How old is to old for powder?

[CelticCross]

I picked upa lot box of various cans of powder from a sale.  I discarded the open powder (open ground burning) and am left with powder, unopened, in original containers from IMR, Hercules, and Winchester.  Have no idea as to actual age, but it appears to have been stored n a basement.  Is there a safe, practical age limit on powder?  Is there some common sense way to determine if the powder is still useful and will perform according to published load data??

[Questor]

Give it the sniff test. If it doesn't have that heavenly gunpowder smell, it's bad.

[THE DOC]

Questors advice is good ,but generaly IF the powder container has not been opened it SHOULD be OK .
However if it has lumps in it or emits a strong chemical smell the burn it , I am currently using Red Dot that is 30yrs. old and is in good condition and shoots superbly .

[OR-E-Gun Bill]

Many of the powder makers offer information on determining if your powder is bad, by visual as well as "smelling". Check these links:

http://www.alliantpowder.com/safety/storage.htm#Anchor-How-47857   

http://www.imrpowder.com/data/general/deteriorate.php

http://www.hodgdon.com/faq/index.php#powder%20has%20gone%20bad

As always, if in doubt, get rid of it.

[Don Fischer]

I,ve got a nunch of Super Balistite that I have no idea how old it is that works fins, no data around so had to did thru some very old books. The too I had some h4895 that was stored poorly from the 50's that wouldn't burn with a match. Then tried a propane tourch and that didn't work either.

[bearfat]

What about the containers also?

I've read plastic and powder sometimes have a chemical reaction. I have a gallon jug of H110 about 12 yrs old in original dark brown jug. Eventually I want to use it.

I've had one tin over the past 15 yrs go bad with rust in it.

Wouldn't air tight aluminum be best for powder? What about glass? (if kept in the dark)

[stuffit]

Powder can "stay good" a long time.  I have some that goes back 20 years and then some and performs just as the manuals say it should.   It's been stored in varying environments but, in general, air conditioned dwellings, since I live in a part of the country that necessitates the A/C for any semblance of a civilized lifestyle  All of mine has been stored in the original opened containers (kept closed, of course),  except for a big batch of Unique which is in an old 1 gal. milk jug (plastic).   It too, still performs to expected specs (I chrono most all my standard loads peridically).  I do wonder sometimes about just how light exposure affects powder.  I know I have watched various plastics deteriorate over time from outside light exposure, but I suspect this is mostly UV damage.  Interesting subject....
Best Regards,
stuffit

[victorcharlie]

Recenty one of the local civil war collecters had a civil war round explode as he was trying to disarm it.......the round was over 140 years old...........this was a black powder round, but the point is that if properly stored, most powders have a very, very long shelf life.

[dave375hh]

I've used surplus powders that were over 50 years old(4831) and had no problems. A friend of mine once bought a 50 lb cardboard barrel of bullseye that took him 45 years to use up. His last loads were cronographed and were right up to snuff velocity wise by the books. I would have to agree with the sniff test, if you can't still smell the solvent it's time to dump it. How you store it is more important than how long you store it.

[Questor]

Somebody mentioned "rust". That's not rust, it's a sign of powder deterioration and usually goes hand in hand with failing the sniff test.

[dw06]

I've used surplus powders that were over 50 years old(4831) and had no problems. How you store it is more important than how long you store it.

I bought an 8lb can of imr 3031 and imr 4350 over 15 years ago and by storing them in a cool basement they are just as good as the day I opened them.Note I said cool and not damp,as I'm sure if temp varied moisture would condense and shorten the storage life somewhat.

[Selmer]

I have a can of IMR 4831 fro 1978 that has a rust powder when I pour it in the measure, but passes the sniff test.  I shined a light in the can and the interior of the can is rusted.  I fired the shells, they shoot very well and up to snuff on velocity as well.  I was nervous about the rust powder rising up when I filled the powder measure, but I have since decided it's ok.
Selmer

[spinafish]

Someone mentioned aluminum or glass as containers for powders..that would be a NO!..the plastic jugs are designed to slowly come apart and burn with the powder in the event of a fire(as does the cardboard containers)..the aluminum or glass would become a bomb!  there is a reason they are in plastic..