# What is the expected shelf life of gunpowder?



## Robert A. Langager

Hi all, 
This will be the forst of what will be many questions about reloading. Anyhow, I got the reloading bug about 10 years ago and bought all the stuff. I haven't used it for years and have the bug again. I have probably about 5 pounds of powder that is at least 8 years old. I have Red Dot, Blue Dot, Unique, H380, and H110. It has been stored in a dry, not necesarily cool place. Is it still good? Does gunpowder go bad after time? I would like to use it if I could.
Robert


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## Burly1

Robert, 
That's a tough call. I have used powder that's five to seven years old, but only when I know it's been in very stable conditions. A good friend who knows a lot more about loading than I do, told me that if powder has gotten hot and "gassed off" as he put it, it will have a dull appearance and the color will lighten. The other telltale was, if there were any signs whatever of "clumping". I think I know what he means. A few years ago a buddy who moved away gave me a box of different powders he had on hand. None of them had clumped together, but some had a really "old" look to them. One was a bottle of W296 and I believe the others were a bottle of Unique and one of Blue Dot. There was no "sheen" if that's the right word, to them. My solution was to burn it all, in a long line in my gravel driveway. Better safe than sorry, I think, when dealing with something that's going to be inches from your face! Keep asking those questions! I've been loading for thirty years and still call my buddies for advice. I really don't think it's possible to be too safe while reloading. Burl


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## Plainsman

Robert

Open a can and smell it. If it smells like solvents (ether, alcohol, acetone) it is good regardless of time. If it has an acrid smell it has gone bad. The solvents in the powder evaporate away, and that is what Burly1 was referring to as "gassed off".


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## terry100

i recently spoke with the guys at "DILLON PRECISION" and they told me that under ideal conditions gunpowder should last for 80 + years


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## southdakbearfan

Old post, but interesting topic. I have read on Alliant's website that they have some of their Original Black Powder stored in water, that every so often they take a little bit out, dry it, and light it up and the burn rate is still the same.

As for the new powders, especially in the newer containers, it will last a lot longer than it seems to last on my shelf. I have shot up some old Alcan stuff in the old 20 that did just fine several years ago.


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## 2frogs

I have been using H 4831 that was made in WW 2 I believe..Thats what the guy told
me anyway..No problems that I can see so far..Have never had a miss fire yet with it
and can really see no difference as far as velocity goes..from sho to shot..John


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## terry100

i recently spoke to the folks at DILLON PRECISION and they told me that under ideal conditions gun powder can last up to 80 years


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## texcl

I've shot powder that was 20-30 years old with no problems. The main thing is that it was sealed properly second most important thing is that it wasn't stored in a hot damp place. I've shot tons of surplus that was over 50 years old and it shot fine, I think you have to be pretty abusive to ruin powder.


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