Dampened Powder

[blackthorn]

I acquired several pounds of powder, residual from an estate. There are 3 old cardboard “cans” of BL-C, one of which has been subjected to water and the bottom 2+ inches of powder is loosely stuck together. The resulting “cake” easily crumbles to what appears to be its original form. Is it likely to be OK to use as if it had not been dampened?​

 

[JonB]

Most smokeless powders have a coating, I don't know about BL-C ?
But, if it has a coating, I imagine that coating could become compromised/inconsistent if wetness, then caking, then crumbling happens.
You could do a test burn comparison on the driveway to see if the burn looks consistent, But it really ain't worth the time, cuz even if it seemed OK, it'd be too big a risk to load any ammo with it.
That's my 2¢

 

[fiver]

if you had like 20 lbs. of the caked stuff maybe,,, but 1/2-3/4lb?
no.
i'd work with the good stuff, mix it all together and treat it as it is,,, [it's own burn speed] work my loads and run it out.

IIRC there was the BL-C and then later the BL-C2 which was treated in one way and then another.
BL-C i think had a fairly high calcium burn coating on it, calcium is highly water soluble.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Lawn fertilizer.

Why chance things?

 

[Petrol & Powder]

There comes a point where you can be too frugal. What are you really saving if you expend time and primers to get hang fires, duds, and inconsistent results? At that point, you are no longer saving money, you are wasting it.

Throw it out.

 

[blackthorn]

Yeah I was likely going to throw it out to be safe, but I thought I would run it past you all to see what others would do. Thanks to all who replied.

 

[Rockydoc]

Accuracy depends on consistency. I can’t imagine that powder could be consistent after what it has been through. So it isn’t likely to be accurate. A waste of scarce resources, primers.

 

[Jeff H]

There comes a point where you can be too frugal. What are you really saving if you expend time and primers to get hang fires, duds, and inconsistent results? At that point, you are no longer saving money, you are wasting it.

Throw it out.

Or get a (jacketed) bullet stuck in a bore.

I'd hate to waste the primers too. If I had an 8# jug, and it was all I had, with no prospects for ever getting any more at any price, AND I was subsistence-hunting to feed my family while fighting off invaders, THEN I'd be brainstorming.

Otherwise, it would go into the flower beds.

 

[Snakeoil]

Just touch a match to it. It will dry it out in a jiffy.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

II know the feeling:I once ''fertilized''my lawn with an 8 pounder;dollar investment thrown away but still got my fingers and eyes intact.Maybe it wouldn't have translated as an accident but why gamble on it.Money you can always make;fingers or eye are hardly repaired or replaced.

 

[RicinYakima]

 

[glassparman]

I read somewhere that the last thing they do to Nitrocellulose is rinse it. This may be a modern day process and I may be off all together.

I think the problem comes in when it is allowed to stay wet and also be in contact with other materials.

Either way, if it were me, I would dispose of it.

Just my 1.5¢

 

[RBHarter]

The flakes stick together the ball and stick can swell flake and fall apart ..... It's the same for almost everything that is layered or extruded from a water soluble paste .

We tend to use the no rust or dust shoot it method but we have VV powders now that have at least a couple in several lots that have a reputation of dying on the shelf and in the case . That's probably why Tin Star went away .

 

[fiver]

that and you could put about 19 charges of it a 38 case.