Powder Shelf Life

NiceRack

Active Member
Messages
358
Is there a shelf life for smokeless powder?
I have a few cans that are 20 years old....should I spread them in the garden for fertilizer?
PB
 
As long as it has always been stored in a dry place, you're ok. I quit reloading for pistols and gave a friend about 6 pounds of Unique that was about 25 years old and he didn't have any problems.
 
you will know when it starts to go bad by the smell and when it starts to get a red rusty color. I've only had one old metal can of 4350 go bad. I'm pretty sure 3 years in a St. George storage shed helped it along. The powder was over 20 years old when it went bad. Kept cool and dry it should last for decades. I have 30-06 ammo from the late 40's that still goes bang.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-07-17 AT 11:12PM (MST)[p]when gun powder goes bad and starts to gas off, along with the red-dust it will also have a very strong acidic smell, not to be confused with the beautiful, sweet, aphrodisiacal smell of good gunpowder ;-)

I'm here to tell you if I could make a women's perfume that had the aroma of hoppe's #9 and fresh gun smoke, their wouldn't be a lonely lady in the world and I'd be a billionaire ;-)
 

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