Thread: Old Powder

Greetings All,
I have been sorting out some handloading stuff for a friend who is shifting house. Among the packets of old cases, some loaded there were about 8 cans of powder, some unopened. There was a recent part pottle of AR2208 so that was put aside as probably OK. Next were 6 cans of various Dupont powders. A bit of sleuth work in my library of gunny books showed that the older 4 were packed somewhere between 1960 and 1975 so they were quite old. A part can of IMR4227 had a label for both dollars ($6.10) and pounds so this was around 1967. There were a part and full can of IMR3031 so I poured the powder rom the part can out into a clean plastic tray and examined the inside of the can finding no sign of rust. Next the unopened can of IMR3031 was poured out into a separate tray. Inside the can there were granules of powder stuck to the inside of the can and there was a light film of rust over the inside of the can. Hmmm. Finally the two more recent cans of IMR4831 that was packed in 1987 were opened. Both had rust on the inside of the neck so I didn't even bother tipping them out.
So what were the learnings from all this? We need to be really careful how we store our powder supplies and suspicious of any old powder we may encounter. Most rifle powder has a long life if stored carefully. I am still using the last dregs of 1mr4064 packed in 1979 but this has been stored in a wooden cupboard placed low on the cool side of a partly lined garage and not on an open shelf in a red hot to damp tin shed. We all have to be especially vigilant about any opened containers of powder we may be given as what is on the label may not be what is in the can or may have been contaminated in some way. Even unopened cans should be viewed with suspicion as we don't know how it has been stored.
The powder drought of the last few years now appears to be easing so there is no need to use any suspect powder. So why did I go to all the trouble I did? Partly due to my distaste for waste and partly to learn something. I was successful on the second of those at least.
Regards Grandpamac.