Powder Storage ( IMR 4166)

[NTHIGPEN]

Earlier today I ran across a Facebook post of a badly corroded lid on some IMR 4166. I went to my reloading room and opened a tote that I keep random powder in to find mine was way worse. Has anyone on here had this problem? I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the powder or something I did wrong storing it?

 

[BHP9]

More than likely the humidity was too high.

 

[JPB3]

If I'm not mistaken I think I've seen some threads about 4166 self igniting.. I'd for sure get that out of the house.

 

[CJ6]

There was a thread on here a year or two ago about 4166 going bad.

 

[NTHIGPEN]

I put it outside. I’m hoping that the stuff with plastic lids is ok. Only two of the cans are 4166, and only one of them had ever been opened. The others that look terrible are old cans of h335 and h1000 that had metal lids. Im not sure that I’ll ever use anything that is in the box.

 

[shamrock12]

I saw that same post today as well. Yours definitely looks even worse

 

[Fire Dog]

I put it outside. I’m hoping that the stuff with plastic lids is ok. Only two of the cans are 4166, and only one of them had ever been opened. The others that look terrible are old cans of h335 and h1000 that had metal lids. Im not sure that I’ll ever use anything that is in the box.

It would seem a common thread when it comes to old powder…
I had some H4831 that was from the 60’s which was really WWII surplus powder and it ate up the cans that it had been stored in and turned orange/red with a terrible smell…
Garden/lawn fertiliser now…
Storage is critical and cool & dry are essential and yet there just seems to be a “shelf life” for powder or at least some sorts… My bad experience with Win748 which is a double base powder appeared to indicate the the nitroglycerin in it had become very unstable and produced extreme pressure with a moderate load in a .308… Gas back into the action and the primer just falling out of the case upon extraction…!!
I also know someone the destroyed a .243 using old W748…
Old primers stored in a sealed environment with desiccate to absorb any moisture are still functioning after more than 40 years… I just use them for non competion loads as I cannot be sure that the ignition is as good as it was when fresh but they still go bang and no misfires or hang fires.

 

[Steve Donlon]

It's more than likely the humidity. I have almost 11# 4451. One unopened 8# jug and 3 1# bottles and they are good. I had a #8 jug of 4166 and gave it away last year to a friend that had a better use for it and he still uses it. The 4451 I have, I use for 130gr. bullets in my 6.5 Creedmoor and it shoots better than any other power I have tried. 41.7 grs. But this is at 7000 ft. in N.AZ

 

[SeabeeKen]

It would seem a common thread when it comes to old powder…
I had some H4831 that was from the 60’s which was really WWII surplus powder and it ate up the cans that it had been stored in and turned orange/red with a terrible smell…
Garden/lawn fertiliser now…
Storage is critical and cool & dry are essential and yet there just seems to be a “shelf life” for powder or at least some sorts… My bad experience with Win748 which is a double base powder appeared to indicate the the nitroglycerin in it had become very unstable and produced extreme pressure with a moderate load in a .308… Gas back into the action and the primer just falling out of the case upon extraction…!!
I also know someone the destroyed a .243 using old W748…
Old primers stored in a sealed environment with desiccate to absorb any moisture are still functioning after more than 40 years… I just use them for non competion loads as I cannot be sure that the ignition is as good as it was when fresh but they still go bang and no misfires or hang fires.

I had some imr4320 turn rusty colored, stink and coroded the can. Dumped it. The 4166 and 4451 i had was fine when i gave it to my son. I also had some h414 that may have gone unstable. It gave eratic pressures in a 243 ladder test with safe loads. Got rid of it too
Interesting thing, even though all my powder is tightly capped, i can still smell powder when the cabinet is opened.

 

[NTHIGPEN]

I have some 4451 that is fine, but it also has a plastic cap. I have H335,H4895,H4831SC etc that is all stored in the same location but different box that is fine. It’s all stored in my house, I don’t have a humidity meter but the thermostat is on 68 year around.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

The original thread was a member here that had the 4166 cause a flash fire in his pickup bed at work. I checked my tote after that and found mine very similar to yours. You need to send your pictures to Hodgdon, there was something wrong with the 4166, my 4451 has been fine.
Please send me a direct message and I will tell you how I dealt with it, sometimes this phone won’t let me start a DM.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

That’s interesting that you had your 4166 stored in a controlled climate and it still happened, I had the thought that a higher summer temperature caused mine. I would highly recommend to everyone to dispose of the IMR Enduron 4166 if they still have some.

 

[ELR LVR]

Earlier today I ran across a Facebook post of a badly corroded lid on some IMR 4166. I went to my reloading room and opened a tote that I keep random powder in to find mine was way worse. Has anyone on here had this problem? I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the powder or something I did wrong storing it?

Don't store your powder in the garage or where it can get humid
Does it get humid where you had it?
I would put some dessicants in the box, once you close the lid you've trapped moisture and no circulation

 

[Webster]

Earlier today I ran across a Facebook post of a badly corroded lid on some IMR 4166. I went to my reloading room and opened a tote that I keep random powder in to find mine was way worse. Has anyone on here had this problem? I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the powder or something I did wrong storing it?

You have 28 cans of different powders you are not using. Why would you want to keep some of it longer? You should put the date of purchase on each can. Get rid of all of them except small number that look good. If they are more than 5 years old I would toss them. You never should have bought them in the first place.

 

[charlie b]

It is interesting how some goes bad and some does not. I had some old Blue Dot that had been stored in uncontrolled garages for over 30 years out here in NM. The old cardboard container. Didn't have any problems and it worked just like the new stuff.

OTOH, I've had other powder that was much 'younger' and stored in climate controlled house and it went bad.

Just so you know it isn't just us gun folks...father-in-law was in submarines and one of his jobs was to inspect Polaris missiles (yeah, a long time ago). His team was asked by a chief why this yellow stuff kept getting all over his nice, clean boat. He took a sample to the missile folks and they freaked out. Seems it was unstable rocket fuel. Missiles weren't that old at the time either. Kind of a panic at the time.

 

[Fire Dog]

It is interesting how some goes bad and some does not. I had some old Blue Dot that had been stored in uncontrolled garages for over 30 years out here in NM. The old cardboard container. Didn't have any problems and it worked just like the new stuff.

OTOH, I've had other powder that was much 'younger' and stored in climate controlled house and it went bad.

Just so you know it isn't just us gun folks...father-in-law was in submarines and one of his jobs was to inspect Polaris missiles (yeah, a long time ago). His team was asked by a chief why this yellow stuff kept getting all over his nice, clean boat. He took a sample to the missile folks and they freaked out. Seems it was unstable rocket fuel. Missiles weren't that old at the time either. Kind of a panic at the time.

How was his health the rest of his days?
What little I know about rocket fuel is that for the most part it is toxic…
Thinking of all those that came back from VN after being dosed with copious amounts of Agent Orange… {:~/

 

[Oldbloke]

You need to shoot more.

Or

Buy less.

 

[WyleWD]

Earlier today I ran across a Facebook post of a badly corroded lid on some IMR 4166. I went to my reloading room and opened a tote that I keep random powder in to find mine was way worse. Has anyone on here had this problem? I’m not sure if it’s a problem with the powder or something I did wrong storing it?

Each to their own..... but I'd dump everything in that tote out (ASAP) and not even try to use it. JMHO. WD

 

[Fuj]

I still have two lbs of the original lots of 4166 and never opened. When
I read a problem about it a couple of years ago, I did segregate it. The plan
is to open one and use it for fire forming......Someone told me that if it has
a vinegar scent to it, sprinkle it on the lawn. Me.....I'll mix a little sugar with
it and light it off in a chuck hole.

 

[charlie b]

How was his health the rest of his days?
What little I know about rocket fuel is that for the most part it is toxic…
Thinking of all those that came back from VN after being dosed with copious amounts of Agent Orange… {:~/

He died of Leukemia, likely related to his work in nuke weapon safety. He taught crews and then inspected weapons on boats/ships as well as signing off on new weapon designs.