Posted: 5/23/2008 5:34:40 PM EDT
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old gunpowder? Anyone have any ideas on where you can take old smokeless powder and dispose of it safely?? |
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Dump it out in your trash. Dump it out on your lawn. Dump it out into the bed of your truck and go driving around. Dump it out into a ditch. Throw it onto a campfire a handful at a time for a little excitement. Sprinkle it into the lake when you're driving around in your boat. I can go on for hours.......... |
Please don't dump it into your trash if you live in a city with collection services. Other items in the trash can cause a reaction. I have actually had an employee find a 40mm grenade in a trash truck an bring it to my office slamming it on my desk. 
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That could leave a scar............. 
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I don't see the connection between a grenade and some old powder. |
No connection just an example as to what can be found in the trash and the potential for trouble. |
lol, and I thought that bang was a noisemaker for bird control down at the dump. |
Someone threw away a perfectly good grenade???   
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You would be surprised at some of the things that have been found in the trash. Ammo, blasting caps, gunpowder, and have even found a claymore. Most of the items are found when they are hand loaded into trucks where the spill out from their hiding places. These were all found while I was working for my previous employer except the 40mm. What most people do not realize is when they throw out chemicals and such there is potentially hundreds of other chemicals to mix with. Have you ever seen diatomaceus (sp) earth burn without fuel added? That is interesting. And in case you are might be wondering I am in the trash business. |
You're right, it could have some kind of reaction with the old car batteries and motor oil that I fill my trashcans up with. 
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I know you can "dispose" of old ammunition at a police station. I took a few hundred rounds to my local sub-station - I walked in and asked if I could leave it with them since it was corroded & possibly unsafe to fire (cleaning out Grandpa's closet...). The duty officer just picked it up off the counter and walked away. No questions, no comments. I bet they'd take the gunpowder, too. Another option would be a fire station - I used to work for NAPA Auto Parts, and we used to call the FD to pick up all our old chemicals. They used it for training the firemen on how to put out chemical fires. They might want the gunpowder for a similar use. |