I have this old powder ... any collector value?

[DLS]

Hey folks,

I have a handful of sealed 8-oz tins of Red Dot and a caddy of Herco. It's been stored well and I've been using a bit of the Red Dot and it's shooting just fine.

I was wondering if sealed canisters such as this have any collectors value? I've done a bit of searching and have not found anything about powder collection on the Internet, so perhaps there is no interest? Any input would be welcomed! Thanks.

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[Xaevian]

No value. Please dispose of it in a backyard firepit. Just kidding...no idea.

 

[Stomper]

This sounds like a question for Bob Villa!

 

[DLS]

No value. Please dispose of it in a backyard firepit. Just kidding...no idea.

That reminds me of a story …………. ummm …………….. never mind!

 

[DizzyJ]

I'm sure there is collector value in the sealed cans. Just not sure what that value would be, or where you'd find a collector for them.

 

[RVTECH]

Simple answer is no.
What you have is not particularly 'old' - per se'
Kind of like ammo & boxes - unless it is really 'key' vintage ammo (like 1800s .45 Colt blackpowder loads, .44 Henry rimfire) and better if in the original boxes, sealed and good condition really minimal value.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I had some cans of TopMark in little cans like that a long time ago. It was a long discontinued powder even then. I loved it, mainly used it for 9mm and .38

 

[Caveman Jim]

I've got a couple of stumps I need to dispose of....
Plus I love old powder cans...

 

[Velzey]

I collect old powder tins and all sorts of ammo boxes. I made a neat little display box for some of them. I usually paid $3-$10 for the tins.
I bought several still full and sealed of Bullseye for $8 ea.

I don't have a big Hurco can like yours tho, that's pretty neat. They sell for $10-$20

 

[ron]

It makes great fertilizer for the garden. I know a guy that collects old powder cans like that.
@CV-66 You also know him from Clark.

 

[DLS]

I know about the collector value on the containers themselves, they are worth a few bucks here and there. I was wondering if sealed full cans would fetch any sort of premium. It seems like not … so I'll keep tapping into them and use up the powder.

 

[gmerkt]

Collecting powder for its own sake would be a kinda weird thing. It's a consumable item that wants to be used up. Properly stored, it would last a long time but not forever. Eventually it would just be unusable powder in minorly collectible cans. "Properly stored" is an operative phrase in that someone who collects things often likes to display them. Stored/displayed in the open, exposed to sunlight and temperature fluctuations, powder saved as a "collectible" might find itself subject to more rapid degradation.

During the time that it was still viable as a propellant, powder thought to be collectible would be just as much of a potential safety liability as actively used powder. It's difficult to see an upside to this and probably why most of us have never heard of such collecting. But no doubt, there is someone, somewhere who's done it.

That's a big, old can of Herco, which is primarily a shotgun powder. Under normal circumstances it would take quite some little while to use up. In times gone by, Herco was listed for many heavy revolver loads, like magnums. You don't see many such recommendations these days. Too many better powders have come along in the intervening 30 or more years. But it still has uses.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Some arsenal has some of the Bullseye used in the original.45acp loads. . they test it annually and it still works perfectly.

 

[DizzyJ]

Collecting powder for its own sake would be a kinda weird thing. It's a consumable item that wants to be used up. Properly stored, it would last a long time but not forever. Eventually it would just be unusable powder in minorly collectible cans. "Properly stored" is an operative phrase in that someone who collects things often likes to display them. Stored/displayed in the open, exposed to sunlight and temperature fluctuations, powder saved as a "collectible" might find itself subject to more rapid degradation.

During the time that it was still viable as a propellant, powder thought to be collectible would be just as much of a potential safety liability as actively used powder. It's difficult to see an upside to this and probably why most of us have never heard of such collecting. But no doubt, there is someone, somewhere who's done it.

That's a big, old can of Herco, which is primarily a shotgun powder. Under normal circumstances it would take quite some little while to use up. In times gone by, Herco was listed for many heavy revolver loads, like magnums. You don't see many such recommendations these days. Too many better powders have come along in the intervening 30 or more years. But it still has uses.

I used Herco once or twice back in the day for handgun loads.

 

[WillametteWill]

I collect powder tins for decoration around the reloading bench. Old ammo boxes too (mostly shotgun target loads but other stuff as well). Most of the tins have been given to me but I have purchased some at antique stores. Never paid more than maybe $8 (for a really old and cool one) but most are a few dollars.

Many of the free ones have had powder, some nearly full of 40+ year old black stuff. Since there is not vetting of its lineage, not likely to use any other than in the garden (and the fire pit as noted above). Love Velzey's collection above and you have some nice tins as well.

 

[DLS]

...That's a big, old can of Herco, which is primarily a shotgun powder. Under normal circumstances it would take quite some little while to use up. In times gone by, Herco was listed for many heavy revolver loads, like magnums. You don't see many such recommendations these days. Too many better powders have come along in the intervening 30 or more years. But it still has uses.

I had to laugh the other day, I was going through a thread on "thehighroad" and someone asked about Herco. The response was "if you want any info on this powder ask a reloader that's over 85 years of age"!
.
I have Herco loads for .45ACP as well as my magnums. It's a good medium to heavy bullet powder in many handgun cartridges, but you do have to do a bit of digging to find the old published data. As you say, there are many better (or at least newer) powders out there that the manufactures want to push, hence little published data in the last decade or so.

Anyway ... if it's good when I crack the can I'll shoot it up, why waste it even if it is old. If it's bad I always have shrubs that need fertilizer!

Speaking of age … how's this for a price?

 

[gmerkt]

"if you want any info on this powder ask a reloader that's over 85 years of age"!

Well, I don't quite qualify on that count but with any luck and the help of doctors I'll get there.

One of the former uses for Herco was heavy .38 Special loads with cast bullets. Back in the days when all .38 special factory ammo had lead bullets. Except for a few special purpose loads for LE.

The dearth of info re. Herco loads is a classic example of why I tell people to never throw reference load data away. You just never know when some old or weird powder is gonna come your way. I have all kinds of obsolete books and manufacturer's pamphlets from down through the years including Phil Sharpe's 1937 magnum opus. Once in a great while, I have to refer back to one or the other of these old pubs. It hasn't been all that long ago that someone gave me a one gallon paint can each of Alcan AL-5 and AL-8. Made by Bofors in Sweden, used to be sold here. I actually came up with loads using AL-8 for 10mm Auto; burning rate is right next door to 800-X which some 10mm shooters have favored.

What you got there is only four pounds. Years ago, my cousin gave me a 20 pound cardboard drum of Herco. I figured I'd never use it so I divided it up and sold it off. Lately, I kind of regret not having any in the 20 or so different pistol powders I have. I'd kinda like to try it out in 10mm Auto; I think it might have some utility there.

Hard to say just how old it is. They haven't used those metal canisters for some time. But I believe they used them into the early 1970's. I had another cardboard 20 pound drum of Unique dated 1974. I'm down to my last pound or so of that. It still shoots well. But I've done chrono tests of identical loads using some of the 1974 old unique and some more recently made and the old was about 10% lower in velocity. Hence I figure it had about 10% energy, as a guess. However, some years ago, Alliant (new maker, not Hercules) said they had reformulated Unique to be less smoky. So this could figure into the difference in velocity for all I know.

I think powder does dry out some over time, even properly stored and loses a bit of energy. I also had some 30 year old H-4198 that was performed at a little less velocity than newer stuff.

 

[DLS]

I agree! I have loading data back to the late '50s and it does come in very handy. Herco is a great example. Once ATI became the umbrella owner of both Speer and Alliant the powers to be decided to quit highlighting lead bullets in hopes to drive more sales to the Speer jacketed offerings. That, and there is a cost to generating and then overtime reverifying load data. So older offerings like Herco were left to languish data wise.

How did the Alcan powders work for you? One of the first I ever loaded with was a pound of an Alcan powder, I don't remember which and I wasn't good with my load notes back then. It worked okay in my .45ACP but then a guy gave me an 8-pound caddy of Green Dot and I loaded that in .45ACP for a long time and then never tried another Alcan powder. BTW Herco should work very well in 10mm.

While we are discussing old powder should we chat about the 8-pound jug of PB I just got as part of a package attached to a used Dillon 550C that I recently purchased? The timing was great, as I just two months ago used the last of an old PB stash that I've had for years. I like PB in light .45 loads and the .38 Special loads I use for ICORE. I'm thinking of trying .38 Shorts (to speed reloads) and it should work there as well.

I agree with the degradation over time issue as well. It's slight but there in my experience. Over decades it creates variateion like you would see in lot to lot differences in more recently minted powder. It's all part of what makes this reloading stuff fun!

 

[Member 5605]

As display pieces along with a period era rifle in a shadowbox: Yes

I have a few tins waiting to be emptied so I can put some old 3031 containers in with G'pas rifle.