Powder identification

Some of the nay-sayers here should read the original post a bit more closely and maybe step out of the bomb-disposal suit that they spend their lives in.

Or go swimming in it. Maybe take a brush, and scrub the bottom of the gene pool a bit while they are there.

Check out the "Canister and Surplus Powder forum over on CastBoolits. Lots of direct experience there, and some good info on sorting out safe starting loads from scratch.

If the powder has not gone skanky from poor storage, it should be good for a Hundred years or so, just like some of the ammo that's still being shot.

Cheers
Trev
 
Thanks for all. I've read all your post and and read links you gave me. I think that these nobel powders were clone of Hodgdon powders and Alliant powders: here is the summary of your hints :

1- PP2 No clue at all...

2 - HP-38 - 92187 Clone of HP-38

3- NOBEL NRP 48 Clone of H-4831

4- NOBEL 45-H clone of H-4895

5 - NOBEL XR-4 clone of SR-4756

6- NOBEL TRAP-1A clone of Green-Dot

On Lefty ####'s picture, the word ''COMPATIBLE with H-4831'' . What does means compatible?

Thanks again!

Mick
 
I am not familiar with any of those powders.

I have some jugs of power in the bunker that I have forgotten what they are. The first step is exactly what he did - ask here. I bet most of it gets identified and he can carry on.

As for he shotgun powders, you could start loading it as a shotgun or pistol powder assumig it was 700 x, and then working up. So long as you are not trying to get max peformance out of a gun, you should soon find a load that gets good plinker performance.

The "IT'S DANGEROUS" guys and their stock photos of blown up hillbilly body parts will always be here with us, but I knew that eventually some sanity would prevail. Those guys should stick with new powders and published loads - in fact they should only use loads found in at least 10 different manuals and go no higher than the lowest starting load they find.

If you know absolutely nothing about the powder, you can safely assume it's the fastest available, e.g. Bullseye. Load it up in a suitable cartrdige with a published starting load of Bullseye and see how/if it performs against a chrony. If it does not ignite, assume it's slower and move up as Ganderite suggested to a starting load of something like 700X, then Unique, then maybe H4227, etc. It's a lot easier if it's a pulldown and you know what it was loaded for, how much and the weight of bullet (like the 8X63 Swedish that was around a few years ago), but there is a way with a completely unknown powder. 10 lbs is too much to waste, but for 1-2 lbs I wouldn't bother - not worth the effort for a powder that once it's gone it's gone.
 
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