What's fun to do with old powder?
I found about 1/2 a pound of really old Hercules Unique ($6.45 is written on it, how much is it now?)
I've heard that one should not load old powder in ammo and especially not unsealed containers that may or may not actually contain the original powder.
What kind of fun (and legal) fireworks can I make with it?
I've heard that one should not load old powder in ammo and especially not unsealed containers that may or may not actually contain the original powder.
What kind of fun (and legal) fireworks can I make with it?
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It is rare that old powder goes bad. I used my 1970's and 1980's Bullseye stuff up last year and it worked perfectly. I was carefull and did some test firing in a very strong gun first. Worked perfectly.
The powder traveled all over the US with me over the last 30 years. Florida, CA, back to Fl, back to CA and up to Oregon. Was in storage units, packed in boxes, stored in the garage, in the closet, etc.
Unsealed cans that I had duct taped tight and packed away carefully.
so don't discount it until you test it. Now sells for something less than $20 per lb.I think,0 -
If you have no reason to believe that it is contaminated just make some light loads and you should be able to shoot it fine. I like Unique for .44 mag loads myself. I keep about 50lbs or so of different powders in my reloading area. Obviously some of them are getting older, but I don't worry about it, as I make sure it's all properly stored. 0 -
I guess I forgot to mention, I don't reload, or at least I never have.
In this same closet there's also some .38 bullets, small pistol primers, a die set for 38 and a rock chucker. I have plenty of spent 38 cases; I suppose I could buy a powder measure and have at it.0 -
The way ammo prices keep rising, Henry, you should get into reloading! 0 -
you should send it to me so i can load my 20ga hulls with it....[:D]
ehhh....1/2lb, just do an old fashioned cowboy trail of it around some corner in your yard and fool someone into thinking the bridge is gonna blow or something. youll get a about a 6 ft flame from a pile 2" inch high!0 -
"fun (and legal)"...you cann't do both[}:)]... it makes good ferilizer 0 -
quote:Originally posted by MIKE WISKEY
"fun (and legal)"...you cann't do both[}:)]... it makes good ferilizer
Yeah, I thought those might be mutually exclusive.
I remember when I was young and dumb a buddy of mine thougth it would be a great idea to make a pipe bomb.
We made some black powder (sulfer, salt peter, & finely ground charcoal) put it in a 1.5" steel plumbing pipe about 10" long with a cap on each end, one cap had a hole in it. We ran fuse the full length inside and used just a little bit of Red Dot (swiped from his Dad) near the fuse end to ensure the black powder got going good.
Of all the stupid places to fire this off, we put it in an 18" culvert running under their driveway! It gave a very loud report but we didn't find an evidence of shrapnel.
It acted like a rocket - we found the pipe intact on the other side of the driveway. Had the device functioned as a bomb I think we would have been in a lot of trouble.0 -
You can always use it in your garden. 0
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