Thread: Shelf life of powder?

What are your thoughts or experience re the shelf life of powder and reloads? I have some tins dating back to earl 90s as well as reloads, the reloads are still ok-they go off, but is it ok to still use the powder to reload today. A guy in local sport store said old powder can spontaneous combust?...would the burning rate change with age? Thanks in advance, Steve

Powder Shelf Life? - Ruger Forum

Personally I don't reload but I'd love to learn and I'm going to get some reloading gear sometime soon. Here's what I found off google though.

Knowing the guys off here though with more experience, Your question will be answered promptly and in better depth!

Keep it dry and it will last indefinitely. If you live in a humid environment probably wouldn't hurt to throw one of those little moisture control bags in each tin to take any moisture from the air each time you open and close it.

I was given a pound of 2208 that's 30 years old its working fine

In a tin if there is any corrosion on the inside it shows the powder has started to breakdown. In plastic the best way is to hold a damp piece of litmus paper inside if it goes red its starting to breakdown. Stored properly theres no reason it wont last 50 years plus. Look at how much 303 or 3006 made in ww2 still gets used today.

Still use the old H4831 which was reclaimed powder when sold by Reloaders Supplies 25 years ago. Still use the same loads, still kills the same if I do my bit.

Although modern smokeless powders are basically free from
deterioration under proper storage conditions, safe practices
require a recognition of the signs of deterioration and its
possible effects.
Powder deterioration can be checked by opening the cap on
the container and smelling the contents.
Powder undergoing deterioration has an irritating acidic
odor. (Don’t confuse this with common solvent odors such as
alcohol, ether and acetone).
Check to make certain that powder is not exposed to extreme
heat as this may cause deterioration. Such exposure produces
an acidity which accelerates further reaction and has been
known, because of the heat generated by the reaction, to
cause spontaneous combustion.
Never salvage powder from old cartridges and do not attempt
to blend salvaged powder with new powder. Don’t accumulate
old powder stocks. The best way to dispose of deteriorated
smokeless powder is to bum it out in the open at an isolated
location in small shallow piles (not over 1” deep). The quantity
burned in any one pile should never exceed one pound. Use an
ignition train of slow burning combustible material so that the
person may retreat to a safe distance before powder is ignited

In my early reloading days I had a can of salvaged milsurp 4895 (around 30 yrs old at the time) blow the screwtop lid off. Was stored in a cupboard in bedroom, bloody alarming. Dumped the lot. Metallic reloding gear and micrometer in same cupboard immediately corroded.

i am using some powder that is 35 yrs old, works fine

I just been using up a stash of 2208 , thats about 16yrs old , seems fine .

Thanks fellas ill check the tins

Originally Posted by sometimes

I was given a pound of 2208 that's 30 years old its working fine

Geeze is that one load fired a year?

a old guy that i know is in the trade so to speak if you call in at the right time he passes on stuff to people he ends up with a lot of deceased estate stuff

I have some MRll powder made in 1976 that is still good to go.

Looked after powder will last a long time.

Cheers
Pete