My reloads kind of stink

MDF

MDF

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
Location
North of Toronto
All of my reloads seem to have a unique smell to them. When I open the cabinet where they are stored, I get a strong whiff of what smells to me like powder. When I open the plastic boxes holding the rounds, the smell is stronger.

I'm not seeing any discoloration or corrosion on the cases, so I don't think the smell is coming from anything like that. I tend to store reloads for several months to a year before I get a chance to use them and they all go off reliably. They are as accuarate and as consistent as I can typically shoot, so I don't think I am seeing deterioration of the rounds.

Factory rounds in their original boxes do not have the same smell -- I just smell the cardboard box on those. Before you ask: no, I don't spend a lot of time sniffing my rounds :)

I clean my brass in a tumbler with dry media. I wipe the brass after sizing with a cloth damp with methyl hydrate to get the sizing lube off the case. My cases tend to be squeaky clean so I don't think the smell is from the tumbling media or the lube. The smell is not like either of those things, anyway -- it definitely smells like powder.

Anyone else notice this with their reloads?

Just for reference, I store my reloads in cases like this:

jt1atv.jpg


207usnk.jpg
 
just having some fun said:
I would pull one of the rounds and look for bad powder
use a pair of pliers on top of the press ( not a impact puller)
Click to expand...

I do that from time to time on stuff that's been stored for over 6 months. What would bad powder look like?

When I take a round apart, the power still looks like it did when it was loaded -- either little spherical flakes or tiny little cylinders.

I've never come across finer particles than what the power started off with (which might mean the powder is breaking down).

And I've never seen powder come out of a reload in clumps and blobs (which might mean the storage conditions are too damp).

Any other pointers for what bad powder might look like?

I've never had a reload fail to go off and they all seem accurate. I wonder if the smell I'm getting here is just due to the neck-bullet fit not being as tight as a factory load.

For pulling, I use a Hornady puller -- http://www.hornady.com/store/Cam-Lock-Bullet-Puller-1-Each/ -- and collets. Works pretty well.
 
camster said:
Any chance some of your lube is a natural product gone over?
Click to expand...

I guess that is possible but I don't think that's what it is. I would not describe the smell as rancid or as something rotten. The whiff out of the storage box smells about the same as what you smell when you open a bottle of gun powder.

I get the same smell from rounds that were resized with lube and rounds that were made with a Lee Loader that have never seen any lube.

Maybe a dumb question, but what's the shelf life of reloads? How long should they last? Should they last as long as factory loads in storage?
 
The same thing happened to me with reloads from the early 90's, I had 400 rounds of brand new Winchester 223 brass loaded with winchester 748 powder stored in plastic ammo boxes and stored in a army metal ammo can. A couple of years ago I decided I better use up these reloads, when I opened the ammo can there was a smell of gunpowder or a faint smell of ammonia. I shot them out of a benelli MR1 and maybe a dozen acted funny. A few were just like the primer went off and the bullet got stuck a couple of inches in, fortunately I had along my mosin so the cleaning rod and a couple of taps with a rock got them out. The rest of the misfires felt like a 22LR going off but the bullet exited the barrel. I'm not sure if it was reloader error cause I was new to reloading and I was using a rcbs partner press kit and a lee perfect powder measure. I read about squib loads so I would always double check by weighing every 10th case, placing the charged cases on the rcbs tray and shining a light to make sure the powder charges looked the same. I heard that you can extend the longevity of your reloads by sealing the primer pockets with nail polish.
 
claw808 said:
The same thing happened to me with reloads from the early 90's, I had 400 rounds of brand new Winchester 223 brass loaded with winchester 748 powder stored in plastic ammo boxes and stored in a army metal ammo can. A couple of years ago I decided I better use up these reloads, when I opened the ammo can there was a smell of gunpowder or a faint smell of ammonia. I shot them out of a benelli MR1 and maybe a dozen acted funny. A few were just like the primer went off and the bullet got stuck a couple of inches in, fortunately I had along my mosin so the cleaning rod and a couple of taps with a rock got them out. The rest of the misfires felt like a 22LR going off but the bullet exited the barrel. I'm not sure if it was reloader error cause I was new to reloading and I was using a rcbs partner press kit and a lee perfect powder measure. I read about squib loads so I would always double check by weighing every 10th case, placing the charged cases on the rcbs tray and shining a light to make sure the powder charges looked the same. I heard that you can extend the longevity of your reloads by sealing the primer pockets with nail polish.
Click to expand...

Those are the loads that didnt smell like powder!
 
You might be smelling the nitro glycerine. It will actually raise the heart beat of some sensitive people. Check out the MSDS sheet of the powder you used in them.
 
claw808 said:
The same thing happened to me with reloads from the early 90's, I had 400 rounds of brand new Winchester 223 brass loaded with winchester 748 powder stored in plastic ammo boxes and stored in a army metal ammo can. A couple of years ago I decided I better use up these reloads, when I opened the ammo can there was a smell of gunpowder or a faint smell of ammonia. I shot them out of a benelli MR1 and maybe a dozen acted funny. A few were just like the primer went off and the bullet got stuck a couple of inches in, fortunately I had along my mosin so the cleaning rod and a couple of taps with a rock got them out. The rest of the misfires felt like a 22LR going off but the bullet exited the barrel. I'm not sure if it was reloader error cause I was new to reloading and I was using a rcbs partner press kit and a lee perfect powder measure. I read about squib loads so I would always double check by weighing every 10th case, placing the charged cases on the rcbs tray and shining a light to make sure the powder charges looked the same. I heard that you can extend the longevity of your reloads by sealing the primer pockets with nail polish.
Click to expand...

I have had no issues with reloaded ammunition that was over 40 years old, as long as it was stored in a cool,dry place. I don't seal primers or crimp bullets in place for any of my rifle loads
 
Brass stinks. Let it sit for a while, handle it and you will notice a smell. Google it if you like. If there is a high copper content in the brass, you'll notice more of an odor. It's chemistry.
 
Evey now and then I notice the smell of ether around my reloads.

Its one of the solvents used in the manufacturing process I believe. Its very distinct, and can be smelled in extreamly small parts per million levels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom