I've been given a very old tin of

[Sausagefingers]

I've just been given a very old tin of GM3 powder.
Must be 30 years old. It's a round canwith a kilo of unopened powder in it. Black with yellow writing. Seems to be made by SNIA BPD in Italy. The English writing says it's a single base smokless powder for shotgun cartridges.
It's got a bit of surface rust, but is unopened.
Does anyone have any information about it?
Ideally if I can out what it is I'd like open it and load some pigeon cartridges.
. I'll try and upload a photo.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c7bj182axt...97930.jpg?dl=0

[DedIdick]

Open it and use on your garden. At that age, it's possibly degraded and dangerous to use for its intended purpose.
On the other hand, if you like living on the edge and don't mind the possible consequences and need to save a few quid. Do your own thing & please video the outcome for the rest of us.

[duomatic410]

I have some from pre ww1. Schulz powder.
It still performs, perhaps not as it did, but then I wasn't around.
I, personally would use it, there are still loading data around for it.👍😊🇬🇧

[waterford103]

Sealed can should be ok , I'm still using powder that old and older with no problem . Problems arise when using double base powders when the nitro glycerine begins to migrate out , GM3 is single base and should be fine.

[amc577]

My chemo brain seems to recall a report about tins of powder being stored under water for years without any deterioration....

amc577

[acmsarh]

Not tins of powder Hercules/alliant have some very old original batches of powder stored in water , When they want to test some they dry it out for testing.

[tacfoley]

I know nothing about sealed nitro propellant, but I HAVE successfully shot black powder from a sealed container - dated May 1903. Not with the gun in my hand, mind, but at a safe distance and from behind a large John Deere tractor.

[andrew375]

I've used many kilos of snia gm3, mostly in. 45 acp and then in rifles with cast bullets. There is data available but mostly in Italian, its an Italian powder. IT IS NOT THE SAME AS VECTAN GM3!

Loads for. 45 acp were on a par with bullseye. It meters well and is very clean burning.

As others said, if the can is still sealed it should be ok.

[enfield2band]

I'm quite amazed that for the sake of about £30 you are willing to risk blowing up your gun or blowing your hand off.

I was given a tub of Unique. I am 99% sure it is alright but I don't know for certain that it has been stored right. I will burn it off and quite happily buy a new tub that I am certain there is no risk with.

What you are born with is supposed to last you a lifetime. Eyes, ears, head, hands etc. Why risk changing that for the sake of a few quid?

[andrew375]

I second that. My post was really just to give you an idea of what it is. In reality you don't know where it's been, how it's been stored or if it's been contaminated. There may be a good reason why it didn't get used. Best thing is to spread it over the garden, an expensive fertiliser but better the risk of life changing injuries or death.