# How long does it take for black powder to go bad/old



## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I have a near full powder flask of powder that is around 10yrs old. its still loose, but I don't know if its weakened. It still lights to a match, but I don't know if that pertains anything to potency or not.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

till it gets wet 

a museum found a keg of civil war powder that was nearly 150 years old they were alarmed that it had been in the museum for many years , the board was called together they thought maybe they should get the bomb squad in or call the army munitions specialist and one of the women on the board said let me make a phone call i have a black powder specialist who can help. she called he husband he said why don't you all leave the building and i will take care of it. he went into the exhibit picked up the keg of powder strapped it to his hand truck and rolled it out to his truck , tied it down in the back of his pick up , at home home he filled all his empty cans and called all his re-enector and muzzle loading buddies to bring their empty cans it took them some time to use it up , there may even be a can left today 



i have a can of Goex 3f that was my uncles probably from the late 1970s he died in 1991 it sat on a shelf in grandpas basement till 2010 it still works


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I saw some guys on TV empty a Civil War artillary shell that had been underwater since the ship went down during fighting, and it went *BOOM*


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

yeah, it might go boom, But ya got to wonder if it still has the umph in the boom,


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

the last casualty of the civil war was a national guardsman that used an old cannon ball as a surround for a camp fire, 1969 if i remember correctly


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

the 30 year old stuff had enough oomph to get the ball to the target at point of aim 

worst case you use a few more grains if it fails to get to you normal POI for your POA

most of the loads we shoot are well below max , 70-90 gr is usually plenty under a ball or conical in a 45 or 50


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> the *last casualty* of the civil war was a national guardsman that used an* old cannon ball* as a surround for a camp fire, *1969* if i remember correctly


Nope, a local guy in the mid 70's tried to DRILL a hole in one.
I was about a 1/4 mile away and heard it


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Nope, a local guy in the mid 70's tried to DRILL a hole in one.
> I was about a 1/4 mile away and heard it


was he a yank?


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Nope, a local guy in the mid 70's tried to DRILL a hole in one.
> I was about a 1/4 mile away and heard it


Definitely a hold my beer moment.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

ace admirer said:


> was he a yank?


not much of one if he was in eastern north Carolina drilling holes in cannon balls in the 70s 

even if he was what would it matter , i am fairly sure there were only loosers and no winners in that war


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

does not matter, i just want to know.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

I've got a Civil War cannon ball sitting on my safe that has been in the family for years. My stepson who is a Marine EOD gets nervous every time he thinks about it.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

ace admirer said:


> was he a yank?


I didn't know him personally.
He had a small "antique" shop *in town* and it blew out all the windows in the front, but luckily he was the only casualty.

I was working on the roof of a house, and heard it, but didn't know what it was. Then I heard all the sirens, and about 45 minutes later a helicopter flew in with an EOD unit from Camp Lejuene to see what else he might have in the store

I knew it was something *serious* when the military helo landed


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

ace admirer said:


> the last casualty of the civil war was a national guardsman that used an old cannon ball as a surround for a camp fire, 1969 if i remember correctly





Bearfootfarm said:


> Nope, a local guy in the mid 70's tried to DRILL a hole in one.
> I was about a 1/4 mile away and heard it


* * * * * * * ' * * ** * ' * * *
there likely will be more in the future. 

Such is the 'nature' of war & unintended casualties.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/05/02/virginia-man-killed-in-civil-war-cannonball-blast/


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

What made artillery shells so deadly was that they were hollow , and when they fuse timed the detonation , and that may only be a second or so from firming but it was already a few hundred yards out , depending on how long the fuse a skilled artillery could get them to air bust over the enemy line , it would be like a really big grenade going off 40 feet in the air and traveling 1200 feet per second , spraying chucks of it over a large area. 

shrapnel everywhere some were even loaded with other projectiles , think Boston bombing devastation with every shot , and a minute between reloads , a hole line of artillery on each side , there is a reason it remains the most American casualties ever suffered in a war

don't know how they cast them i would figure sand cast , conical ones with a hollow nose ones would be ease to cast then add a separate nose cone, and from a rifles barrel would fly straighter and farther , but i am not up on my 19th century casting techniques 
rifled cannons and conical artillery shells were being used by the end of the war but i don't know that they were the norm.


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

All the black powder for the Battle Ships was made before korean war. And was tested by Hercules (original Manufacturer) to have lost less than .1 % of power and deemed useable when Battle Ships were returned to active service. And it was stored in bags.


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

I know the black powder I use for my hunting muzzleloader will stay good for years provided I keep it tightly sealed and in a dry location.


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

nosqrls said:


> All the black powder for the Battle Ships was made before korean war. And was tested by Hercules (original Manufacturer) to have lost less than .1 % of power and deemed useable when Battle Ships were returned to active service. And it was stored in bags.


I did not know black power was used on wwII battle ships for some reason i thought it was nitrocellite in WWI, then cordite,


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

Nope it was Black powder the bags where f,ff.fff.ffff to get different ranges with same amount of powder(6 bags mix and match to get what you need). It amazed me when we were told to test it. That is why after firing they blow the barrel out with air to clear any embers.


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## K-9 (Jul 27, 2007)

black powder is a mixture of ingredients, charcoal, sulfur and salt peter, they are not chemically bonded they are just mixed as opposed to a chemical compound like todays powders and black powder substitutes. Therefore as long as the powder is dry it will not lose its power over time as no true degredation of components occurs due to the breakdowns of the chemical bonds.


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