I have the opportunity to buy 30 pounds of 4831 still in its original metal can, which started out as 50 pounds full. The owner wants to sell the entire lot without breaking it up into smaller pieces for $10 per pound ($300 total). I had the chance to sample a pound of the stuff for free, and it's still good.
What sounds like a reasonable price?

That's about the going rate from surplus suppliers for the more popular powders in 8 lb lots. I guess anything down from that is a win. The more exotic cannon and BMG powders get down around $6-7 a pound because there's less demand.

5-7 a pound, in 30lb .. 8-10 in 10s

I first bought that stuff for fifty cents a pound....and that was early sixties. It was good powder.....but I wonder what shelf life would be almost 60 years later.

Personally, I'd be reluctant to buy more than a five year supply even at bargain prices.

VD you paid to much -i bought it for $.40 and didn't even have to pay freight still have about25# left - still works good

I bought 45# in the mid eightys of IMR 5010 at 2.00 a #. Still shoots great in my 338 Imperial and super in the 7 MM, 30 cal Rums and 7 STW. I think in todays day and age that 5 - 6 dollars a pound would be spot on. You can always break it up and sell off small lots and keep enough for your own use.

I would just mix it pig manure and put it in my garden. Shelf life is long gone & I doubt if you will get good results. I bought some Du Pont 4831 from the 70's off a newly opened keg a few years ago & the velocities were 200fps to 300 fps low with case full of powder in the 6.5X55 and the 280 Ackley Imp.

Original container ? 50 Lb now with 30 or so lb/s left . Check the residue on the inside of the container, small wooden stir stick with a cotton ball taped too it works well , now spread it on a white piece of paper tell us what you see and smell ?.

When did the person purchase the powder ,how long has the container been open ?. These are questions you should be asking or actively looking into . More air inside the container faster the deterioration , last see if fellow shooters will help you on dividing it amongst themselves ?. The above would determine my purchasing regardless of $$ involved !.

None of the H-4831 surplus I ever used showed any sign of deterioration like the H-4895. I have about 14# left in a container that is more than 40 years old. Works great. You might try to offer him $180.00 unless you really use a lot of it.
I've gravitated to smaller caliber cartridges that don't use much of the slowest burning powders. I'll probably have 7 or 8 # of it left when I depart.
Don't exactly know what I'm going to do with my 5010 and 5020. roger

I had a buddy with two 50# kegs in his attic when his house burnt recently. He was more upset about the powder than the house.

He said there was noticable effect when the powder lit off but nothing as dramatic as one might have expected.

The guy selling was a long-time western big game and varmint hunter. He said he and his father used 6mm Rem. and .270 Win. for most of their shooting. The 4831 worked well for both, apparently.

quote:

I had the chance to sample a pound of the stuff for free, and it's still good.

I think you've answered your own question about its quality. Now all you have to do is figure out what it is worth to you.

As for me, I have a couple of friends who know and respect the quality of Surplus 4831. I would jump on it and split what I didn't feel I needed with my friends.

Just for fun I called the customer service people at Hodgdon Powder and they literally said, "Run, don't walk away from that powder." Even if it's good today, the oxidation process could begin at any time and the stuff could deteriorate rapidly.

Did you really expect someone at Hodgon to say, "Sounds like a heck of a deal, you should buy all you can".

Personally, I wouldn't buy it at any price. Instead spend $300 on good fresh powder that you really want. Buying the surplus powder is going to save you less than $.07 per each round of 30-06 you might load. It's just not worth the concern.

Nitrocellulose deteriorates with time, yielding acidic byproducts. Those byproducts catalyze the further deterioration, increasing its rate. The released heat, in case of bulk storage of the powder, or too large blocks of solid propellant, can cause self-ignition of the material. Single-base nitrocellulose propellants are most susceptible to degradation ; double-base and triple-base propellants tend to deteriorate more slowly. To neutralize the decomposition products, which could otherwise cause corrosion of metals of the cartridges and gun barrels, calcium carbonate is added to some formulations.

To prevent buildup of the deterioration products, stabilizers are added. Diphenylamine is one of the most common stabilizers used. Nitrated analogs of diphenylamine formed in the process of stabilizing decomposing powder are sometimes used as stabilizers themselves. [8] [9] The stabilizers are added in the amount of 0.5-2% of the total amount of the formulation; higher amounts tend to degrade its ballistic properties. The amount of the stabilizer is depleted with time. Propellants in storage should be periodically tested for the amount of stabilizer remaining, as its depletion may lead to auto-ignition of the propellant.

If I remember anything from my days with Hercules Powder ,the Dupont 4831 group is extruded single base.
It's why I asked for the swab visual ,as my smelling it would be most impracticable !. FYI ; fellow reloaders simply because a powder goes bang or Boom doesn't mean it's still good ,for the intended purposes of which you seek . It may produce erratic ignition or pressures of which without proper equipment is nearly undetectable . Those familiar with blasting procedures will understand fully , instant or 4 8 11 millisecond delay ?, leading to possible pressure variations . NO one can say positively one way or the other without testing procedures .

Nothing further Carry on !

I may just decide that it's better to be safe than sorry.

I still have a few lbs left of a #50 keg of surplus H-4831 from the mid 60's I have no problem shooting what I have left but there is no way in hell I would pay $10 lb for surplus WWII powder I think I paid $40 or $50 for 2x50's back then and that included shipping.

Tell the guy to put it on his lawn or give it to you real old powder is just that real old it's not like your buying a 70 year old gun.

Jump in there and offer 755% of his price and be willing to go to 100% if, and ONLY IF you have a use for 30 lbs of powder.

It is supposed to be the cats meow in the 270, likely some others. Better according to those I know than current 4831 (for some reason).

You can't list it to sell outright as that might require a license/permit, but you could recoup your costs among friends at the reduced price and still have some to use.

Oh bullshit on that deal. It ain't worth it at $10 or $5 or $1 a pound. Buy some new chit. Powder don't cost that much all things considered. Just sayin...

I still have 10-12 pounds out of the 16 pounds of MR-3100 I bought in the mid 70's because I was trying to save a buck. It's still good and I use it for loading '06 and 7x57 but, since it is not the ideal powder for either, it will probably ruin before it's used up.