Beware the old powder cans!!!

[Roger Fisher]

Local guy collects old powder cans and got two from a friend that got them from a friend......    Old dupont cans one was part full (or part mt) and he poured some out into his handy hand.,  You guessed it!!  It was smokeless!   Well $#*! it was in fact 'black'..

A horrible accident prevented!   So, beware!!  Boys and Girls !

[J.D.]

I occasionally pick up old, partially filled cans of "black powder" and always  look to insure that the cans do indeed contain real black powder.

A friend bought a partial can of "Black powder" that turned out to be smokless. Fortunately, he consulted me to identify the power before trying to fire it in a ML pistol. He wanted to know if the powder was FFG, or FFFG, before working up a safe load. 

[Acer Saccharum]

Thanks, Rog. Great life saving tip.

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Whoooo,

this is something I have never even thought of.  Thanks guys.

Coryjoe

[long carabine]

 I have never run into that problem before but I would assume to be safe the powder should be destroyed for safety sake. Tim

[rich pierce]

I have an older  can of Kings Brand Semi-Smokeless.  Anybody know what that is?  I assume it dates to around 1890-1900?  Early Pyrodex?

[Brian]

Some of the old cans are worth saving.  Make great conversation pieces.  Probably best to safely dispose of anything in them unless you are 100% sure you know what you are dealing with.

The old cans are sure cool though.

[Jerry V Lape]

Don't know specifically what King's brand might be, but semi smokeless is what they originally called what  we now call smokeless powder.  There is no really smokeless powder you see - just semi smokeless. 

[jim meili]

Watch out for PB! It is smokeless and was first manufactured by Dupont and is still made under the IMR brand name. It is a wonderful powder for loading low pressure shotshells to shoot in older guns. Very mild recoil and has that old wonderful smell when burned.

However, it is very similiar to black powder in appearance and can be mistaken for fine black. Recently there was a gentleman over on the double shotgun site that mistook it for black and loaded some shells. After several firings his shotgun gave up. Fortunately he was not injured.

Roger, thanks for the heads up.

[JCKelly]

Capt. Dillin says he used Kings Semismokeless in his flintlocks. He liked it, apparantly. Black powder experts, I believe there is but one out there, may have other opinions. Kings Mills is now an (uggghhh) amusement park north of Cincinnati.

[Daryl]

PB also makes very good low pressure, BP velcoity loads in .45 Colt.  it is very light for it's volume, but is NOT a volume loaded proplellent like Trail-boss is. Trail Boss is only for rifle and pistol rounds, not shotguns that I know of as in heavier loadings in rifles(ei: .45/70's etc, it will develop higher presssure than some guns are meant to handle, with lower velocities than other smokeless propellents. All smokeless propellents MUST be laoded from proper loading manual perscriptions.

[jim meili]

If you are ever around King's Mill, Ohio, take King's Ave down the hill towards the Little Miami River. When you round one of the corners in the road you will be in full view of the tower and smokestack of the old Remington Peters Cartridge plant. Quite a sight. Here is a link to some history of the plant.

http://www.abandonedohio.com/peters-cartridge.html