 I bought last week, open
the cap, seal falls of on to floor.
I thought powder was sealed , Am I missing something ???

Also When I bought the H110 last week ( Gander Mtn) There primers were on the shelf, Evidently people were checking what's inside, There were quite
a few loose primers laying around on shelf and some on the floor.
Told the Gun Dept Clerk and the customer Service person.
They didn't not seem to concerned....
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Old December 26, 2007, 06:41 PM   #2
amamnn
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That does not sound like a place I would frequent.
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Old December 26, 2007, 06:51 PM   #3
Mal H
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Quote:
How do you tell if Powder container has been opened?
Exactly the way you did. If the seal has been removed, loosened or tampered with, I would be suspicious of it. Probably nothing wrong with the powder, or maybe someone just took a few ounces, but what if they exchanged Bullseye for a rifle powder? Ouch!
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Old December 26, 2007, 10:27 PM   #4
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Sounds like someone pinched your bag.
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Old December 27, 2007, 02:46 AM   #5
Sport45
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It's beyond me why anyone would feel the need to break the seal to look at or maybe smell the powder, but it's a common occurrence at my Gander Mountain too. Same with the primers. Because others have opened them you are forced to as well just to make sure they're full. I can only hope the employees aren't refilling the primer sleeves and possibly mixing them.

At Carter's Country primers and powder are kept behind the counter and this isn't a problem.
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Old December 27, 2007, 06:25 AM   #6
NOWUS
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Thanks,,, I think i'll return the the 2 remaining containers....

I need to find a real gun shop that sells powder, not easy to find a good powder selection anymore..
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Old December 27, 2007, 09:01 AM   #7
KeithB78
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Gee, The Gander Mountain here never has the powder i want, i am lucky i guess, thanks for the heads up.
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Old December 27, 2007, 10:36 AM   #8
Sport45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NOWUS
Thanks,,, I think i'll return the the 2 remaining containers....
Good luck with that. They're a whole lot more likely to sell an open powder container than take one back. Could you really blame them for that?

I mean really, would you knowingly buy back an opened powder container? I'd be surprised if they were willing to buy back one the appeared to be sealed. Think poisoned Tylenol bottles...

Personally, I would just look in each container with a flashlight. If it looks like a foreign powder has been dumped in there just sprinkle it on your yard and water it in. Or send it to me and I'll take care of the disposal. Unique and H110 are a couple of my favorites. My guess is someone picked up the jug and thought, "Hey,this isn't full" and peeled the seal back to have a look. When they tried to convince the cashier to sell the partial jug at half-price the cashier wasn't fooled. Unless I saw something that made me think otherwise I'd load the stuff and shoot it.

I think you said you were new at this in another post. Powder is sold by weight, not volume, and they use standard volume jugs. So a 4lb jug of Unique may seem 2/3 full while a "1 lb" canof Trail Boss only holds 9 oz.
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Old December 27, 2007, 05:48 PM   #9
NOWUS
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I figured I would bring it back just to get the attention of the Store Manager.
If they don't want to refund, well they can have it as a gift, let them dispose of it, Won't be the first time I left a Reject on the counter...

My concern,: Don't need any more incidents for the gun haters...
The Primers laying around lose is what really bothered me..


I think I said I was new to reloading the 41 mag ??
I started reloading back in 72, stopped for quite awhile, and just
started reloading again a few years ago. Limited to 356W & 357Max.
Thanks all for the replies..... ( 98 rounds complete, Test time tomorrow ).
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Old December 29, 2007, 08:58 AM   #10
phaessler
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Honestly, I dont care for any of the packaging thats used now a days. I remember when IMR 1lb cans had a metal seal. The Hodgdon plastic containers do not seem to seal well. You spin the top off and the seal is typically loose on most I use/see. Anyone remember seeing ALcan, or Alliant powders? Cardboard packaging.
Primers on the otherside of the coin, shouldnt be laying around, Safety would be my concern. They of all things go off with a bang.

Guess my answer would be find a new place to shop. A Sportsman Warehouse recently opened in my area, and I just wish they had what I wanted in stock. But doesnt everyone?
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Old December 29, 2007, 01:40 PM   #11
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I just picked up 1lb of unique and didn't check it until I got home and sure enough the seal was broken and all jammed up inside the lid. I thought about taking it back or at least letting them know but the powder is kept in the back of the store so I guess the chances of somebody messing with it are pretty slim. It almost looks like when the lid was screwed down it grabbed the seal and mangled it. I guess next time i will check before buying.
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Old December 30, 2007, 05:10 PM   #12
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I wouldn't leave the store with a powder container that had a broken seal. I'm not saying it's YOUR fault, but it's so easy to check before you buy and simply say "no."

As for Gander Mountain, I have one here in town close to my work. It's a really frustrating place for me, because they carry so many reloading things that I am in the market for, but their prices on these items are horrendous. It's nice to know they are there in a pinch, but I'd rather buy from a little gun shop and support the hobby than to feed a corporate monster.
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Old January 2, 2008, 08:44 AM   #13
NOWUS
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Returned the Unique to Gander Mountain, Replaced no problem ,
I think this is not 1st incident, they seemed aware of problems,
but indicated they do as instructed by HQ..

I did check the 1st canister for broken seal before I bought it,
tryed to flip the seal around the edges, seemed tight.
When I got home , I lifted the seal by the Tab( to open seal ),
center was already torn open,

NOW, I really check the seals....replacement canister , Unbroken...all's well
.
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Old January 2, 2008, 09:05 AM   #14
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My local Sportsman's Warehouse puts empty bottles on the retail shelf and you have to ask for what you want and they keep it in the back. That's really the only way to assure it's not tampered with.
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Old January 2, 2008, 02:57 PM   #15
ShootingNut
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What Seal

Have bought Hodgdon Titegroup, and Accurate #5 from vendors, including
Gander Mtn., and have yet to have ANY SEAL on the screw cover. The inner paper seal always drops away from the cap, and is never adhered to the plastic container.
So, what's the scoop, does the factory ship the 1# containers with a seal over the metal cover? Hey, no wonder mine are always half full!
SN
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