20 year old powder/primers

[ReeferMac]

Scored the pictured items from a guy I work with who used to reload 20 years ago.

 

 

Mainly after the 357/38 special dies (2 sets!), but 2 presses, case trimmer, assorted lead projectiles, etc... I thought it was a steal for what I paid.

 

My concern is the powder and primers. They're said to be 20+ years old. Stored outside in a garage in a cardboard box, not temp controlled. About 2/3rds of the bottle in there, shakes up fine, no funny smell. Safe to use, or save for next 4th of July?

The metal on the tools is showing rust, the RCBS press is rather tight... I'm imagining some quality time with a little gasoline, WD40, and some 000 Steel wool? Maybe get a few brass wire brushes?

 

- K

 

[Grunt67]

Powder, primers in a garage outside, no temp control, bottle been opened. I'd toss it. JMHO.

Like you said, the tools could be fixed with a lot of elbow grease.

[Darrell]

I got some very old primers and powder from a neighbor last spring. I took a random sample of the primers and loaded them into empty cases, then ran that through a handgun. I found that the small pistol primers were fine, the magnum primers were not. 

The powder is usually okay if it's dry, doesn't smell funky, and isn't clumped up. If you have the same powder in a newer bottle you can visually compare them.  Powder tends to be fine so long as the container is tightly sealed, at least that's been my experience with some old powders. Unique is fast powder, but I think you'll be okay if you load some minimum 38 SPL loads and shoot them through your 357. That powder isn't as old as some I've used successfully, as evidenced by the plastic bottle.

Score on the dippers, projectiles and dies! I love those Lee dippers.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Darrell

[superduty]

For what it's worth, I use old transmission fluid as a lubricant and protectant on my press. Works great.

[deerslayer]

I have been shooting primers lately that were stored in a non-temp controlled storage building for ten years and they are fine.  I wouldn't use them for home defense or dangerous game hunting, but I bet both are ok.  Try a few and see.  

[leroy]

I wouldn’t worry about the primers… It’s hard ta hurt them.  As others have said, check the powder for clumps or an acrid smell.  If the powder looks like it should ( ..light graphite..), is loose, and smells a bit like acetone it should be good. 
 

leroy….

[Sunfish]

Soak those old presses in a 5 gallon bucket after taking off the grips or push out the pin and take the whole arm off. I mix up ATF with acetone and get some fine bronze wool and some rubber gloves and go at it. 

[RED333]

Old powder and primers, make up a bee and snake load, no bang no loss.

[ReeferMac]

2 hours ago, RED333 said:

Old powder and primers, make up a bee and snake load, no bang no loss.

LMAO...

Picturing walking around my property with a big 686 hunting wood bee's.

[RED333]

3 hours ago, ReeferMac said:

LMAO...

Picturing walking around my property with a big 686 hunting wood bee's.

I walk around with a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44Mag with a 7 inch barrel, or a 45 Colt revolver with a 6 inch barrel.

[DeepSouth]

Dad bought 3 coke flats of ammo and reloads from an estate sale years ago, 38spl and 9mm. All the cases were green and some of the corrosion had grown together. It had been stored under a house for years. He sat the trays on the top shelf of a closet for over a year before doing anything with them. 1st was to tumble them in walnut media with dryer sheets for 6 hours. Some needed a 2nd tumbling. At the range we found the rounds were weak, but no squibs and most of the cases cracked. He pulled the bullets from the bad looking cases, most broke in half leaving part of the case on the bullet. He tried running them through a sizing die to remove the case. Nope, he loaded some with brass jackets that shot fine.

[Omega]

Soak the clean steel parts in Evapo-Rust, it will clean them up in no time, may take 24 hour soak, but check often or the steel will darken a bit, which IMO is no problem.  The painted parts may clean up too, but if there is the slightest rust under the paint it will dissolve and paint will come off with it.  As to the old primers and powders, they should be fine, give the powder a smell test, as mentioned above.  I have 30+ year old powder and primers that still work as advertised, though they were stored, about half that time in uncontrolled temps in the shed. 

[mike_f]

I still have a few 100 30-year-old primers, and powder that is about as old in metal cans, that I'm using up for informal target shooting.  About 20 of those years in a garage.  Everything looks (and smells) like it did when I bought it.

Didn't realize they've been putting powder in plastic bottles for 20 years. 

[Dirtshooter]

If the powder looks and smells fine, load it up and shoot it. In all my years of reloading I have thrown out about a 1/4 pound of 800-X that wasn't all that old, but it smelled like vinegar and got tossed.

[derf]

A guy That uses gasoline to clean shouldn't worry about a little powder or primers. Just test a random sampling. I have also tumbled loaded AMMO before, but please be careful. Some powders have a coating that retards powder burn. Tumbling those will brake down this coating and make the powder burn faster than it was meant to. It sure makes em purdy though.