What Does "bad" Powder Smell Like??? - The Firearms Forum

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polishshooter

A while ago somebody posted here how to tell what old powder that went bad smelled like...but I can't remember... I just opened my can of 4064 I bought about 5 years ago, but never got around to using, it was still sealed, and smelled it...kind of "chemically," not unpleasant.... But then I decided to open the about 1/4 full can of 3031 I inherited from my wifes Grandpa when he died in like 1982, no telling WHEN he bought it, I THINK the faded price tag on the top from some store I never heard of says $6.95....

ANYWAY, I figured this HAD to be bad, even though a few of my loads in the manual call for 3031, I wouldn't mind trying it... And it smells EXACTLY THE SAME as my "newer" 4064??????? Now are they BOTH bad, or both GOOD???? :eek:

Is it usable do you think? #1 · Jul 7, 2007 A while ago somebody posted here how to tell what old powder that went bad smelled like...but I can't remember... I just opened my can of 4064 I bought about 5 years ago, but never got around to using, it was still sealed, and smelled it...kind of "chemically," not unpleasant.... But then I decided to open the about 1/4 full can of 3031 I inherited from my wifes Grandpa when he died in like 1982, no telling WHEN he bought it, I THINK the faded price tag on the top from some store I never heard of says $6.95....

Is it usable do you think? See less See more Sort by Oldest first Oldest first Newest first Most reactions #2 · Jul 7, 2007 Polish I've always heard that it smelled like rotten eggs upon going "bad". Crpdeth #3 · Jul 7, 2007

Crpdeth said: Polish I've always heard that it smelled like rotten eggs upon going "bad". Click to expand...

Sounds right to me,, we used some real old Black Power in shooting muzzle loaders and the real stinky stuff just would not fire.. #4 · Jul 7, 2007 Well my first rifle reloading session just came to an abrupt halt... :mad:

I think I just might try that old 3031 for the heckuvit after I get this reloading down with the good stuff. I mean it's OLD, but the can isn't rusty or anything, it WAS tightly sealed, and stored in either his basement, my old basement, both dry and cool, or my utility room since the 80s....he probably bought it in the late 70s at the earliest, he swore by 3031 and loaded probably less than 30 or 40 rounds a year towards the end, just for his Krag deer gun mainly so this was probably just the last can he bought of the stuff.... And I routinely shoot ammo for my Steyrs that were LOADED In 1938 and haven't had an issue with ANY of them, although I have had some hang fired with 1940s .303.... #5 · Jul 8, 2007 Polish: I've heard various stories on the smell of bad powder. Here is a distillation of the many answers I've received over the years... -smells like a pair of tennis shoes worn without socks for a year and never washed -smells like Hai Karate after shave -smells like chitlin's being cooked -smells like a backed up septic tank -smells like rotting fish -smells like a convalescent home -smells like really bad B.O. -smells like the interior of a Port-O-Let -smells like someone's breath after a combination of onions, garlic, and Gorganzola cheese have been consumed -smells like someone forgot to flush If it resembles one of these, I think its advisable to discard immediately and break out the Glade! #6 · Jul 8, 2007 If it has a "chemical" smell, like a solvent. It's OK. I have a can of Norma powder that was my Dads. The price tag reads $3.65. I would guess that powder is at least 40 years old and I would not hesitate to use it. Also, some powder that is stored in metal cans may sometimes have a slight red dust. That is a lite rust dust off the inside of the can. The powder is still good if it smells like solvent. #7 · Jul 27, 2007 Bad powder will smell like vinegar. Good powder will smell like acetone. I have several cans of powder from the late 60's that I still use occasionally. The rotten egg smell from black powder is due to the fact that black powder contains sulpher; thus the rotten egg smell. IPT #8 · Jul 28, 2007 I got a can of 296 from an old friend that was in a tin bottle, with a pricetag of 6.95, it smelled fine and i used it in several full power .44 mag loads with no problems... #9 · Jul 28, 2007 I tossed a partial can of 2400 a couple of years ago that smelled REALY bad. Some other cans of that same lot that had been properly sealed were/are just fine. They were purchased in 1962. The cartridges loaded with that batch chronoed the same as those loaded with one year old 2400. Pops #10 · Jul 28, 2007 The best word I've heard to describe bad powder is "acrid". I've never seen IMR powder go bad. I've used IMR powder that looked rusty & still performed well that was very old. The chemical smell that goes along with healthy powder is ether. It's used to help evaporate the water out of the nitrocelulose slurry. If you leave the cap off the powder can for a while the ether evaporates & that smell goes away but the powder is still good. #11 · Jul 28, 2007 Polish it smells like someone pi$$ed on the campfire #12 · Jul 28, 2007 I read a few years ago that the then manufacurer of Bullsey still had a large canister of Bullseye from the turn of the century (around 1900 I think). They would on occasion load some up to compare it to their current lot. They used it as a measure of their current production process! I think powder can be good for a long time! I personally have never had any go bad over my current continuous reloading period of over 20 years. LDBennett Insert Quotes Post Reply

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