DuPont IMR 4320, IMR 4350, IMR4227

[villagelightsmith]

What I do/did
I had two 2 pd. cans of IMR 4350 rust through top. Powder red and stunk. Torched it off.

If the cans rust through, or it changes color and a Djinn pops out, go ahead and sprinkle it on your burn pile. But be careful ... the last time I burned a trash pile I had mistakenly tossed 1000 primers and the title to my wife's truck in the wrong box. Things were hot and a'poppin' that afternoon! Off topic, but just barely. (Before you torch it though, you might ask the Djinn if you really get 3 wishes. Keep us posted.)

 

[FreeNHim]

So how old would you think Lot 25 would be? That one is 2/3 full.

 

[villagelightsmith]

One place the rumor could have started was the idea that the old nitro-cellulose powders could leach their nitroglycerine to the surface of the grains and it would flash off the surface when fired. 'Least that's what my daddy told me, and he should'a known 'cause he drove tanks in WWI.
He had some old Remington 3" Nitro Express shells that had been in hot attics since the '40's ... maybe the '30's for all I know. Ennyhoot, them attics were plenty hot, so bad storage was our own danm fault. All I know is whenever I was trying to defoliate geese awa-hay up there, them shells would sure reach. They would also yank my spine out from under my noggin and give me a roaring headache after a few shots. That's been a while, natcherly, and you oughta know better than to believe anything from an old fisherman. But I will tell ya' there 'ain't no headache like a Nitro headache! Them of you who are old enough to remember buying dynamite and Giant Powder from down at the feed store will attest to it.

 

[WYO300RUM]

If the cans rust through, or it changes color and a Djinn pops out, go ahead and sprinkle it on your burn pile. But be careful ... the last time I burned a trash pile I had mistakenly tossed 1000 primers and the title to my wife's truck in the wrong box. Things were hot and a'poppin' that afternoon! Off topic, but just barely. (Before you torch it though, you might ask the Djinn if you really get 3 wishes. Keep us posted.)

Lol. I had a can I dumped powder in for at least a year when I was a youngin. Started reloading when I was 18 about 47 years ago. I had forget I had dumped some black powder in it.... I had it on a hill about face level. Waiting for slow burn as usual. I lit it and POOF !!! Big flash. I saw it and turned my face to left. It burned right side of face, eyebrow, eye lash and hair on right side. I came in the house and my dad looked at me and said what did you do now dumb *** ? I had a double barrel shotgun blow up in my face when I was about 20. Left barrel next to face. It was my grandfather's A.H Fox that my dad had. That's a whole nother story. Never shot anybody's reloads after that.

 

[WYO300RUM]

View attachment 436320
So how old would you think Lot 25 would be? That one is 2/3 full.

60 years at least

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

A number of years back I had a whole keg of Imr 5010 go bad. It started to rust in the plastic bottle. My pops had around 12# of the same powder go bad within months of mine. It seems they didn't have enough stabilizer in it or something... All I know is bad powder is expensive fertilizer...

 

[smokey3]

View attachment 436320
So how old would you think Lot 25 would be? That one is 2/3 full.

It's definitely pre-late seventies because the cans that I have from that era are of a later manufacturing than what you have and look entirely different.

 

[memtb]

View attachment 436320
So how old would you think Lot 25 would be? That one is 2/3 full.

Old enough to receive Social Security! That data is derived from the use of my SWAG system! memtb

 

[FreeNHim]

No doubt, I'm in my 60's and I can remember some of the older cans as a kid. Here's another.

 

[Roy39A]

Here ya go

Billy Fred's had a friend that worked there. Hadn't thought of this place in a long time. Nice gun shop back in the day.

 

[ARlife4me]

Billy Fred's had a friend that worked there. Hadn't thought of this place in a long time. Nice gun shop back in the day.

Same location, but different owner. The owner (I think he is) worked there for a long time before it became Riverfield's. I think that's the new name?

 

[Roy39A]

The last time I was there it was Riverfield's. That's been several years ago.

 

[RiverShooter]

So what's the best use for the 4320? It's obsolete now, but I guess used to be utilized in 270 Win or 30-06. I have my Dad's guns. He told me his Model 70 Super Grade( 1948) would !all be in a dime @ 100 yds. I never saw him do it BTW. But he was a much better shot than I.

I use it in a 30-06 with 125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. I don't have much left.

 

[Raudy707]

My great uncle left me 8 lbs. From the 70s. I was using it in my 22-250, 243 and 308. Pretty nice powder. Skinny sticks but makes some decent velocity. Temp sensitive so be careful on hot days. No max loads. I couldn't find Varget so I was using it for the 130 ttsx in the 308. Shot excellent! Like 3031 it's not used very often anymore but in the powder crisis we've been it's become a decent horse to have in the barn. Check for oxidation or reddish color. If it smells good and looks good, shoot it!