Hp38 stinks!

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Potatohead

Potatohead

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:) Easy guys, before you flame me, I was just going for a catchy title there. Still, my question is a little strange.

Like any reloader worth his salt (well hopefully I'm not the only one), when I crack open a bottle of powder I bury my nose into the top of the can and take a big whiff. Ahhh, If they came out with gunpowder cologne I'd be the first in line.

Problem with this bottle is, it just doesnt seem like it smells right. It's quite possible that Im being overly p-noid but I wanted to ask you guys does HP38 smell a little different than some of the other powders?

I'm still a noob but Ive used 6 or 7 different powders (pistol and shotty) and am a bit familiar now with how they smell. This HP38 is just not quite as sharp as the other powders Ive smelled. The best way I could describe it: reminds me of the scent I smelled when I walked down the steps into my great grandmothers old cellar, underneath her house when I was a lad-a milder version of that.

I had loaded some a few months ago when I first started and as far as I can remember, it fired ok. I probably wouldn't have recognized a different smell then though.

I got these mid panic at either PV or 3Gen. I have 2 more unopened pounds I could open and smell but I really like to keep them sealed until I need them. All my other powder seems fine. I keep all the bottles in a big tupperware box under our bed. (that's probably not the safest place, but very dark and cool enough).

It doesn't look any different than any other powder really, nice and silver/shiny it seems. I think I'd read that a mildew smell means bad powder, and though I've not wanted to admit it for a few days, mildew was the first thing that came to mind when i smelled it, so I thought I should ask you guys.

I'm at work and will check any of your posts here in a bit. Thanks very much and again I'm very sorry for such a long post. PH
 
My bottles of W231 and HP-38 have nice clean solvent smell to it, like other powders I have.

If your HP-38 smells bad, it might be bad.
 
Look at the lot numbers of the other ones you have. Are they the same? Open them and smell it's not going to hurt to open them. They are not vacuum sealed.

Unless they were exposed to extreme heat they are probably fine.

Post a scratch and sniff sample;)
 
In 45 years of handloading, I've had three cans of powder go bad, and they were all IMR powders. I've been using ball powders for all that time, and have never had any go bad.

Not to worry, your HP-38 is fine.
 
I use that powder a lot. Please send all of it to me. I will smell them and then do a thorough test firing of all three pounds. :cool:
 
LOL!
You guys crack me up.

I will check those lot numbers. Thanks for the comments.

Rule3, we'll have to talk to Derek or Mal to see if they cant get the THR Scratch and Sniff app up and running!
 
454PB said:
In 45 years of handloading, I've had three cans of powder go bad, and they were all IMR powders. I've been using ball powders for all that time, and have never had any go bad.

Not to worry, your HP-38 is fine.
Click to expand...
Whew! Good to hear!
 
Im going to break open the other two..I'm kind of hoping they smell the same.
I would think as tight as the powder supply is, they would have to be near fresh. It was pretty far into the panic when I lucked upon these.
 
PH,

I went out and snorted some of mine..

Tasting notes:
Essence of gasoline, paint thinner and a touch of pencil lead. A bit young and sassy, but quite approachable at this stage. Should age well in the canister. :)

Powder Snob
 
I took a whiff of mine. Smelled less strong than 2400 but more strong than Titegroup.
 
I never noticed any significant smell from hp38 or w231, I cant see how people say there is a solvent smell... now most rifle powders and powders like h110/w296- yeah those smell like solvent and they smell great!
 
I'm surprised Blue Dot, Red Dot, and Green Dot don't have their own color co-ordinated smells. Spearmint, Peppermint, and Cinnamon would work.
 
hAkron said:
I'm surprised Blue Dot, Red Dot, and Green Dot don't have their own color co-ordinated smells. Spearmint, Peppermint, and Cinnamon would work.
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Not a bad idea. Then you could combine the powder with the lube/solvent aroma of your choice. Minty Frog Lube, Banana Oil from Hoppe's, the piquant mechanical assertiveness of Ed's Red, or the mellow smoothness of Mobil 1.

I appreciate the unctuous terroir of SlideGlide mixed with the military functionality of Wolf primer's sometime-cloying priming compound.
 
LOL.

1K, I cant find Slide Glide anywhere in town. Any big boxes have it? That's what the Sig fellow recommended I lube my p238 with.
 
Oxygen exposure maybe? Vinegar is oxygenated malt or wine...

the active ingredient in gunpowder is also used in blood pressure medication, so please consider this during smelling.... for better or worse.
 
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