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Posted: 4/27/2014 12:14:50 PM EDT
| Ive got 1lb of Hogdgon universal powder that was given to me by a friend. It has been sitting in his garage for a year on a shelf. You guys think its still good to go or should I just toss it. I didn't know if the hot and cold temperature swings would have messed it up. Thanks for the help guys. |
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We don't know how long smokeless powder will last, because some of the first smokeless powder made is still good.
Now, that is with perfect storage conditions. Open that can and give it the sniff test. If it smells of a solvent odor, it is most likely good. If it has a sour odor, it may have gone bad. Chances are it is good. |
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I'm still using powder I bought in 1980 or so. Still shoots just fine. If it has the solvent smell it should be OK. Powder that has gone bad has an acrid smell, and may be coated in a reddish powder. If you still don't trust it, spread it on the lawn; it makes a wonderful fertilizer.
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Quoted:
Ive got 1lb of Hogdgon universal powder that was given to me by a friend. It has been sitting in his garage for a year on a shelf. You guys think its still good to go or should I just toss it. I didn't know if the hot and cold temperature swings would have messed it up. Thanks for the help guys. Only a year, it is just fine to use. It takes decades before it breaks down. If anything doesn't seem right with a powder toss it. |
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Properly stored, smokeless powder will likely last several hundred years. If stored so that it is exposed to hot and humid conditions in an open container it may last only a couple of years.
The smell test above is a good one. The trace solvents are almost always gone before degradation takes place. If the powder has a rusty look, it is bad and should be strewn about the yard as fertilizer. |
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Quoted:
Looked at the universal powder In question. It has no sour smell but it is reddish in color. I dunno if it's supposed to look this way? It had the top on right and the little seal part still on the top of the bottle. What do you guys think. Personally, I have never had any powder go bad but, to me, if it smells bad OR is odd colored I would use as fertilizer. (And red isn't the right color for powder.) IMO, it wouldn't be worth damaging myself or my firearm over "suspect" powder. |
| My dad had 20-30 pounds of powder stored in his closet from the 1994 clinton scare and as of this year it still works great. He even had an old can of H1000 sitting out in an unconditioned shop, and while I haven't used it yet, it still smells and looks the same as a new can. |
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Quoted:
Personally, I have never had any powder go bad but, to me, if it smells bad OR is odd colored I would use as fertilizer. (And red isn't the right color for powder.) IMO, it wouldn't be worth damaging myself or my firearm over "suspect" powder. Quoted:
Quoted:
Looked at the universal powder In question. It has no sour smell but it is reddish in color. I dunno if it's supposed to look this way? It had the top on right and the little seal part still on the top of the bottle. What do you guys think. Personally, I have never had any powder go bad but, to me, if it smells bad OR is odd colored I would use as fertilizer. (And red isn't the right color for powder.) IMO, it wouldn't be worth damaging myself or my firearm over "suspect" powder. This is what I'm thinking I didn't think reddish was the right color |
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I have a 10lb can of HiSkor from the 1960's (pre 700X) that I'm using to reload 9mm. It was free to me, and works great. Finding data for other calibers is a pain. I'd love to find some data for .45 ACP. (Hint anyone with 1960's reloading manuals feel free to IM me) |
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Quoted: Looked at the universal powder In question. It has no sour smell but it is reddish in color. I dunno if it's supposed to look this way? It had the top on right and the little seal part still on the top of the bottle. What do you guys think. If it has red particles in the powder, it has spoiled, don't use. Only Red Dot powder should have red particles in it. |
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Even some mild clumping is ok depending on the powder. Ramshot TAC, for instance, may clump just a bit after sitting on the shelf for a while, but as long as it's not discolored and still smells right, it's fine. <- I got this info straight from the manufacturer last year when I was concerned about a jug of powder that I'd had sitting on the shelf a couple of years. I shook it up to break the clumps, and it's all good. |
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Quoted:
I have a 10lb can of HiSkor from the 1960's (pre 700X) that I'm using to reload 9mm. It was free to me, and works great. Finding data for other calibers is a pain. I'd love to find some data for .45 ACP. (Hint anyone with 1960's reloading manuals feel free to IM me) 
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Quoted:
Looked at the universal powder In question. It has no sour smell but it is reddish in color. I dunno if it's supposed to look this way? It had the top on right and the little seal part still on the top of the bottle. What do you guys think. If it's red, that is a bad sign. Pour a little in a bowl to see if it is shot through with red dust. Don't put it in a powder measure until you are certain it's okay, you'll have to disassemble the measure to clean up the mess. |
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