BC2 powder

[oops]

I have obtained some vintage BC2 powder from a fine elderly gent.....I happen to look at the powder as compared to some new manufactured powder and noticed that the new powder is very consistent in grain size and shape but the vintage stuff is very inconsistent with irregular ball size and strands of powder that look very stringy...is this a early version type

Sorry...BLC2..

 

[bearhunter]

I suspect you're actually describing "BLC 2?"

If you have the powder I think you do, it's actually the predecessor of BLC 2. That would be labeled BLC.

I don't have any of that powder left but it's a very good powder for a lot of cartridges, from 222 Rem on up to 30-06 with mid weight bullets 150 grains or less.

I'm wondering if it was from the lot that old Tom Higginson brought in close to thirty years ago?? Does the can have AmmoMart on it??

If it is the earlier BLC, it might be a bit slower than BLC 2 and the loads listed for it in manuals should be OK but as a caution start low and work up your load. It likes magnum primers to give consistent ignition, just like all ball powders seem to.

You don't mention how much of this powder he gave you. It's a real pain/expense using up most of a small lot of powder to develop a load and not be able to find any more with the same burn rate.

I took the last couple of pounds of what I had left and mixed it with a powder listed as S2924, which was also from ammomart and supposedly identical to BLC2.

If you only have a part can of it, my suggestion would be to just get rid of it, or buy another can of BLC2 and mix them together to get a usable lot.

 

[Ganderite]

I have obtained some vintage BC2 powder from a fine elderly gent.....I happen to look at the powder as compared to some new manufactured powder and noticed that the new powder is very consistent in grain size and shape but the vintage stuff is very inconsistent with irregular ball size and strands of powder that look very stringy...is this a early version type

I might know what you have.

Did it come from the Winnipeg area?

How much do you have?

 

[bigedp51]

If I remember correctly BC2 or BLC2 was the second surplus powder Hodgdon bought after WWII. It had been loaded in U.S. made .303 British ammunition for the Enfield rifles.

Hodgdon Powder Company
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodgdon_Powder_Company

In 1947, he began acquisition of 80 tons of spherical powder salvaged from disassembled .303 British military rifle cartridges manufactured in the United States. By 1949, he was marketing the powder as BL type C. The C was to indicate the powder burned "cooler" than traditional Improved Military Rifle (IMR) powders.

 

[oops]

I only have two pounds...I hate to see powder go to waste...the bottles are plastic ,looks like powder bottles with the label removed..with a note that states .....transferred from bulk keg..BLc2...I would have to say about 30 years old..Lord Knows where he got it from considering that some time a go he could of got it state side or from ammo mart...I will load some with light bullets and min charge just to see how it lights..it's only 2 lbs but still a waste to me to just dump it.Its not like it was in a cereal box with Tony the Tiger crossed out and a label in crayon that said..for dads gun!!


..National Center for Forensic Science smokeless powder data base....Google it and enjoy,way to much info!

 

[Why not?]

Whatever you do, oops, don't throw it away.

Your "only have two pounds" will be more than 600 rounds of 222 Rem, or 350 of 303 British, or 300 of 358 Winchester, all of which perform wonderfully with that powder.

There are more, but those are the ones I have used it in extensively.

Ted

 

[bearhunter]

Why not is right.

Two pounds is enough to develop a load for a rifle and keep it shooting for a couple of hunting seasons or a summer of plinking.

If you find that you like it, BLC 2 was also a favorite of PO Ackley.

 

[Ganderite]

If I had 2 pounds of it I would assume a 3031 burn rate, for starters, and work up for there.

Or, I would dump it into a 8 pound jug of BLC2 or H335, and shake.

 

[time4t]

.……….

 

[RifleDude]

..... the vintage stuff is very inconsistent with irregular ball size and strands of powder that look very stringy...is this a early version type

Sorry...BLC2..

The OP stated that this powder doesn't look like new BLC2 powder. I had a can of ball powder once that looked all stringy, like spider webbing intermixed with the powder. I didn't trust it and threw it out. Maybe Ganderite can give us his opinion on this phenomena.

 

[Ganderite]

The OP stated that this powder doesn't look like new BLC2 powder. I had a can of ball powder once that looked all stringy, like spider webbing intermixed with the powder. I didn't trust it and threw it out. Maybe Ganderite can give us his opinion on this phenomena.

I had a 45 pound drum of 4831 that had corn kernels mixed in it. Turned out the mice had made a nest in the drum.

Stuff happens.