Old black powder

[BrianS]

I have a tin of 2F black powder from the 1990's that I never used. Is there any concern about using it now?

[JeffG]

Give it a shake, if it's loose, take a (very) small amount and touch a match to it. You will be able to judge pretty well.

[smylee grouch]

I have used 20+ year old powder, DuPont 2f with no problems or diminished performance. The can was sealed well in a dry environment.

[Daryl]

In the mid 1970's, I used some FFG American Deadshot powder that was in a tin "keg". Beautiful powder, so clean and shiny, no dust. The
American Deadshot company blew up in 1898, so this powder pre-dated that explosion. That about sums up using "old" powder.

[snapper]

that aint old.    As long as moisture has not gotten to it you will be fine.

Fleener

[JBJ]

The only time that I ever saw an issue was a lot of rust from the can that it had been stored in. I still have an oval tin of DuPont and it's great!
J.B.

[Daryl]

There were some "chunks" of rust with powder granuals stuck to them in that old power can I had, but they were easily removed.
It was the best powder I had used up until that time, which included Dupont, GO, Curtis and Harvey's, GOEX and Meteor from Scotland.

[Pukka Bundook]

I still have some Meteor, Daryl, and Curtis and Harveys from the 70's.
Good as new!
Never got to try any of your best Deadshot stuff though!

[Daryl]

I used it in a slug barrel I had, .50 Bauska with 38" ROT. It shot 400gr.(quite short) slugs into an inch at 100 yards
with aperture sights. When the groups opened up to 2", I would re-crown it due to rod(fiberglass) wear and be back
to 1" again for 10 to 20 groups, then they would start opening up again. Re-crowning amounted to cutting off 3/16"
or so, then doing the 45 degree than smoothing those corners. Didn't have a lathe or I would have made a muzzle
protector. The .457" fiberglass rod was needed to get the bullets down as they were a couple thou. oversize.

[Pukka Bundook]

Did it wind up as a pistol barrel Daryl?
 

[Eric Krewson]

I have just about used up some 3F that was 50 years old, worked just fine.

I just picked up this full can in an estate sale lot that I bought, the price tag is $4.95, it is made in Scotland, I have no qualms about using it. I think it is from the 70s because of the other things in the lot.

[Bassdog1]

Was just given these the other day by a friend who was getting ready to destroy them powder was dry and loose, and it will shoot fine

[smylee grouch]

I have used old powder before that was stored properly and it worked properly. BUT I am curious if powder that has become wet will work properly if dried thoroughly ? IIRC I think L & C had to dry powder that had been wet .

[T*O*F]

I am curious if powder that has become wet will work properly if dried thoroughly ?

BP is a mixture of carbon, sulfur, and potassium nitrate.  Only the KNO3 is water soluble.  A substantial amount of water would be required to leach the KNO3 out of the mixture.  Mere dampness will not leach it out and subsequent drying will restore it.

[smylee grouch]

OK, thanks for that input. More info to help us all understand some of the  aspects of our sport\pastime.

[AZshot]

There are historical records of frontiersmen and sailors stopping to dry out black powder that got a dunking in a river or in the bilges.  I read some recently that it was common to spread it out to dry.

Here is a related anecdote from me.  I was scuba diving on a WWI wreck off NC back in the 1980s.  It was an old Cruiser at about 75 foot depth of salt water.  In the sand among the rusty steel were a bunch of cylinders about the diameter of a pencil, about 3/4" long.  They had a symentrical pattern of holes going longitudinally down the cylinders. I didn't know what they were, but grabbed a few pockets full to take to the surface.  They looked like old wood or hard rubber, I took them home.  At some point about 6 months later someone said they might be grains powder from large bore Naval guns on the ship.  I took a few out on the sidewalk, and threw a match on one.  Sure enough, it lit in an instant and burned entirely in a few seconds, with a orange flame.  That powder had been UNDER WATER for 80 years!

[Daryl]

That's amazing. Sounds like a form of cordite.

[wolf]

i am also a handloader with modern 100-year-old and up rifles and pistols. I have powder from the 60s I still use. BP will last a long, long, long time,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Dphariss]

I have a tin of 2F black powder from the 1990's that I never used. Is there any concern about using it now?

Its fine theonly thing that hurt BP is getting wet, however, at that time GOEX was made with water containing sulphur oxidizing bacteria (Mad Monk) and there is often a lot of dust in the cans. I never noticed it shooting a ML but using a drop tube on brass suppositories would show the dust. So the rest of the can would be trashed, lawn fertilizer and a new can was gotten out.

[Habu]

I have used old powder before that was stored properly and it worked properly. BUT I am curious if powder that has become wet will work properly if dried thoroughly ? IIRC I think L & C had to dry powder that had been wet .

Some years back my horn/bag/musket spent several days under water after a canoe wreck.  On recovery, the butt end of the horn was split, and the powder wet.  I dried it out (laid it in the sun on a hot day) and did some chronograph tests.  If I recall correctly, the velocity loss was around 8%.  The powder also seemed a bit "slow" to ignite in the pan, but I had no way to measure that. 

[smylee grouch]

Interesting and informative first hand experience. Even more so when you included those test  results. Thanks for sharing and your efforts.

[Marcruger]

At a show 15 years ago I came across a booth for Swiss black powder. A knowledgable gentleman was manning the table.  I asked him about what would destabilize BP.  He said not to worry about humidity, as it can be dried out on a sunny day.  Note, that is humidity not water or soaking.  Heat or cold can affect BP in storage however.  I believe he said below -20 F or above +120 F can degrade the powder.  At the time my brain said, “Not an issue where I live.” Btw, a gallon ZipLoc freezer bag with hold a pound of powder.  Squeeze the air out and zip it shut.  That should keep humidity at a steady level even if a cap is not sealed.