Powder Deteriorated… scary!!

[simgre]

In over 30 years of loading, I have never had this happen!!!

I keep my powder in a kitchen cupboard, above my loading bench, in a heated and insulated integrated garage to the house. Temperature is fairly constant and it’s dark most of the time!

Went in there yesterday, opened the cupboard and noticed on the inside of the door was a yellow stained, bubbly mark and some yellow streaks running down the door. The bubbly mark was positioned exactly where a bottle of N140 was. I could see that the cap of the bottle had gone translucent almost and a thick sticky liquid running down the shoulder. Other bottles next to it showed yellow staining as did the front edge of the shelves

The bottle was cool to the touch and, with hindsight wrongly, I unscrewed the cap…

An orange cloud of fumes like a genie from a lamp!!! Very strong “****y” smell…

Well, straight outside and tipped onto the garden. Orange plume as I did!!

Checked all of the other powder and all seemed in order. Never had this before.

A 2012 manufactured Vhit N140… anyone shed any light on what may have happened?

 

[Laurie]

A 2012 manufactured Vhit N140… anyone shed any light on what may have happened?

HANDLOADING BENCH POWDER LIFE BY LAURIE HOLLAND

 

[Smellydog]

I keep mine in the house for a more stable environment.

 

[Stalker62]

I keep mine in the house for a more stable environment.

For the very best stable environment, I keep my powders in here...

 

[Smellydog]

For the very best stable environment, I keep my powers in here...


View attachment 341442

Aye, keep your powder in there too old friend

 

[Stalker62]

Aye, keep your powder in there too old friend

 

[Liveonce]

N140 is a single base powder, so should keep for a very long time if manufactured and stored appropriately.
Possibly worth getting the lot or batch number from the tub and contacting vihtavuori about it.

https://www.vihtavuori.com/resources/contact-form/

 

[Klenchblaize]

Best I dispose of my 15 tubs of Varget ASAP!

K

 

[bluesako]

 

[Foxyboy43]

I keep mine in the house for a more stable environment.

Slight deviation - so do I (some goes back to 2004) but I always wondered whether the House Insurance covers such a thing?
Mind you if the Fire Brigade turned up and one told them there were “ahem, just a few” bullets in the house, would they go in at all?

 

[finbar]

Varget powdered unicorn horn

 

[Andy RV]

Have you somehow contaminated the propellant, (oil in a powder thrower?) and then returned the propellant to the bottle?

 

[finnbear270]

11 EOD RLC

 

[Dariusz24]

or simpy bottle cap not seal any more somehow,temperature difference in few days time let moisture in ,probably some other kichen vapours.
plastic its plastic shrink,expands and again

 

[shakey jake]

Slight deviation - so do I (some goes back to 2004) but I always wondered whether the House Insurance covers such a thing?
Mind you if the Fire Brigade turned up and one told them there were “ahem, just a few” bullets in the house, would they go in at all?

bullets shouldnt worry them just bits of metal

 

[Smellydog]

Personally, I'm more concerned about natural gas explosions in houses than any powder used in firearms, including black powder.

 

[MAH]

House Insurance covers such a thing?

They are probably more concerned about parking a Tesla in the garage.
Certainly a full tank of petrol, would make more of a mess than a fes tubs of N140.
M