Nobel #60

[pricedo]

Smokeless propellants if the storage conditions are right can have a shelf life of decades.
What matters is what condition YOUR particular can of Nobel #60 powder is in and if Nobel #60 had any undesirable characteristics that could damage you or your guns.
I have access to all kinds of modern smokeless gun powders at a relatively cheap cost so rather than take a chance on damage to me or my guns I tend to roto-till the older IFFY powders I find on the back of my shelves into the ground.
Some of the really old reloading components might have unknown, undesirable ingredients or properties.
For example older primers containing potassium perchlorate or mercury fulminate can weaken the brass in cartridge cases and etch barrels.
Our situations are very different and if smokeless powders were extremely scarce or unavailable where I lived I would probably use the Nobel #60 powder after doing due diligence and determining that it was in good condition and didn't have any undesirable properties.

[donhuff]

Mike,
Don't be giving me any ideas. dangit, now that's gonna be stuck in my head until I try it.

I found out about the ping pong thing through model rocketry. We cut them up into little pieces and put them in a jar with acetone for a couple of days. The balls melt into a thick snoty liquid. We then mix that with other chems to make a "dip" for making ignitors for our rocket motors. After that, we dip the ignitor into the PP ball/acetone solution and when it dries, it makes a strong flammable coating.

[Ranch Dog]

Mike,
Don't be giving me any ideas. dangit, now that's gonna be stuck in my head until I try it.

I found out about the ping pong thing through model rocketry. We cut them up into little pieces and put them in a jar with acetone for a couple of days. The balls melt into a thick snoty liquid. We then mix that with other chems to make a "dip" for making ignitors for our rocket motors. After that, we dip the ignitor into the PP ball/acetone solution and when it dries, it makes a strong flammable coating.

Haah! Who's giving who ideas! There has got to be a dozen uses for a project like this on my ranch!

[donhuff]

what ya mean RD, you want to make an igniter? If so, I have a better recipe than the ping pong ball stuff. That formula works, but the oxidizer tends to eat it up after a while, and make it not work. I can private mail you a couple of ways we do it that work and are fairly easy to get the supplies for.

[eljay]

about 6 years back i was given 2 cans of nobel 80, used it as a red dot equivalent in .357, 9mm, reduced loads in military cast loads, 12 bore and .410. old as the hills but still worked fine, wish someone else would give me a few more cans! regarding ping pong balls/nitro cellulose, back in the day on the indian north west frontier, when the british were trying to control munitions getting to unruly tribesmen, the afghans bought old film stock from india and cut it up and stuffed it in .303 cases, dont think thats in the lyman book LOL.

[Pb2au]

This thread strikes me an excellent lesson of perspective.
We here start to hyperventilate when we get below 10 pounds of our favorite powder.
Missionary is salvaging components from other cartridges and for the first time in almost three decades bought a can of "modern" powder.
So, I concluded that i am spoiled!

[akuser47]

Agreed, We Americans are spoiled and god willing will continue to be. I think of that every time I like at my stockpiles and guns.

[jdrslyr75]

My slide card that came with my dipper set purchased last year does not list any Nobel powders.

[jdrslyr75]

Makes me wonder if the newer Lee Dipper Sets have Nobel #60 still listed on the sliding scale ?
Mike in Peru

Mine doesn't. Purchased last year