I was given a potful of stuff by a friend to reload some .30-06 Springsteens for him. When I filled the hopper with the IMR4064 he gave me, a gold-colored dust floated up. I have never seen anything like this before. There is no alcohol, acetone or vinegar smell at all to this powder. It has no smell of any sort. Is this powder no longer usable? The code on the bottom offers no information to the layman as to when it was made. It is shown below:

E91
MY9
L2458R

The powder is in a celeste blue can. I put in back into the can and am awaiting the opinions of our resident experts...

I'd call the manufacturer on that one Brew.

Powder that has deteriorated from my experience has a foul smell.....the gold colored powder is new to me and raises a flag so if you're looking at a pound or less just shitcan it.....if you're looking a several pounds then I'd ask Hodgdon for some advice.

'dog says,

quote:

...if you're looking at a pound or less, just shitcan it...

Well, it's his powder. I don't want to throw it away and then have to tell him it was no good without trying any of it. But I am wary of something I have never seen. I'm thinking the gold-colored dust is some sort of deterioration that might make the powder less combustible, leaving unburned crumbs in the bore. I want to load up some rounds for him so we can go shooting, but not if the reloads are not safe...

In all likelyhood the gold residue is from the container and not from the powder.....but here's the thing.....we don't know.....!

Better safe than sorry.....it's just not worth it for $10.00 worth of powder!

If it were mine, it'd be in the garden acting as fertillizer!

quote:

Originally posted by homebrewer:
I'm thinking the gold-colored dust is some sort of deterioration that might make the powder less combustible...

Actually, it could cause it to do the opposite and become more combustible and so be far more dangerous..

I don't know how, but it looks to have deteriorated. The yellow/gold dust would be nitrogen, reasonable, since that most of what makes up the powder.

I wouldn't try to use it on a bet. I doubt it is going to blow anything up, but it may well not work very well and could also be unpredictable if it is not carefully mixed. Probably will continue to deteriorate too I would think.

if you have a goose around it could be egg dust

I wouldn't use it. I'd she him the condition it's in & point it out. Give it back to him. Another reason I won't reload for anyone. IF he still wants to use it, I'd make him do the reloading with the subsequent warnings.
Bear in Fairbanks

quote:

In all likelihood the gold residue is from the container and not from the powder.....but here's the thing.....we don't know.....!

You're right, vap. It could be just simple rust. I had not thought of that. It's very dry out here-- nothing rusts. Well, things do rust, but it takes a long, long time. The inside of the can might be rusted. I have no idea under what conditions the can was stored-- maybe under the bathroom sink-- which is where this can was stored when he gave it to me yesterday. But I have no idea for how long. The plastic bottle of IMR4831 he gave me looks fine-- no dust from that powder. Smells right, too. I'll load up a middlin' batch of shells with the 4831 and we'll go blast 'em into the sagebrush-covered hills...

54.5 grains IMR4831 with 150-grain soft-point, flat-base bullets in R-P, Federal and Winchester cases. What's not to like?

I had some imr4350 and imr3031 that had that same gold dust.To me it looked like rust.
I got rid of it because like you I thought I could still use it.It didn't have the same velosity shot to shot.I would do away with it.

quote:

It didn't have the same velocity shot to shot

So whatever it is causes erratic velocity? Well, I can use this crap, then, because he really isn't concerned with accuracy. All he wants is a report, some recoil and to smell the burned gunpowder. To him, "accuracy" is hitting a VW microbus anywhere on it at 50 yards...

Based on what I have read on the web (this is a guess now)

E91 is the year 1991

MY9 is the month/day May 9th

and the last numbers are the lot code.

quote:

Originally posted by mgoodrich:
Based on what I have read on the web (this is a guess now), E91 is the year-- 1991, MY9 is the month/day-- May 9th and the last numbers are the lot code.

I wish to hell the people who put these datecodes on things would just put them on in ENGLISH!! Would it be so hard to have a rubber stamp that rolls up the date as necessary that's laid out in a MM/DD/YY format such that anybody could read it? We can send a probe beyond Pluto and have it radio data back to us, but we can't make intelligible datecodes on cans of gunpowder...

Had exactly the same thing a couple of years ago with a can of IMR-4350. Called the factory, talked with a rep, they said dispose of it, it has deteriorated.

"When in doubt, pitch it out." My wise and deceased father in law

rust is the first sign of deteriation in a can of powder.
the solvents float up there and rust the can.
might be why they say store in a cool dry place.

Information sources vary as to the effects of deterioration on IMR powders. Some say they lose power (which is likely true, as they are likely losing burnable solvents/gases as they deteriorate.

Other info sources say they become much more subject to spontaneous ignition when deteriorating. I don't know if that is true, but as a result of having read that several times over the past 30 or 40 years, I personally would NOT store deteriorating powder ANYWHERE IN MY HOME.

N.B.: I don't believe powder can rusting is due to the solvents in powders, but to the residual acids which both contribute to and are released by the deterioration.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
Other info sources say they become much more subject to spontaneous ignition when deteriorating.

This info is part of IMR's warning against not storing powder near heat. Good memory.

quote:

Originally posted by youp50:
"When in doubt, pitch it out." My wise and deceased father in law

Works for the fridge. I know that. Have you ever hauled something out of the back of the freezer and couldn't figure out what it was?

Seriously, I'd call the Mfg. because I'd be curious to know what's going on.

call friend, tell him there's a problem, and you are calling the maker to make certain.. OR he can bring more powder
1: do not use this powder
2: call the amnf and ASK
3: tell friend
4: tell friend to come over and help HIM to reload...

Here's what IMR 4064 from lot#L2549 looks like. Born on date: E00MA7

From a metal can bought 9-15-00. Who knows how long it was sitting on the retailer's shelf.

If yours left that yellow residue in the powder funnel, it's gone BAD. I'd recommend disposal.

I had a can of IMR, can't remember the number, that turned rust colored within a few weeks of purchase.

Spread thinly over the lawn or garden it made good, albeit expensive, fertilizer.

P.S. to those who have complained of my pics gone missing in the past; a word to the wise. Right click on it and choose 'copy image' or some such. If YOU want it, then YOU make an effort to save it. My photo hosting site's bandwidth is almost exceeded. I can't keep every photo I've ever taken.

No! Powder doesn't gain power as it deteriates. A simple check, if you've got another can of 4064 is to load up a couple of rounds using your friends powder and load up a couple using your powder and run them over a Chrony.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
call friend, tell him there's a problem, and you are calling the maker to make certain. OR he can bring more powder
1: do not use this powder
2: call the manufacturer and ASK
3: tell friend
4: tell friend to come over and help HIM to reload...

I resized 101 of the cases, put a bullet in one, took it over to his digs and tested for fit into chamber. It fit just fine. So now I'll load up ten or twenty low-chargies with the IMR4831 that seems to still be good and we'll shoot 'em, looking for pressure signs. I'm anticipating everything will be fine...

Homebrewer, I highly respect the opinions and views you present here but I can't do anything but second the above recommendations to leave this powder alone. I wouldn't load it, shoot it, store it or transport it. Calling the maker is a good idea although I don't know who you would talk to about an IMR product. Explaining to your friend the potential dangers should be easy. Wish you much luck.

Don Boyd

A rusty color is the first signs of powder going bad. It can shoot fine when you reload it but at a later date it produces something that will stick the bullets to the neck of the case and that won't be good news. Throw it out.

Glenn

quote:

Originally posted by Sagebrush Burns:
Had exactly the same thing a couple of years ago with a can of IMR-4350. Called the factory, talked with a rep, they said dispose of it, it has deteriorated.

Hasn't anybody read this mans post????

If if he's just saying, why fool around--geeeeez

The dusty 4064 has been put back into the can and is as likely to be in the breech again as is Kurt Warner likely to take the snap. The IMR4831 looks fine. Smells right, too. I loaded up 5 each at 53.0 grains in R-P, Winchester and FC cases last night with 150-grain, flat-base, soft-point bullets. www.ammo-guide.com lists the maximum load for this bullet-powder combo at 59.0 grains in a compressed load. I went down 7.5% to 54.5 grains, but it filled the case too much for my liking. Dropped back to 53.0, and I like what I see before the bullet goes in and I like the sound of the powder shaking inside once the bullet is in. I'll ask my friend to shoot them and return the cases to me so I can look for any pressure signs. I'm thinking everything should be fine...

Without a Chrony and a fresh can of powder to proof your loads against, your test is kinda pointless. You may find the powder is safe to shoot but how effective is it?

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
Without a Chrony and a fresh can of powder to proof your loads against, your test is kinda pointless. You may find the powder is safe to shoot, but how effective is it?

As long as it makes a loud noise, supplies a bit of recoil and puffs out enough smoke for him to smell, my friend is happy as a pig in obama. He's a plinker, not a shooter. For him, "accuracy" is hitting the bottom door of an icebox at 50 yards. Really accurate is hitting the top door...

Are you serious about the fertilizer part?

I usually enjoy pouring it out on the alley and lighting the stuff.

I do know a guy nick named 'Poof'. Threw some in a wood stove and "Poof, no eyebrows" A direct quote of Poof.