Best way to dispose of old gun powder?

[g.willikers]

Just as I was gearing up to ask this question in another thread, it got closed.
So, how is the best way to dispose of old and suspicious powder?
Black powder is rumored to be ok to dump in the garden.
How about the BP substitutes?
And how about smokeless powders?
Years ago, I disposed of a small amount of smokeless by pouring it into a metal garbage can and tossing in a flame.
Ain't gonna' do that again.
Wow!

 

[Comrade Mike]

Makes a great fertilizer. Sprinkle it at the base of your favorite plants and water it a bit.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

Nitrogen lawn & garden fertilizer.

rc

 

[g.willikers]

I thought of doing that, but wasn't sure how long it would take for the powder to be rendered safe.
Watering it down under a hot summer sun might not last, and then it would still be dry gun powder again.
Then I'm picturing one of the lawn guys who smokes, tossing a lit one and starting an early July 4th.
How long would it take for it to be used by plant life and neutralized?
It's only going to be a pound or two, at most.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

How about the BP substitutes?
And how about smokeless powders?

Pour them in a line and use them to educate people who thinks that smokeless burns faster than black.

It goes without saying to be smart about this and be safe.

 

[Toprudder]

So, how is the best way to dispose of old and suspicious powder?

Ok, here is what I would do...

Years ago, I disposed of a small amount of smokeless by pouring it into a metal garbage can and tossing in a flame.
Ain't gonna' do that again.
Wow!

Never mind.

 

[rcmodel]

Then I'm picturing one of the lawn guys who smokes

You don't pour it in a pile. If you do it will kill the grass.

Spread it out over the yard and there is zero chance of it catching on fire.

BTW: If I was paying a 'Yard Guy' to work in my yard, and he was throwing butts in my yard?

He would be fired ASAP.

rc

 

[Kaldor]

Pour them in a line and use them to educate people who thinks that smokeless burns faster than black.

It goes without saying to be smart about this and be safe.

Yep, I do this for people that think smokeless powder is super dangerous. I had some old 4198 that was almost gone, I poured a 3' long line about a 1/2" wide on a board and lit it on fire. My kids thought that was the coolest thing ever.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

You don't pour it in a pile. If you do it will kill the grass.

Correct. You spread it thinly the way you spread ammonium nitrate so rain or sprinklers will dissolve it into the soil.

 

[joem1945]

I save up any old unwanted powder from salvage bullets until I have 8 to 10 pounds of it. Put it in a heavy cardboard box, pour on some alcohol on the box and light it off at night. Make sure it's well away from your house or anything else you don't want scorched. Makes a great column of fire and smoke. By the by I live in a rural area.

 

[Hangingrock]

In a far, distant, and some what forgotten land we would use excess powder charge bags (105mm Howitzer) to do launder. Simply place (4) shell casing driven into the ground, (1) fuse can, filled with water from a GI-Can, laundry detergent and dirty-filthy utilities from being worn for weeks. Put a match to the powder trail. The water would go to boiling and from semi transparent, to dark green, then finally black.

 

[Hardtarget]

Got a can of powder from my cousin that had rusted through so I didn't trust it. My grandson thought it looked great when we fired it up one night.Poured it out on a piece of news print and lit it. Pretty good flame. Neighbors never even noticed...and I live in town.

Mark

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I burn mine to, fast burning pistol powder get thrown in a fire by handfuls, my granddaughter thinks I'm somekind of Wizard! It's hilarious!

If I have a lot like mixed powder, I pour it in a line about two inches wide narrowing to about 1/4, light the end and run. I live in town too.

Don't dump the smokeless in a garden that has anything in it you eat, read the MSDS on the stuff, what the plants eat, you eat.

 

[Sport45]

You spread it thinly the way you spread ammonium nitrate so rain or sprinklers will dissolve it into the soil.

What is going to dissolve into the soil? Isn't smokeless powder a plastic? I believe Alliant has some Unique that has been under water for decades and still works fine when dried.

If smokeless powder makes a good fertilizer I'm guessing it's because bacteria in the soil break it down, not because it dissolves.

 

[g.willikers]

All this has been very entertaining, but you guys ain't no help at all.
So, I've decided to use the black powder as a pepper substitute, just like the old mountain men.
Maybe with a little curry mixed in.
And save the smokeless stuff for Halloween.
Imagine a low light grave yard scene in the front lawn, complete with zombie targets, and an occasional thread of flame running through it.

 

[Sunray]

"...how long it would take for the powder to be rendered safe..." As soon as you spread it on your lawn. You'd have to have a wee pile for anything to happen by dropping a butt on it.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Imagine a low light grave yard scene in the front lawn, complete with zombie targets, and an occasional thread of flame running through it

That's what I'm talking about!

As far as dumping it on your tomatoes, knock yourself out.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I never have a whole helluva lot of powder to dispose of...but when i do have some I spread it out over the wild raspberries I have on my property. It may not make a difference, but it cant hurt.

 

[jerrygu]

Getting rid of old powder.
Don't light it soak it in water.
Safer that vway

 

[41 Mag]

I have lit off piles of it, and sprinkled out 8+ pounds of it over the back yard about two hours before it came a good downpour. The grass is still greener over in that area and that was early spring of last year.

 

[Swampman]

Originally posted by: g.willikers
I've decided to use the black powder as a pepper substitute, just like the old mountain men.

Are you aware of the alleged effects of saltpeter in the diet of males? (HINT: It ain't Viagra).

Originally posted by: jerrygu
Getting rid of old powder.
Don't light it soak it in water.
Safer that vway

Why would that be safer?
As soon as it dries out, it'll be as flammable as ever.
Burning it at least deals with the hazard permanently and at a time and place of your own choosing.

Personally, I just spread it thinly over the grass as fertilizer, but I seldom have more than a few ounces to dispose of at one time.

Originally posted by: joem1945
I save up any old unwanted powder from salvage bullets until I have 8 to 10 pounds of it. Put it in a heavy cardboard box, pour on some alcohol on the box and light it off at night.

Don't forget the all important step of asking Bubba to "Hold my beer and watch THIS!"

 

[oneounceload]

Also works great for starting your charcoal BBQ if not being used for fertilizer

 

[KansasSasquatch]

Also works great for starting your charcoal BBQ if not being used for fertilizer

I thought I might be the only one who's done that. Well, I used it to ignite wood in my smoker but pretty much the same thing.

 

[Hondo 60]

Spread it out over your lawn.

Don't dump it in one pile.
You'll kill the grass rather than feed it.

Ah, hadn't thought about using it as a firestarter.
See? ya larn new stuff ever day round about these parts