Hard to Find Powders

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I was under the impression that smokeless powder has an infinite lifespan, or at least as long as one's lifetime, or nearly so. I know that I was firing WWII surplus powder in rounds loaded in the 1990's with no problem.

I have 2 canisters each of this 2400 and Bullseye for a sum total of 4 lbs. I intend to use it up as fast as possible, but this may take awhile. Any idea when these might date from? I'm guessing late '70's or early '80's? I live in a subdivision with attached garages where even sheds aren't allowed. Less than ideal. In the meantime how would you store these? In a metal ammo box in the basement far from everything else?View attachment 893232

Those cans look to be from the 1960's to the 1970's. Lift the lid and sniff the stuff. If it has any sort of bitterness, dump the powder and keep the can. If you see red dust, be cautious. Iron is ionic and accelerates the break down of nitrocellulose. If there are any over pressures indications whatsoever, one in one hundred is one too many, then dump the powder. Old powder has, and will blow up firearms because the pressure curve spikes. Especially those double based powders, water molecules condensing and evaporating on the surface, draw nitroglycerine to the surface and that will spike the initial pressure curve.
 
Okay, I popped the lid on one 2400 canister and one Bullseye canister and, organoleptically, no concerns. Smell fine, look completely normal, can at room temperature.

I should say I had a can of Unique also in the same packaging and used it all with no obvious problems.

I stick to the low end of the ranges given for loads in the Lyman Reloading Handbook.

Do you think there will be ANY problem using this? If the least bit of concern is expressed, I will go fertilize the lawn. I would rather mow a bit more often than blow up a handgun or rifle.
 
Definitely good to have an alternate or two already worked up for the roller coaster component cycles that seem to be inevitable over the last 15+ years. Another time Varget went MIA I tried a lb of RE15 that had been given to me, found it to work just as well for my purposes (.223 primarily) with the added bonus of an anti-copper additive. It was a bit more $ than I had been used to paying for Varget but I could find it. I did buy several lbs of Varget when it became reasonable and available again but I'm still using RE15 primarily, having a 2-3 year supply and being able to replace it.
 
I haven't been reading very long but a few days ago I ran to the local store where I have been buying my supplies. I am still so new I haven't experimented with much of anything. I try to buy the same bullets, primers and powder because I know what works.

The shelves were very bare and I was stuck with what was there if I wanted something right then and there. Tonight I started a work up on some different bullets. I really hope this was just a coincidence. This really proves to me that I need to either buy a massive order of what I like or I need to figure out some different recipes for when I can't get the old reliable stuff.
 
Do you think there will be ANY problem using this? If the least bit of concern is expressed, I will go fertilize the lawn. I would rather mow a bit more often than blow up a handgun or rifle.

No, but the real test will be shooting it in your gun. None of us have access to $250,000 machines which measure the amount of stabilizer left in the powder, which is a direct measure of the age of the powder. Load light and go shoot a couple hundred rounds. If you get any sticking, or "funny" retorts, I would not trust that powder. If loaded ammunition start splitting case necks within the year, the stuff is too dangerous to shoot again. Old gunpowder outgasses NOx. some of that becomes nitrogen di oxide, and that becomes nitric acid gas when it interacts with water. It causes brass corrosion.

The smart thing to do with old gunpowder is not buy it. Anything over 20 years old is not worth buying. If given free, smell it and test it. If everything is good, shoot the S*** up. Don't sit on it.
 
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