Powder shelf life?

[Ashman]

I am changing my basement reloading area so in the process I am finding stuff I "stored away" for use later on. In my cedar chest which sits on the concrete floor I found 3 un opened metal 1 lb. powder containers....paper seal still intact.

My question is, are they still usuable? How about a couple of boxes of un opened magnum primers?

I need to load more, then there wouldn't be that "old surplus"

As always....Thanks in advance.

 

[DrMike]

As long as the powder and primers were not wet or allowed to sit in excessive heat, all should be fine. Powder can be stored for many years in the unopened tins. Likewise, primers can sit for a long time without deterioration, subject to the proviso that they were not allowed to be in contact with solvents or allowed to become hot. So long as there is no evidence of oxidation (acrid smell, dust inside the powder tin, etc.) you should be good to go. Just be certain that you work up the loads from a safe charge to a safe maximum as formulas may be changed slightly over long periods of time.