HELP! Gunpowder: Accurate No. 7---Recall?

LeverBar · Post by **LeverBar** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:05 pm

Something seems to be not quite right.

My oldest son and I were preparing to load tonight for his Delta Elite 10mm Auto.

We had filled the powder thrower with Accurate No. 7. That can, we had purchased maybe a year ago, and our only sample of this type of powder.

Tonight, with the thrower half full (Okay, "half empty" too for you pessimists!'

') we we poured in an inch or so of Accurate 7 from a new can, purchased recently.

The two cans appear to have different powders in them.
The old powder=extremely small round grains with flakes. The round particles are so small it is difficult for my 1/2-century eyes to deem them round. The flakes are maybe five times larger than the round specks and show up as a significant portion of the mixture.
The sticker on the bottom of the can is numbered: 8.30.05 above 006/03.

The more recently purchased powder is nearly a consistent sample of round granules, at least 3 to 4 times larger than the older specks. No flakes are apparent, just grains with flat sides to them.
Sticker numbers: 262 above 8 02 07. No periods or slash mark on this sticker.

When we poured the newer powder into the thrower, one could easily see a difference between the two batches. The older appeared nearly black with two types of compact granules, while the newer was more of a dark grey with distinctive little balls. My son says they are really the same color, just that the more compact consistency of the older powder causes it to appear to be darker--or the looser consistency of the newer powder causes it to appear to be lighter.

We took a sample from each and lit them. Nothing distinguishable in the crude test to determine that they were different powders. Burn rate, sparks, color--but a very haphazard test.

When testing loads in his 10mm a couple weeks ago, he shot cartridges loaded at .2 increments from 9.2 to 9.8 with the older powder. He did not note much difference in the recoil between the differing loads. --185gr. cast bullet. Should he have been able to feel a definite difference between these loads? (We have no chronograph.)

By the time we discovered the difference in the powders' appearance, the local stores were closed. We plan on purchasing another can of No. 7 in the morning, and comparing it to the two we have.

What should No. 7 look like?

Do we have a powder here that is not No. 7?

Did Accurate change the consistency of No. 7 within the last few years?

Was there a recall we missed?

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:21 am

Can't help you, but have often destroyed a bunch of powder as I found it un-identifiable.

Edit: I would recommend contacting Accurate Powder to see if what you suspect is true.

LeverBar · Post by **LeverBar** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:23 am

Now why didn't I think of that? Duh! and Thanks for the wake-up.

I just finished sending them an email.

I would appreciate more responses to this problem. We need to learn as much as we can about this reloading business.

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:35 am

According to the Accurate website, it is a spherical powder.

http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/7.htm

Sounds like your first/old can may be the suspicious one.

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:56 pm

From what I understand gun powders are often blends. Not all companies actually manufacture their powders and as such different lots will vary. The attributes of any given powder will be consistent (bulk, burn rate, etc.) so they will meter the same and hold to the published loading data.

However, the actually product contents may differ (they may be from different factories, or even produced in different countries). Have you ever heard someone say, "You know, this "Type X Powder" doesn't burn as clean as it used to...." (or similar)? Maybe it truly doesn't; that may be why. Because of this, mixing powders from different lots isn't recommended. You will be creating a new 'blend' that may alter the characteristics of the propellent.

Mixed powders make great fertilizer... that double base nitrocellulose really perks up the flower beds.

Gene Dip · Post by **Gene Dip** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:23 am

Tex - I certainly wouldn't buy gunpowder for fertilizing the flowerbeds. A raid on the old outhouse would be a lot more economical. I've heard dumping unwanted powder in the lawn/garden is a good way to get rid of it. I once drove down the city street dumping it out of a car window before I heard of the fertilizer thing.

Modoc ED · Post by **Modoc ED** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:43 pm

I go by the old saying: "NEVER MIX POWDERS FROM DIFFERENT CONTAINERS" Even the same brand and type.

As an example, I was reloading some .444 Marlin ammo the other day using Hodgdon H322 powder. One container was just about empty and I managed to load six or seven rounds before it ran out with maybe about 20gr of powder in the container. I got a new, full bottle of H322 from my powder box to finish my reloading session. Before I opened the new bottle of H322, I emptied the old bottle of H322 outside on the ground and worked it in with my foot. I could have just dumped the old into the new but why take a chance.

Please let us know what Reliant says about the RL7.

LeverBar · Post by **LeverBar** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:37 pm

Whew! Those would be expensive flowers. But just imagine the sound of their blossoms bursting open!

We bought another pound or AA7. It is of the same consistency as the newer bottle. The only concern I have--it is from the same store, same shipment, same shelf, --you understand-- as the other "good" bottle. So, if the shipment to that store is a bad batch, we're still not in the clear. (The only pound left in town.)

We did load a few and fired them. The performance from the report and the recoil seems to be just fine.

I'm still waiting for Accurate's response to my query. Have to get past this holiday to hear from them.

As for disposing of unwanted powder, I have three sons who have grown up doing a great job of that. Before the Feds and the knee-jerk public became paranoid, we had many creative ways to enjoy burning all kinds of powder! All of them illegal/felonies now, I believe.

Texican · Post by **Texican** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:08 pm

LeverBar wrote:Whew! Those would be expensive flowers. But just imagine the sound of their blossoms bursting open!

We bought another pound or AA7. It is of the same consistency as the newer bottle. The only concern I have--it is from the same store, same shipment, same shelf, --you understand-- as the other "good" bottle. So, if the shipment to that store is a bad batch, we're still not in the clear.

Perhaps, I should have said 'inadvertantly mixed' powders. When I mistakenly dumped Clays from my measure into the bottle marked H110, I didn't try and salvage any of it.

As to the other: Neither is a bad batch. They can be from the same shelf and still be different lots. I bet your morning coffee came from different plantations as last year's but yet was mixed to match your expectation of its taste. Same thing.