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Author
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Topic: Reloading blunder
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furhvstr
Knows what it's all about
Member # 1389
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posted September 21, 2009 06:51 AM
Sooooo,
Here is a pic of the brass in the cabinet after 5 days with all the powder removed:
And here is a pic of the two tubs I seperated the powder into and added a few pieces of virgin brass and left closed for the same amount of time.
Here is the can that I am assuming has caused the problem. No, the powder has never been on a trip to the moon or a nuclear test site or any other scenario. It is simply just another can of powder sitting on a shelf next to a bunch of other powders for many years like most of us all have at home somewhere. When I opened it a very fine dust or "smoke" rose up and out and the entire contents had rust throughout. I could not detect any strange odors but that does'nt mean that there weren't any as I have a very cold nose.
I have returned all the IMR powders excluding this one to the tub with another virgin brass to make sure the problem has been removed. Will let you know.
Take Care, ML.
[ September 21, 2009, 07:05 AM: Message edited by: furhvstr ]
Posts: 144 | From: California | Registered: Apr 2007
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted September 21, 2009 07:41 AM
I don't know squat about reloading or powders but I do know a bit about 'cans'. Single Use Seamless Aluminum Beverage Containers or as they're commonly called; 'Beer Cans'. Beer & Soda cans have a thin layer of laquer on the inside to prevent the product from reacting with the metal that the can is made from. I'm guessing that powder cans also have this inside coating. The manufacturing process, while very good, does on occasion allow a defect in the form of a void to slip thru. What you MAY have is a can that has inside metal exposure, that your powder has reacted to.
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 7591 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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sparkyibewlocal440
Knows what it's all about
Member # 397
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posted September 21, 2009 10:51 AM
Wow, that shit looks Fucked up!
Posts: 170 | From: So. Cal | Registered: Sep 2004
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furhvstr
Knows what it's all about
Member # 1389
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posted October 13, 2009 09:27 PM
Sooo, not wanting to throw away 300 rds of fully prepped and primed .223 brass. Being too lazy to de-cap and hand polish the oxidation off of them and having more faith in the sturdiness of modern primers than some people I decided to put them back in the tumbler to get the roughness off and load up twenty rds to check for missfires and such.
All went well at the range. All twenty went down range with no problems and I nearly shot the best group of my life with a sporting rifle. A fully custom rig this .223 is one of the better shooting guns in my safe but even I was a little surprised when the first four went in the same hole. As could be expected I sent the fifth out and fouled it up.
Here is a pic of the group and the ugly rounds that I wil be shooting this year.
Take care, ML
Posts: 144 | From: California | Registered: Apr 2007
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furhvstr
Knows what it's all about
Member # 1389
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posted October 14, 2009 02:38 PM
So a phone call to Hodgdon resulted in the following answers to the thread related Q's. I will try to relay them to the best of my ability/memory.
The powder is now in plastic primarily as a result of the purchase of Dupont by Hodgden in 2003. It was far easier for them to simply use what their factories already had in place. Other minor reasons were, cost, cans rusting in storage BEFORE having powder in them, screen printing the cans and such. IT HAD ABSOLUTLY NOTHING to do with ANY reactions from the powder being in steel. Steel has been used for many many years.
Now, as for the BAD powder. Yes, it was and had in fact gone BAD. ALL powder goes BAD at some point wether it be ten or sixty years and can at some point actually self ignite. Ball powders being the most stable.
At this point the guy got to using some big words and was talking pretty fast but the jist of it was as follows: Making smokeless powder requires nitrating the cellulose with sulfuric and nitric acids. These are then rinsed away but because they cannot be rinsed away completely buffers are added. Over time the buffers begin to wear out and the powder begins to oxidize. As it oxidizes it develops a dust (rust) on each individual kernel and developes an odor. An odor which smells like ammonia. These nitric acid vapors become increasingly stronger and will oxidize and rust anything around it and can potentially self ignite. (This could possibly explain an old timers garage nearly burning down years ago here in town when a five lb can of old military powder seamingly self ignited.)
ML
[ October 14, 2009, 02:41 PM: Message edited by: furhvstr ]
Posts: 144 | From: California | Registered: Apr 2007
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sparkyibewlocal440
Knows what it's all about
Member # 397
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posted October 19, 2009 06:51 PM
Thanks for the follow up.
Posts: 170 | From: So. Cal | Registered: Sep 2004
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Dave Allen
Hi, I'm SUPER DAVE, IN CHARGE OF Q STUFF (and Goat Leader) "I'm really not trying to be a dick".
Member # 3102
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posted October 25, 2009 06:16 PM
I've been following this thread and found it interesting..Well I got ambitious this afternoon and resized/prepped/primed 50 cases today,here's what I do..
I wrap them in a towel and place them in a tupperware type container until I get around to powder charging the cases..
I store them in the garage sometimes for several months and haven't had a problem so far..
[ October 25, 2009, 06:28 PM: Message edited by: Dave Allen ]
Posts: 1986 | From: Jordan Valley Oregon | Registered: Aug 2008
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