Old powder?

[texastonk]

I came across some old powder my father had. A few of the cans have never
Been open and the others seem to be good. Question is
Is the powder still good? I believe the powder to be around 15 years old. It has been
Kept in dry storage.
Thanks for any help.

 

[BuzzBoss915]

Re: Old powder?

If it looks good and smells okay, it's probably okay. Powder has been kept for a lot longer than 15 years without degrading. BB

 

[al redneck]

Re: Old powder?

I have only once had powder go bad . It was temp related . Stored where temp went from 45-100 degrees . When I opened the cans and dumped the powder out , you could see a red, rust-like colored dust floating in the air . I have since stored all powder in airtight cabinet with dessicant, in an air conditioned room . Never had a problem since . As I remember the odor was different also on the 'bad powder' . If unsure , I'd roll a few and see if results are similar to what you've seen before . Check with a chronograph !! Hope this helps .

david

 

[texastonk]

Re: Old powder?

I checked for any rust or red color and see none.
I'm goin to load a few for testing. Thanks

 

[culdee]

Re: Old powder?

I am using some powder I bought maybe 20 years ago and its fine. Dupont 4227, 4198, not sure if the velocity is affected or not with age.

 

[TexIndian]

Re: Old powder?

I've got some powders on my shelf that I bought back in the 80's and have never had a problem. But I keep them stored in the house where they don't get exposed to temp extremes.