Old can of 2400

[spacecoast]

I ran across this old can of 2400, nearly full. The powder smells OK and I plan to use it for some mid-level .357 mag and .44 mag loads. I haven't used 2400 before, but understand it's more flexible than H110 (adaptable to a greater range of powder levels). My guess is that this can dates from the 1960s.

 

[mnoirot64]

Yike's that is old!! What is the shelf life on powders such as 2400? I would certainly error towards the light side on your loads.

 

[WIL TERRY]

2400 propellent is NOT for mid-level 357MAG loads, nor in any other cartridge where it is appropriate to use for top end loads and pressures.

 

[steveno]

if that is rust on the metal I wouldn't use it as the storage of the powder is questionable

 

[NoSecondBest]

if that is rust on the metal I wouldn't use it as the storage of the powder is questionable

You are quite right. It hasn't been stored to be kept good. Powder will last many, many years if kept in a dry cool place. This wasn't dry. I wouldn't use it.

 

[g.willikers]

If that was the very last can of powder on Planet Earth, maybe.
Otherwise, it's not anywhere valuable enough to take the risk.
Splurge and buy some new powder.

 

[rlc323]

I would not be afraid to use it.



As fertilizer. Spread it on the lawn!

 

[G_P]

I have used some 60's vintage powders with no problems before. But the cans they were in had no rust on them and had been stored in a metal cabinet in a heated basement for the last several decades.

I did notice the powder seemed to be slightly weaker than new powder.

Rust on the outside of the can means it was at minimum very humid where it was stored or worse it actually got wet.

 

[spacecoast]

The top of the can is a bit rusty, but the bottom of the can and under the lid is like new. It smells as sweet as powder I bought last month.

 

[Gabe1519]

I was just reading about shelf life of powder in another forum. There was a powder manufacturer (can't remember the name right now) that said powder can last 80+ years if kept in the right conditions. If it is heated up and cooled down several times that degrades the powder. If it still has it's sheen is still dark in color and has an ammonia or acetone like smell it should still be good. Bad powder will have an acrid smell to it.

I was thinking of buying some powder in bulk like several 8 pounders to last throughout the year. I'm sure short term storage of 3 to 5 years should be ok I guess. I have never seen nor smelled bad powder before.

 

[oldpapps]

If it looks good and smells good, I'd use it.

Look - dust or black/dark gray rust on or in the regular powder. This is a sign of deterioration and the burn rate would be any ones guess.
Smell - acid or biting smell is not good.

Enjoy,

OSOK

 

[andyjr11]

I have used power a lot older than that and the can looked a lot worse. Try loading a couple and try it. Rust on the out side of a can neans nothing about what is on the inside, like said, power lasts a long time.

 

[44 AMP]

2400 propellent is NOT for mid-level 357MAG loads,

Starting level loads for 2400 are mid level load in .357. 2400 isn't good for bunny phart target wadcutters, and isn't the most efficient powder for mid level loads, but it works well enough, and gets better as you increase the load, until you get to full power.

It is much more tolerant of being loaded lighter than full power, than WW296 is.

The outside of an old powder can could be an indicator of the inside, but may not be. I've seen lots of old cans with some or even massive surface rust on the outside, the inside still pristine.

IF there is no sign or smell of degradation, load a couple rounds, with bottom end data (or slightly less) and test fire. Assume NO published data matches the burn rate of what you have, and work carefully, testing each increment until you get where you want, or start having pressure signs.

I won't say there is NO risk, and of course, the safest thing to do is dispose of it, but if you want to use it, based on what you said, I think it will work.

Might not work exactly the way you expect, so be careful.

 

[RC20]

If the can is clean inside and it looks good (not odd colors to it) and smells good I would use it.

Pictures finally came up and I see no issue and your description matches what you want.

I picked up a small crate of mixed powders a while back, some were cans and badly rusted, one was the newer cardboard type can that was partly rotted. Certainly they were in the same class exterior appearance of what you are showing.

All of them were stellar inside, powder looked fine and smelled fine. I have shot the two I kept and they did just fine

I am using 2400 dating back to the 70s and its just fine.

While I did at the time use it for hot loads, I am using for mid loads and it does just fine there as well.

 

[spacecoast]

Starting level loads for 2400 are mid level load in .357. 2400 isn't good for bunny phart target wadcutters, and isn't the most efficient powder for mid level loads, but it works well enough, and gets better as you increase the load, until you get to full power.

Yeah, the loads I found for 2400 in both .357 and .44 yield somewhat slower velocities than full power H110 loads, those are the kinds of uses I would have for this powder.

Interestingly, I also found loads for .223 Remington that use 2400 for reduced velocity loads.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I don't have any problems using powder that I know to be 30 years old, which I originally purchased, but I think I would draw the line at powder that is realistically pushing 60 years old at this point.

I'm not 100% sure, but I THINK that that type of can, with that type of lid, was in use from the early 1950s to the early 1960s.

No, I think that can migth be even a bit early than that... Post World War II until sometime in the 1950s because it has a paper label.

Sometime in the 1950s Hercules (and most other manufacturers) started getting away from paper labels in favor of printed metal cans.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Just found an old ad... by 1965 your kind of can had been abandoned for the lithographed metal can with a clamp top lid.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Your can is definitely from the 1950s.

 

[SL1]

Comparisons between 2400 and H-110/WW-296 using old and new data will get different results. That is because it was not possible (without resorting to compression, which was not recommended) to get enough H-110 into the .357 and .44 magnum cases to exceed their old CUP pressure limits, while it was possible to get enough 2400 into them to do that, and compressing 2400 was not taboo. When the pressure limit was lowered to 35,000 psi, it became possible to exceed the pressure limit with less than full cases of either powder. The result is that H-110 provides the higher performance at the lower pressures because it is a slower powder and can produce more gas with more powder than 2400 at the same pressure. But H-110 lost most of its flexibility when limited to the lower pressure, because it does not burn as stably as 2400 at even lower pressure levels.

This info is just provided so that you will understand what is going on if you try to grab old data to see what they thought of your old powder.

SL1

 

[spacecoast]

Your can is definitely from the 1950s.

Thanks Mike. I really hate to waste the powder, but the more intelligent decision might be to let this one go as my first experience with 2400, and I wouldn't want someone else to assume that risk either. I'll definitely be keeping the can though. Makes a great pencil holder if nothing else.