Black Powder Storage and Life

[OhioHunter]

What is the life of real black powder once the tin is opened and the best way to store it? At about what rate does it lose its potency? In the past, I used BP substitutes in an inline and every year disposed of any that was left over. This year I am hunting with a percussion ML and picked up a tin of Goex to try.

 

[Stumpkiller]

10 years or better if kept sealed and in a room temp, or at least stable temperature.

Somewhere I saw a test where they were shooting blackpowder over 100 years old.

 

[rabjr]

Real black powder will out store you! It'll last forever as long as its stored in a cool dry place. It's wonderful stuff. :thumbsup:

 

[necchi]

A long time like Swampy said,
I keep mine in an ammo box on the floor of a closet.
Inside and away from radical temp swings is best.
I avoid the garage here in Minn, where it'll be 105 in the summer and -40 in the winter.

Some say it'll last forever and go off no matter how it's stored,, Well I've run across some bad stuff that's been sitting out in someones shed for a decade or better,, sure it'll burn but not like it's sposta.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It's life is infinite. BP is not a compound, it is a chemical mixture and inert. Civil War dig up guns have been, and still are, found that are loaded and will fire. Even if it gets wet, once dried is still good. It does not lose potency. Keep in a dry location away from possible fire hazards.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have a can of GOEX that is 35 years old with really no special attention to it's care and it seems to shoot just fine. I don't want to shoot all of it and am trying keep some. :grin:

 

[Otter]

As the others have said, as long as you keep it as dry as possible, it will last longer than you or I will. I've had some get wet, dried it (open air, not in an oven!) and it shot just fine.

 

[majg1234]

about a month ago gave my grandson his 45 cal TC cherokee,I'd had it for him since he was 6 mos old.He is now 14 and loves everything related to shooting/hunting!!!!anyway we took it to the range using BP i'd used for a Hawken in the early 1970's it went bang and posted some pretty good groups.we then switched to some I bought about 6 mos ago for my S MTN flinter ...I could not tell any difference in the powders so yep under the right conditions it'll keep a long long time :grin:

 

[tg]

In the mid 1990's we used some from a horn that was used in the 1920's or a bit earlier by family members who homesteaded in the Costal Mts of Oregon in the late 1880's and it went of just like new powder from what I could tell without modern measuring equipment