Can You Identify This Powder?

Nick, it certainly has a similar appearance. My own sample of HS-6 is a bit courser but it is about 23 years old and that may just be the difference in lots.

http://s107.photobucket.com/user/hvap90/media/Shooting/Fed and HS-6.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

Extrapolating down below Hodgdon's recommended starting load and accounting for my longer barrel, it is not beyond reason that the velocities are that of HS-6 or something very similar. Probably not a great application for it either.

Found a review of a near identical 180 FMJ target loading from the same manufacturer which performed better in every respect. It used a flake powder though. Also a review of my very load from 5 years ago that performed very well. I believe that my ammo is newer manufacture.

I don't think my Chrony is at fault because I clocked some handloads immediately after the factory stuff and they were right on expectations and consistent. I think my lot of factory ammo was just poor. I will clock what is left of it to verify.
 
If I had a barrel of such powder, I think I could develop usable loads with it. If the amount were small, I would not do the necessary guessing and testing.

Looks like 6-6-6 fertilizer to me.
Click to expand...

Might contain about 12% Nitrogen depending on how much deterrent coating was on the NC/(maybe NG) propellant base.
No significant phosphorus, no potash except maybe a little from a flash retardant. Call it 12-0-0 fertilizer. If you have soil microbes that can break the NC and NG down into nitrates the plants can assimilate.
 
One of the first rules of using gunpowder is Never Never store powder in a container another than the container it comes in. Now why would that be a rule? Identification

Purchase a few manuals and read them cover to cover.

Or don't reload.
 
Can you identify this powder?

I'm going to go with ..

NO, and Neither should you!

Since you can't tell what it is, it has NOT been properly stored. And improper storage conditions are limited only by your imagination. It may be degraded, and while MOST of the time, degraded powder produces less pressure, it is not impossible for the breaking down of the chemicals to react in exactly the opposite fashion, which could produce dangerous pressures at what "ought to be" a safe starting load.

Any advice to use it, and "work up" a load is, in my opinion, irresponsible, at best. If you try, you are totally "off the map, and the warning "there be dragons here!" is to be taken seriously.

Powder of unverifiable pedigree has one use, and one use ONLY, fertilizer, if that...
 
If you have several tons of it and the facilities to do a complete analysis, you can probably use it for something. Otherwise, destroy it; your eyes and face are not replaceable parts.

Jim
 
The color is ambiguous. It is impossible to discern flake size. You didn't provide a hint, rifle, pistol,shotgun, or other origin, as far as we know this was sold at a garage sale in an unmarked bag, and it may not even be gunpowder..

If I identified it as a slow burning rifle powder and it was in reality a rapid burning pistol powder intended for small capacity cases, loading up your 30-06 with it might drive your bolt through your cheek at the speed of sound.

The only answers here should have been NO,and DON'T USE IT. Even swapping new bullets into the charged cases involves a risk, and personally, since it may even cause me to be responsible for your death, it ain't going to happen. even a small risk like that could leave me responsible for your death, because I advised you.
 
Yes, I would say that it IS a ball powder.

Ball powder is a manufacturing process, but it doesn't necessarily describe the shape of the finished powder grains.

Flattening the balls to one degree or another is a very effective means of controlling burning rate.
 
For the OP; no one is condemning you for asking, and the answers may seem to be "over cautious", but these fellers are being truthful with you; unless you, as a new reloader,have access to a lab to determine what the chemical composition is, just ferget using it for reloading. I've been reloading for prolly 35 years (off and on) and I certainly wouldn't use an unmarked, unidentified powder.

Cost of a pound of powder, $30.00 approx. Cost of a new gun, $400.00 to $1,200 (just my guns). Cost of fingers or eyes?...
 
Mike, I agree, I think that it's a rolled ball powder. FlAkes are irregular, it doesn't really look flat enough or thin enough, no s
Cut striations, no curling, it really doesn't look right for most of the flake powder I've seen.

Unrolled ball powder is pretty.
 
When in doubt

When in doubt, throw it out. Golden Rule

But you can still have some fun , like pour a long line of this unidentified powder and light it up.

Expensive Eh ? But cheaper than having a piece of a slide removed from your face :D
 
No he never retuned, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned, he may ride forever beneath streets of Boston - he is the man who never returned.
 
"No he never retuned, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned, he may ride forever beneath streets of Boston - he is the man who never returned."

Oh man... :rolleyes:

Hang do your head, RC20, hang down your head and cry!


:p
 
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