IMR 4895 powder salvage?

[Hagar]

Guys,

Went up to the farm and found, among other things, three jugs of IMR 4895. They were never opened and appear to be tightly sealed. They were stored in a dark chest so sunlight didn't get to them. How can I tell if the powder is still good, other than loading up some 30-06 loads and chronographing them at the range? One thought that I had was to use an old powder "dipper" gauge and take a measure full of the old stuff and a measure full of new powder and lighting them on fire to see if I get the same amount of flames from each. I've looked for IMR 4895 and there is none to be had here in my area of Kalifornia.

Many thanks,

Joe "Hagar" Ruzich

[P. Greaney]

If it were me, I would open them and sniff them to see if they smelled like ether. If they did smell like ether they are probably still good.

[BudT]

Joe,
Open and pour some into a clean clear glass jar if it is rusty looking it is breaking down. Also what P. Greaney says, if good it will have the new or fresh powder smell to it. It isnt just California that doesnt have components it's just about everywhere. If that powder checks out OK then load a couple of rounds from each then go shoot over your chronograph. Store your powder cool and dry and it will last as long as most will live. HTH

BudT

[joem]

Most likely it's still good if it smells like solvent. I pull down a lot of ammo and bad powder smells like old aspirin to me and I trash it.

[BudT]

to me it has a acid smell

[Hagar]

Many thanks guys.

I've never stored powder this long so I'm in territory that is new to me. I'll do the visual and smell test and if it looks and smells OK, I'll dig out my old Rockchucker and reloading tools and roll some cartriges and put them over the chronograph.

Hagar

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I got two jugs of IMR4895 out of my Dad's basement after he passed. It was 25 years old, Dad was over the top in his record keeping. I uncapped it and broke the seals and got that nice solvent smell. We shot it all up with no problems. I reduced the first loads, like starting up a new load, in case something changed over the years and I saw no problems.

[Bill H]

I rely on the sniff test. I have never had powder go bad, although saw a bad can of some IMR powder at an auction. Red dust and a strange oder.

I have a one pound can of black powder, hand written note taped to the can says "Laflin and Rand powder found in the rafters of an old barn in New York, at least 50 years old". The note was written by my father in law in 1945. Shoots as good as any modern powder I have ever used.

[joem]

I bought a case of circa 1939 8mm that had gotten wet. Since I bought it for components only it was no big deal. When removing the bullets little puffs of white smoke would come out of some. Others as soon as I broke the sealer the bullet would almost pop out. I'd say that powder was BAD.

[da gimp]

after reading this thread I reopended a can of Bullseye that was first opened in the mid 1970's & with proper storage it was still good..........a light solvent smell........

[slamfire]

This thread is old as heck, but anyway, gunpowder has a shelf life. Lifetime predictions have changed over the years. Army Ordnance Magazine, June 1931, page 445 :

“Smokeless powder constitutes one of the greatest hazards from a storage standpoint, due to the fact that it is subject to deterioration and at the best cannot be expected to have a life greater than about twenty years…….Master samples of all lots of smokeless powder are under constant observation in the laboratories at Picatinny Arsenal. Should any of these samples indicate rapid deterioration, notification is given at once, and steps are taken to use this deteriorating material within a very short period, if possible, or else withdraw it from service."

Today, the rule of thumb is 45 years for single based and 20 years for double based.

Assuming it is kept 70 F or less. Gunpowder deteriorates faster the greater the storage temperature. To test gunpowder for stability, the stuff is kept in a 150 F Oven and if it fumes within 30 days, it is scrapped. As gunpowder breaks down it releases NOx, some of which becomes Nitric Acid gas. That is a red, bitter gas. You get a good sniff of fuming red nitric acid gas and it will knock you across the room. Storage in conditions over 100 F will reduce gunpowder life from decades, to years, above 125 F, to weeks.

Pressures rise in gunpowder stored in hot conditions, which probably accounts for some of the blow up stories with surplus ammunition. You just don't know its storage history.

[NuJudge]

IIRC, the solvent is acetone.