Would you buy an open container of gunpowder from someone you didn't know ?

[joepistol]

On a local firearm forum I was reading in a thread about how someone said they'd never buy an open ( unsealed) container of gunpowder.
Their rationale / reasoning was the fear that the container held something other than what the label said, or that the container may have a mix of powders, or
old contaminated powder , all resulting in powder unsafe to use. This struck me as paranoia.. an unrealistic fear.. but upon consideration,it does have some merit.
There does exist the possibility of any or all of the previously mentioned fears to be true.

I'll admit, I've been given a number of partially used containers of gun powders.. by guys I've met @ my club, & friends.
I've used these powders w/o incident.

The new-to-me powders were tested in this manner: I took ammo I'd loaded with the same powder & loaded a few rds, with the "new-to -me" powder ,
and shot them for a comparison to see it the recoil, accuracy is the same. If it's a powder I haven't used before, I use load data for a bullet wt / powder wt
to load a certain velocity. i. e. Load a 158 gr bullet to 850 fps using both a known powder & the new powder, then shoot both and see how they compare

I've also purchased previously opened containers of powders..also used them w/o incident. Maybe I've been blessed / "lucky"

I should add I do a visual inspection of "new-to-me"powders, so see if it is similar in appearance ( to powder I already own)
also looking for foreign material in the powder..can't say I've found any.

As powder gets more expensive & recognizing that someone may buy a powder, try it, & decided they don't like it..maybe try to sell it.

I'm curious if others have do the same, or if others avoid purchasing open / partially used containers of powder ?

 

[Mike A1]

I'm curious if others have do the same, or if others avoid purchasing open / partially used containers of powder ?

NO! All my powders are sealed that I sell so the buyer knows for sure. The one part of our hobby that can kill or maim us, is the Gun powder.
Handloading is Safe if you know the numbers & players. The wrong powder can cause a catastrophe accident. Nope not gonna buy open powder!

 

[dennishoddy]

I bought a pound of RL-19 at a gun show once that upon getting home, found it was not sealed. Going to the shop to compare a known powder that has been sealed with the one bought at the show, one could easily see it was not the same. Poured it out into the garden as fertilizer. Now, I don't leave the store without checking.

 

[HooDoo Man]

Nope!

 

[Babboonbobo]

I bought a pound of RL-19 at a gun show once that upon getting home, found it was not sealed. Going to the shop to compare a known powder that has been sealed with the one bought at the show, one could easily see it was not the same. Poured it out into the garden as fertilizer. Now, I don't leave the store without checking.

I could have come up with so many other fun things to do with an unknown powder other than use it as fertilizer

 

[Mike Galway]

I'm having trouble believing this is even in question.

 

[Mike A1]

I'm having trouble believing this is even in question.

The last LB of powder I bought was $8.00.
It's hard for me to imagine buying powder any more
yet today with the price for New powder, some may take a chance.

Too dangerous a game for me to play.

 

[dennishoddy]

I could have come up with so many other fun things to do with an unknown powder other than use it as fertilizerView attachment 35234

I can too, but all of my ideas would be illegal.

 

[Babboonbobo]

I can too, but all of my ideas would be illegal.

Not so much where I live

 

[HooDoo Man]

It ALL depends on who you are. And what narrative they spin on it.

 

[dennishoddy]

Not so much where I live

Pretty open in my state as well, but I have lots of stories. Most end up with "this is why I'm no longer allowed there"

 

[Babboonbobo]

Plus why not use open powder, you take your chances either way!!
This was a round in a factory fresh box of 45-70 at the range the other day and…
What it's supposed to be

 

[Mike A1]

Plus why not use open powder, you take your chances either way!!
This was a round in a factory fresh box of 45-70 at the range the other day and…
What it's supposed to be

Woke ammo makers. What next?

 

[joepistol]

as stated in the 1st post, On a local firearm forum in a For Sale forum, under the Reloading Tools section, it's fairly common to see
someone wanting to sell gun powder (s) It's stated ( in some posts) the powder is in a new, sealed container. In other posts, this claim isn't made.
Often an ad will say, I have a sealed 1 # container and another .5# (same powder) for sale. Usually a reason the powder is for sale is not given.. except,
when reported " I'm not reloading anymore." I was a little surprised that most here say they wouldn't use an opened container of powder.

As I admitted, I've purchased, & been given powders in the past, tried them / used them w/o incident.
I do exercise caution, i.e. load with a starting charge weight, when trying a used powder, in addition to other precautions I've mentioned earlier.
I'm at a point that I now have a sufficient quantity of powders that can be used in the calibers I shoot, though I may not have specific powders I'd like to have
( i.e. several of the Shooter's World line of powders) or specific powders for specific calibers, I can settle for a powder " that'll work " in that caliber.
As I watch powder, as well as other components increase in price, I'll not be surprised to see others give up on reloading.
Sad to see, & I hope I'm wrong.