15 years ago I bought a 8 lb jug of IMR4895 salvaged from demilled military ammo. It has been stored in a climate controlled area. Every year I would open the jug and check the powder. No problems always a sweet smell of ether. That is until today! I had gone through all of my older 4895 and opened the jug to start loading. I was greeted by the acrid smell of nitric acid. The powder looked normal, no clumps etc. I poured some out on the ground and tried to light it. It only smouldered and sputered leaving a yellow residue. I have containers of powder that are older and in perfect condition. Very disappointed.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobster:
15 years ago I bought a 8 lb jug of IMR4895 salvaged from demilled military ammo. It has been stored in a climate controlled area. Every year I would open the jug and check the powder. No problems always a sweet smell of ether. That is until today! I had gone through all of my older 4895 and opened the jug to start loading. I was greeted by the acrid smell of nitric acid. The powder looked normal, no clumps etc. I poured some out on the ground and tried to light it. It only smouldered and sputered leaving a yellow residue. I have containers of powder that are older and in perfect condition. Very disappointed.

Well, as HRC's husband might say, I share your pain: You did everything right and "right" didn't work.

I'd also wonder when it was manufactured and, importantly, how it had been stored before you obtained it.

Right that is the key; it was likely salvaged from WW2 ammo and suffered since. Just bad luck.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Right that is the key; it was likely salvaged from WW2 ammo and suffered since. Just bad luck.

About 15 years ago or so, I had the same problem. Found out that the 4895 during WWII was in great need and some of the rinsing was not done. Filled a 33 gal. container with water and dumped the 4895 into it. Spread the liquid on one part of my lawn and the solid residue on another part of the lawn. It took months of watering for the grass to grow back. roger

Had one similar but it didn't go bad.

I'd stopped loading n shooting due to being married to a bambi lover.

Stored at Dad's. He bought some dynamite and was going to shoot out a seep hoping to get a spring running from it.
Thinking: "the kid don't shoot or load anymore, this powder is 20+yrs old, get rid of it". He poured 18 lbs of 50 cent a pound 4831 in the hole with 5 sticks.

He'd hired a guy with a big loader to clean things up and dig a pond. HA! Quite a spring was running and he already had the pond from the blast!!

Couple years later I got back to loading and no powder. Then to replace it was $19.50lb. That little hole in the ground sure cost me dearly.

IF it stinks, dump on the lawn or garden.

George

That's the saddest story I ever heard; the married to a Bambi lover part.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
That's the saddest story I ever heard; the married to a Bambi lover part.

I'm afraid it's not only sad but very common. They are often fond of gardening, though, so might appreciate lawn fertiliser.

I chose well and in my choice, I got lucky.

My bride of 55+ years does not hunt. But she does have a CCW, shoots handguns very well and supports my big game hunting, reloading, shooting, varmint hunting/shooting and purchasing what I want to pursue my passion.

I am blessed, and proud to admit it!

You know, that "I quit reloading/hunting/shooting/etc cause I got married is bullshit. Didn't you talk to that woman before you married her.
Before I was married, I told my future wife, I like to hunt and I like to fish, if you hassle me about it, I'll still go, I just won't come back. Thus began a 45 year love affair.

pretty close to what I told mine too.

mine went more like.
I'm going, if you wanna go, be in the truck when it leaves.
if not then don't be in it.
either way I don't want to hear about it when I get back.
sometimes she goes, sometimes she don't.

I told mine a couple of days after our first date, I hunt, I fish, I shoot guns and collect them every now and then, you want to go out on a second date? This past Sept we have been married 28 years. She does like to shoot and fish and does have her CCW also. And she also retired from the Air Force (22 years).
In a related happening to the OP's title I took a nice Doe today on opening day (My 19 year old Son got a big body three point) and undressing from my hunting gear downstairs I dropped my new bottle of Tinks Doe in Estrus on the floor and it broke into a few dozen pieces. My Son was out in the basement and heard me say "Oh s%$t", he ask whay did you break and when he walked in I didn't have to say anything. Fortunately I swabbed it up with paper towels and a whole new box of Carpet Fresh (pet version) took care of the smell.
Steve........

15 yrs on 8lbs still pretty good mileage. How much was left?

Yep, I agree guys. Outlived her 14yrs so far, after 29yrs. I gave up the bullshit about ten years before she died.

Kinda late in life now but, still looking for a hunter to tie a big diamond on. Been thinking pretty seriously about selling it and going hunting or something.

Wow, how does anyone get 15yrs out of ONLY 8lbs of powder?

Steve: HA!, Lucky dude, shoulda been skunk essence!

George

Not to hijack the thread, but the other day I had to write 35K in property tax checks for my real estate biz. Ms AAZW asked how my day was and I said "Crappy; I just wrote 35K in checks."

She said, "For what?"

I said, "For down payments on hunts."

She said, "Well, that should make you happy!"

How many women would say that?

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
Not to hijack the thread, but the other day I had to write 35K in property tax checks for my real estate biz. Ms AAZW asked how my day was and I said "Crappy; I just wrote 35K in checks."

She said, "For what?"

I said, "For down payments on hunts."

She said, "Well, that should make you happy!"

How many women would say that?

Now there's a gal to ride the river with.

quote:

Originally posted by B L O'Connor:
I chose well and in my choice, I got lucky.

My bride of 55+ years does not hunt. But she does have a CCW, shoots handguns very well and supports my big game hunting, reloading, shooting, varmint hunting/shooting and purchasing what I want to pursue my passion.

I am blessed, and proud to admit it!

Sounds just like mine B L but we're only at 49 yr. Plus I'll add she's a fantastic cook and still a knock out in a dress & hi heels. Ya, I got real lucky.

quote:

Originally posted by SLVFX:

quote:

Originally posted by B L O'Connor:
I chose well and in my choice, I got lucky.

My bride of 55+ years does not hunt. But she does have a CCW, shoots handguns very well and supports my big game hunting, reloading, shooting, varmint hunting/shooting and purchasing what I want to pursue my passion.

I am blessed, and proud to admit it!

Sounds just like mine B L but we're only at 49 yr. Plus I'll add she's a fantastic cook and still a knock out in a dress & hi heels. Ya, I got real lucky.

We have powders many years old, and the only ones we had to throw out was Vihtavuouri.

Never had any problems with any other make.

When I first met my wife she already had a half-dozen guns in her safe including a NIB Win 94 in 7-30 Waters...she bought it on her 18th birthday because she could...and because it had pretty wood . She also told me she'd never get mad at me for buying a gun or more than a few as it turned out. 18 years later she's still good with it and is truly a wonderful woman.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
Not to hijack the thread, but the other day I had to write 35K in property tax checks for my real estate biz. Ms AAZW asked how my day was and I said "Crappy; I just wrote 35K in checks."

She said, "For what?"

I said, "For down payments on hunts."

She said, "Well, that should make you happy!"

How many women would say that?

Now there's a gal to ride the river with.

++1

I purchased a 150 pound stainless steel canister with suction lock in top crated in two by four and x6s lumber..It was milsurp 4831, sometimes know as 4350 DATA powder...That jug was pre ww2 powder, the stuff that Jack O'Connor professed to be black magic and I agree to that..I still have the canister and lumber packing and 40 pounds of that stuff, it makes the 30-O6 and 270 cook like a magnum..You can read about those hot loads Jack used, but that's a comment by the uneducated...That powder gave him a 100 or more FPS at considerable less pressure than any powder on todays market..I reserve it for the .270 wcf. and its still clean and safe.

My IMR 4895