Powder...............?................

[kamlooky]

IMR 4350.

How discoloured does it need to be before you lawn fertilize it?
Found an old metal can in the locker and opened it up.
Dint like the look of it.
Some rust colour to it.
Dang gun show purchases..........................

 

[B]

It's definitely trash if it's got a rust color to it.

 

[yodave]

can you smell the ammonia when you open the can? that is a tell tail sign if it is off gassing and is only good for gun shows or fertilizer..........

 

[scott_r]

sell it on EE

 

[tootall]

Or the next gunshow...

 

[joe-nwt]

I've used powder that had a rusty color to it before. The red came from the can itself. The powder smelled normal and worked fine. Up to you what you do with it.

 

[burnt_servo]

I wonder if a burn test of the rusty powder and known good powder would show any difference ?

 

[H4831]

You can leave it with me, I will dispose of it for you.

 

[mr.e moose]

I found two cans out of my recent windfall that are quite red and they are destined for the wife's flower bed. If you are not sure, why chance it? All of my guns and all of me are worth way more than 1 lb of powder!

 

[B]

I assumed the OP knows the difference between actual rust and discoloration of the actual powder...

 

[ipscgraz]

can you smell the ammonia when you open the can? that is a tell tail sign if it is off gassing and is only good for gun shows or fertilizer..........

Yup; if you can smell it when you open the can, it's gone.

 

[calvados.boulard]

What causes powder to go bad and how can someone prevent it from happening?

Thanks,
Cal.

 

[B]

Use the powder in a timely manner... Even with fairly poor storage it's good for a long time opened.

 

[kamlooky]

I've used powder that had a rusty color to it before. The red came from the can itself. The powder smelled normal and worked fine. Up to you what you do with it.

Bingo. Found a clean yogurt plastic container and dumped the powder in there. Bore light
shows rust on the inside walls of the powder can.
Put the lid on the yogurt tub and shook it up for a bit.
Found the colour sticking to the inside plastic tub.
Found nuther tub and moved the powder back and forth. Wiped the previous tub
and continued to do this a few times.
Funny how the rust powder stuck to the plastic. Powder started to gain it's shiney black.
Cracked nuther can and did the whiff comparison. Fresh is best, but the questionable
powder had the same stench, but not as strong.

Thanks for the replies folks.
Gonna yewse it up, but nawt in the hunting shooters.

 

[silverfoxdj]

Bingo. Found a clean yogurt plastic container and dumped the powder in there. Bore light
shows rust on the inside walls of the powder can.
Put the lid on the yogurt tub and shook it up for a bit.
Found the colour sticking to the inside plastic tub.
Found nuther tub and moved the powder back and forth. Wiped the previous tub
and continued to do this a few times.
Funny how the rust powder stuck to the plastic. Powder started to gain it's shiney black.
Cracked nuther can and did the whiff comparison. Fresh is best, but the questionable
powder had the same stench, but not as strong.

Thanks for the replies folks.
Gonna yewse it up, but nawt in the hunting shooters.

Good tip hopefully you'll have no problem with it.

 

[H4831]

I would have dumped the powder in a bowl, then with a strong magnet wrapped in cloth, gone through the powder and quickly picked up the rust.
Oh well, I tried!

 

[kamlooky]

Well, I thought of using a fine mesh strainer and warshing it with the sink sprayer.
Nawt sure how long it takes for powder to dry?
Too bad we don't have a micro-wave.
Could of made quick werk in short order..................huh?

 

[burnt_servo]

Well, I thought of using a fine mesh strainer and warshing it with the sink sprayer.
Nawt sure how long it takes for powder to dry?
Too bad we don't have a micro-wave.
Could of made quick werk in short order..................huh?

make sure you video take that , and post it to youtube

 

[joe-nwt]

Put the lid on the yogurt tub and shook it up for a bit.
Found the colour sticking to the inside plastic tub.
Found nuther tub and moved the powder back and forth. Wiped the previous tub
and continued to do this a few times.

Good lord! You've tumbled your powder! Now you've changed the burning characteristics of the powder. Combined with the leftover rust from the can, I calculate it's close to trinitrotoluene now.

What were you thinking?

 

[kman300]

I have a big metal 20lb can with surplus 4831 from long long ago and it too has the red dust on it. It's from the inside of the can though and I clean it the same way. Use the static from plastic containers to get it off. Works perfect still and shoots good groups.