Is there a test to ensure old powder still works fine?

[RetiredMajor]

I bought a lot of reloading equipment from an older gentleman. Included was a variety of powder for pistols and rifles. The containers were all sealed and kept dry. The powder looks OK in the sense that it is all loose and dry. But, is there some way I can tell if it retained it's power and is safe to use? The powder is from the mid to late 70's so it's over 30 years old. Or....should I just chuck it all?

Major

[Ruger4570]

I had some Bullseye given to me around 1962 +/- that had been opened and the cap replaced tightly. I had it in several basements, damp and not too damp. It had been in garages all winter long with temps way below 32. I moved to Tucson and stored it in my garage with temps in the heat of summer well past 115 degrees in there.
I "drug" it back here and finally figured I will use it or chuck it.
I loaded up some shotshells and a couple of .45ACP's with it. It worked just fine, in SPITE of my totally abusing the stuff, not following the factory advice of "cool and dark". And that was for powder over 45 years old with "abuse".
I sure would try your powder out, it isn't going to get more powerful if it has degraded, but you might get hangfires or no fires.... but I think you will find it works just fine.
You can do the "sniff" test and look for the red particles they talk about.
Great luck.

[noelf2]

Yes you can test it to see if it will work:

1. Measure recommend load.
2. Pour load into primed sized brass case.
3. Top with recommended bullet and crimp.
4. Go to the range.
5. Chamber the test round and fire in accordance with all range safety rules.
6. Loud bang should follow. Remove spent shell (if applicable).
7. Check barrel for squib round.

Loud bang, no squib = good powder. Anything else = garden fertilizer.

[gun44]

of HS-6, and HS-7, from the early seventies, and it still shoots good. I have found that most powder will last a long time.

[Slamfire]

This was what I was told by an Energics Expert for the Navy:

Purchase some methyl violet paper. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_violet I don’t know if this ph paper is methyl violet, but if it tests ph then it should work.

http://scientificsonline.com/product...&cmss=ph+paper



Put powder and ph paper in a test tube, glass container, something inert.

If the paper turns red in a couple of weeks, it is near the end of its shelf life. If it takes months; not a problem yet.

Double based and single based gunpowders outgass nitric acid gas as they deteriorate. Double based powder deteriorate faster than single base. The Army scraps double based powders at 20 years, single based at 45 years.

[jaguarxk120]

Yes you can test it to see if it will work:

1. Measure recommend load.
2. Pour load into primed sized brass case.
3. Top with recommended bullet and crimp.
4. Go to the range.
5. Chamber the test round and fire in accordance with all range safety rules.
6. Loud bang should follow. Remove spent shell (if applicable).
7. Check barrel for squib round.

The best check I've seen so far. Think I'll check the paper bag of Hodgdons 4831 I have.

[wncchester]

Right. The best way to "test it" is to test it.

It's likely fine but even if it isn't it won't be dangerous.

[nitetrane98]

That seems similar to the Texas A&M method of determining the sex of a deer from it's tracks.

1. Find deer track.
2. On hands and knees, follow deer track until you find one with hoof in it.
3. Look straight up.

[jepp2]

Nobody mentioned, but you do know to sniff it for an acid smell, right? Don't mistake the solvent odor for acid.

I'm shooting powder from the late 60's with no problem. It has always been properly stored however.

[Edward429451]

Pour some out of the can onto some white paper. Jiggle it a bit to spread the powder wide and thin so you can get a good look at the granulation and if any red dust visible yet. If yes = fertilizer. If no, see above tests.

[noelf2]

That seems similar to the Texas A&M method of determining the sex of a deer from it's tracks.

1. Find deer track.
2. On hands and knees, follow deer track until you find one with hoof in it.
3. Look straight up.

LOL...

[GP100man]

had a sample of some pull down powder go bad " sniff test" smelt like ammonia pee pee smell . smelt when i opened the bottle!!!

[Unclenick]

That would be a bit of compost bacteria at work on the nitrogen. Great test.

1. Buy $15 box of compost starter
2. Place a tablespoon of compost starter in $5 worth of old powder loose in jar and in need of testing.
3. Add moisture.
4. When ammonia scent develops the powder is bad, even if it was fine before the test.

[PCJim]

Unclenick, is that $5 of powder at its original price or what $5 would buy you today?

[BigJimP]

If they were factory sealed - and not kept in extreme temps - my hunch is they are fine.

If they are not still factory sealed - I wouldn't trust any of them to be what the container says they are ...... guys mean well, but things can get mixed up once in a while ...... If they are not factory sealed - I would dispose of it.

I would load 5 or 6 rounds / test them on a chrono if you can borrow one - and that's as good an indication as any ( 1 round at a time ...).

[zxcvbob]

had a sample of some pull down powder go bad " sniff test" smelt like ammonia pee pee smell . smelt when i opened the bottle!!!

There's at least one pulldown powder that's supposed to smell like that. I think it's called IMR7383?

[blhseawa]

No disrespect to any suggestions here, but why waste time with questionable powder. It takes enough time to work up loads as it is, not to mention the cost of components just to test.

My motto with powder is stated above.

As with any number of chemical compounds, they decompose with time.

Powder isn't that expensive, thus see my motto.


YMMV