Is powder still good after a year of no-use

[jmark]

Hey guy's i havent been able to reload in over a year and now i have time and wonder if the powder i used 13 months ago is still good enough to reuse-does it go bad. i have had the lids on tight on each can and inside i rubbermaid box with lid on in the barn..

[Tobias]

If it is sealed up good it should keep for years. I'm using powder at least 20 years old. Now, get back in there and do some serious reloading. Good luck.

[Rocky Raab]

A year? Sheeeeeyoot, man, I have cans of powder with $2.65 price tags on 'em. Still just fine.

Seriously, powder CAN go bad, but the culprit is usually poor storage conditions (or -rarely- just a bad lot). Spherical and double-base powders have almost no known maximum shelf life, they're the closest thing to forever in our sport.

Single-base extruded powders can go bad, but they give plenty of warning signs: red dust in the powder or an acrid acid-like smell different from the "ether" smell of new powder. If you have either of those, get rid of the stuff, pronto. If not, load away.

[keithcandler]

no worries with your powder, use it!

[jmark]

Thanks I Knew Yall Could Tell Me

[mistergreenjeans]

I Agree With Everybody But If It Was In A Damp Basement Or The Stuff Sticks Together Somewhat I Wouldent Use It

[gbp]

I posed this question on another forum because I had powder that was pushing 20 y.o. The overwelming response was that if it did not have a strong odor and if it did not have "red" specs in it it would more than likely be good. If any of the above they told me to use it as fertilizer in the flower beds

[Bruce Eakins]

that I bought in 1970.....and primers......and lots of bullets. I worked part-time in a sporting goods / gun store when I was working nights on the police department. I took all my pay in goods. Then when I left the job (s) in 1972 I really loaded up on supplies. I bought a few small rifle (7 1/2's) a few years ago...but I still probably have close to 15-20,000 asst. large rifle and pistol primers from back then. So far, not one snapped cap or misfire. I'll probably start crying when I have to stock up again....LOL

[Don-LongRangeSupply.com]

.......in the barn..

The only concern I can see is your location, Texas and the place it was stored, in the 'barn'.

I am guessing it gets pretty dang hot in the barn in west texas?

Anyway, if it doesn't smell bad or look bad, you are most likely good to go.

One suggestion though, I wouldn't recommend storing ammo or powder in hot locations now or in the future. I lived in Texas for several years and the heat there destroyed a bunch of my stuff in storage.

[Hawkeye]

As long as powder is stored in a dry and not hot enviroment , it will last a long long time.

[Rexavera]

Thanks for all the info, I plan on stocking up on powder and supplies, they keep going up and its good to know that it will last.

[Oleman]

In all of my years of reloading I've only had one powder go bad. It was IMR 4831 and was over 18 years old.

[jnyork]

If it passes the smell test, it's OK. First time you smell powder gone bad there will be no doubt in your mind. Very strong smell of acetone.

[jrose]

I agree with the smell test. If it smells ok you are good to go. Have used powder over 20 years old.

[GeorgeL]

My experience has been that powder that is good has the acetone smell while powder that has deteriorated will have a vinegar or acid smell. It will also have the tell-tale rust like specks around the container lid and in the powder. But, as the saying goes, YMMV.

[xring]

Many years ago I lived in an old 3 Story house . I kept powder upstairs where the rooms were often in the 80s and 90s during the day . Several containers of IMR 4350 and 4320 went bad . I switched to the Cellar which was cool and damp in the Summer and Cold in the Winter and never had a problem for many, many years.