Cleaning up the garage of my late father in law, not temperature controlled, but we're in Idaho, so not a ton of humidity. Have 3+lbs of black powder, I know 20+ years old, at least one is a factory sealed can. Use for goofing off shooting, and back to my normal pyrodex for hunting season, or is it best used as fertilizer? I don't know how stable black powder is.
Old Powder
- Thread starter choc dogs
- Start date
MThuntr
Well-known member
dump it...better safe than sorry
WyoDoug
Well-known member
Black powder is a mixture of sulfur, carbon, and potassium nitrate. The last is potentially explosive and unstable. Soak it in water which will absorb the potassium nitrate and render it nonexplosive. This is also used in fertilizer so you would be OK disposing in the garden. They recommend the same with old primers, soaking them in oil or water to render them safe.
Addicting
Well-known member
Go find a stump and some cannon fuse and stand back. Enjoy the show.
Man, I like the way you think. Desert or Mountains?
Addicting
Well-known member
Where ever your not gonna hurt someone and preferably private property. We used to blow them all the time when I had my explosives license. It never got old, always got a smile out of it.
Also far enough away from neighbors windows. They get pretty mad.
Also far enough away from neighbors windows. They get pretty mad.
Muley_Stalker
Well-known member
Black powder never goes bad. Shoot it.
bullbugle307
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2018
- Messages
- 934
I remember when we were young, like maybe 10, my best friends dad had some old powder he didn't want to shoot. He told us to go out in the alley and burn it up. So we channeled our cartoon knowledge and made a long skinny trail down the alley the length of their garage with a big pile at the end. My buddy lit that sucker with a match, burned most of an eye brow off immediately, and holy hell did that powder burn fast, and there was there a lot of smoke! My buddies dad stepped away from his metal lathe, looked to the sky, and totally deadpan said, "Well boys, I think it's time to go inside."
We shut the garage door, hopped on our bikes, and followed that cloud of smoke nearly a mile before we hit a major road we didn't dare cross.
But yeah, I wouldn't recommend that.
We shut the garage door, hopped on our bikes, and followed that cloud of smoke nearly a mile before we hit a major road we didn't dare cross.
But yeah, I wouldn't recommend that.
Buckskins&BlackPowder
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2020
- Messages
- 45
if its real black powder and has been stored correctly, use it! I have gearhart owen black powder from 1974 and it shoots amazing and extremely consistent. Real black powder will last almost a lifetime if stored properly. Your pyrodex? A couple years at best.
first try at 50 yards with my flintlock
first try at 50 yards with my flintlock
Just drive down to California if you take this advice.
SWNMELK
Member
Like Muley_Stalker said '' shoot it up'' I wouldn't waste it.
Addicting
Well-known member
Then your bordering on a Improvised explosive device as it’s portable. Pretty sure that would be a federal offense. A stump on private land however is fair game.
Addicting
Well-known member
Not sure what this is supposed to mean?
Poor attempt at humor I guess?
Foggy Mountain
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2021
- Messages
- 231
Black powder becomes unstable and thus surely does go bad in a sense. Imo shooting it wouldn’t be the worse thing ever but the op needs to be aware of the issues
SSGOldfart
Member
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2023
- Messages
- 48
maybe back off your load a little and use it on the range,then go back to your normal load for hunting.
Factory sealed can should be good as new just smell it it shouldn't smell bad, if it does play it safe and make fertilizer out of it. Black powder keeps for many many years I have some that is 40 plus years old and still works great.
What?
elkfanatic
Well-known member
I use old black powder for splitting large logs into manageable size. Plunge cut into the center of the log, pack about 3/4 cup of powder into the cut ,stick a 18" cannon fuse in and pack the top of the cut with clay, light, and take cover. Once you have it split cut to length and finish splitting on the log splitter. I've split 45" diameter by 10' logs this way. Make sure you have adequate cover and also helps if the wife ain't home.
