Irritating the wife is fun every once in a while
Frozen powder?
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LoneTraveler
Well-Known Member
During World War II they had trouble with 50 Cal. Machine Gun ammo not firing in aircraft at high cold altitude in the bombing of Europe. They put some additives in the primers to get them to perform a -40 - -50 below.
When I was in the US Army I went to a 50 cal. school. The instructor went into the problem they had with 50 cal. on aircraft. With the Air Force being a branch of the Army during WW II they made all 50 cal. with the special primer to eliminate logistic problems.
When I was working for Natural Resources an environmental chemist was eating lunch with us one day. He was talking about a strange chemical found in water used to kill 50 Cal. primers. I suggested he call DuPont or Olin- Mathieson and see if they knew of a living chemist who worked in the 50 cal. primer section, During WW II. Next week I talked to him. He said he called them, And was called back by a squeaky voiced older man. He named the exact chemical they was having show up in the primer kill water.
When I was in the US Army I went to a 50 cal. school. The instructor went into the problem they had with 50 cal. on aircraft. With the Air Force being a branch of the Army during WW II they made all 50 cal. with the special primer to eliminate logistic problems.
When I was working for Natural Resources an environmental chemist was eating lunch with us one day. He was talking about a strange chemical found in water used to kill 50 Cal. primers. I suggested he call DuPont or Olin- Mathieson and see if they knew of a living chemist who worked in the 50 cal. primer section, During WW II. Next week I talked to him. He said he called them, And was called back by a squeaky voiced older man. He named the exact chemical they was having show up in the primer kill water.
Montana'eer
Well-Known Member
One of the best bird hunts was in Glasgow MT. Started the morning setting out deeks -40F. By the time we were done and limited on ducks and geese it warmed to -32F. The birds sucked into the decoys like magnets.
Even had a porcupine walk into the spread from behind us, lol.
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Glad somebody got powder. Do they ship?
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WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
No. Asked them that before. Sorry
I have not seen that much powder on a store shelf in a long time. There is hope! Now tell me that is not your feet with the pink shoes. 
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Lol ! How could I take those pics if it was. She was a nice looking red head thoI have not seen that much powder on a store shelf in a long time. There is hope! Now tell me that is not your feet with the pink shoes.
I work there part time. That's the most we have gotten in awhile. Bout month ago we got some but not that much. They allow 2 of each kind so you can get a lot. It was going quick. I got some H110 and BLC2. Had enough of others. Saw the price got jacked up on Varget to $43.99 from $37.99. same with H4831SC. But regular H4831 still $37.99 . Don't get that.
Montana'eer
Well-Known Member
Lol ! How could I take those pics if it was. She was a nice looking red head tho
I work there part time. That's the most we have gotten in awhile. Bout month ago we got some but not that much. They allow 2 of each kind so you can get a lot. It was going quick. I got some H110 and BLC2. Had enough of others. Saw the price got jacked up on Varget to $43.99 from $37.99. same with H4831SC. But regular H4831 still $37.99 . Don't get that.
That's a pretty good shipment. Where in WY?
WYO300RUM
Well-Known Member
Cody
freddiej
Well-Known Member
I have lived in a few places that in hunting seasons it could get to like you (-20) or it could be +75. its the dramatic shifts that break down powder.. if it's frozen, warming it up slowly is a good thing. the same thing goes for your primers. More so for the primers. after only a few dramatic swings I have made new primers inert and will not fire. However they will burn..Temp up here in Ole NoDak is colder than -20 lately. Say one has a powder order coming and that order sits on the delivery truck in the cold in transit and than sits out side in the cold (-20) for a few hours. Could this have negative effects one ones powder? I am guessing you would want to warm the powder back up slowly as to not produce too much condensation? It would be worrisome seeing frost one ones powder container. Maybe it's nothing To worry about since I have had frozen loaded cartridges in the same weather go bang just fine?! Something to discuss anyway
the best thing you can do is insulate the powder from dramatic changes in temps. if you can limit the temp swing then that is even better. Powder and primers like a stable, slow to cool, slow to heat environment. I have some 1918 ammo (30-06) that still fires but is starting to show sparklies out the barrel and hang fires. I am going to stop using it for the fact it's now becoming a bit unstable and the brass is doing some really major splitting of the casing all over the place.
Just as a side note.. Somehow I can see this as a very interesting thread.. Do not, I repeat do not ever store ammo on our dashboard in the sun on hunting trips: EVER! I had a boss guilty of this. he would leave his ammo on his dashboard over the summer, over the winter, he bounced the ammo around, degraded the coating on the outside turning what was once H-4350 into something the equivalent to Bullseye. to say the least, that rifle catastrophically failed on an Elk hunt. Ron was/is okay. he was not truly harmed except a few small scratches and some splinters. the bolt was never found, the receiver was in multiple pieces and the scope kept him from loosing his life (we suspect). I also talked to a few of my fellow gunsmiths, this aslo goes for ranchers. they do the same thing with coyote gun ammo. I do not know this for a fact but more than one fellow gunsmith has told me this.
