By John Kleespies
During its manufacturing process, gunpowder is “glazed” (i.e., tumbled and coated) with graphite to reduce the likelihood of the grains rubbing against each other enough to create a static electric spark. Remember, we only want gunpowder to “spark off” at the times of our choosing; otherwise, it becomes an unintended detonation.
Glazing works well for this purpose, but it is not a 100% safety guarantee against sparking.
While I don’t have a precise “completion year” to attach to it, powder companies began to transition from metal to plastic containers somewhere around the 1970s. By the time I started reloading 20 years ago, I feel like plastic containers were the only type of container that could be found on the shelves.
One of the reasons for the transition to plastic containers came down to safety and static electricity: powder rubbing against plastic is less likely to generate a static charge than powder brushing against metal.
It is also worth noting that older gunpowder can deteriorate, generating heat and releasing caustic chemicals inside the sealed container. The older metal cans did not dissipate their heat as well as modern plastic containers. [Editor’s note: Rust on the inside of a metal can will contaminate powder and compromise its safe use.] Throw in an overly hot storage environment on top of some trapped heat generated by chemical deterioration, plus static that has formed between the powder and metal container walls… and storing powder in metal is no longer the most ideal option.
I can attest to one instance of a ConEx box going up in smoke at a shooting range during the hot-hot heat of summer, with the only explanation being some still-in-metal-cans powder that was stored inside.
My take-away from seeing that scorched ConEx box is that if I’m now gifted gunpowder in a metal container, I tread very lightly with it. At the minimum, I consider it a given that I’m holding powder that is multiple decades old – I have a one-pound Red Dot can with a price tag of $1.89, versus its current price of $50! Furthermore, that old of a powder has been stored in an unknown manner through the duration of its existence, so the chances of it having deteriorated to some extent is likely.
More often than not, I fertilize my lawn with the nitrogen-rich powder and stack the can into a pile for my future “vintage gunpowder can” display… donations for which are always happily accepted!
