Powder Changes

[spires5d]

I was wandering if the specs. on powders has changed over the past 10-12 years?For example IMR 3031,4064,4350 and so on.The reason that I asked is because I have some IMR 3031 and 4064 powder that is 10-12 years old and has been kept dry.I have tried it and it is still shootable.Is the powder that we buy today able to last as the powder in past years? Also I have heard through the grapevine that they are going to try and make powder manufactures make the powder so it will only last 6 months or 5 years. Have any of ya'll heard anything on this?



Noslers Rock!

 

[DrMike]

Generally, the specs on the powders produced within the past decade will match current production. If there are no signs of deterioration in your powder (dust, acrid smell, etc.) and it has been kept dry and at room temperature, it should be just fine. As with all situations, you will want to work up your loads carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises. I should think that it would be difficult to find technology that permits appropriate burn rates for powders with controlled deterioration. That sounds like a liberal democrat's pipe dream.

 

[blacktailhunter]

Trying to implant the notion that powder is only going to be made to last a few years is the same crap that started the primer shortage in the mid 90's. Anything that could be added to powder to make it bad in 3 years would also make it bad in a few days. I am still using green dot from the 40lb tub that my dad bought back in the early 70's with zero issues and very consistent chrono speeds. Storage is the key. Temperature variations are ok, but changes in humidity can change powders in a hurry.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

A few years back the dummycrats had proposed a couple of laws. One was to add markers to gunpowder so it would be traced, the other was to make it so stale, like the stale primer proposal. Lucky for us, new proposal went any where. Something about the danger of putting unnecessary addatives to an explosive.