Your TMA Officers and Board of Directors
Support the TMA! ~ Traditional Muzzleloaders ~ The TMA is here for YOU!
*** JOIN in on the TMA 2024 POSTAL MATCH *** it's FREE for ALL !

For TMA related products, please check out the new TMA Store !

The Flintlock Paper

*** Folk Firearms Collective Videos ***



Author Topic: Freezing BP?  (Read 862 times)

Offline Sjfriend

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 45
  • TMA: TMA Member #791
Freezing BP?
« on: March 19, 2017, 12:02:24 AM »
I did a little checking around but didn't find real info. How does BP handle repeated freeze / thaw cycles? I've seen info stating it can freeze fine but what about over and over. If I store in house, no problem. If I store in shed (locked away from kids and wood stove heat) it could experience a whole lot of freeze / thaw cycles in just a few weeks let alone in a year or 5 (if buying for future)

Offline One Shot

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 126
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2017, 02:19:08 AM »
As long as it is sealed in the original containers it should be alright. I have had some go through deep freezes and thaws during transportation without any issues. Powder mags I know are not heated. BP is not heated during transportation either.
Semper Fi
The Few The Proud

Offline Ironhand

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 231
  • TMA Member: Supporting Member # 664, Expiration 5/4/2019
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2017, 08:10:00 AM »
Mine is stored in an outbuilding. No problem in 20 years. Each can is sealed in a ziplock bag before I put it in the magazine.

Ironhand
Place your clothes and your weapons where you can find them in the dark.

   Lazarus Long

Offline Lonewolfe20

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 386
  • TMA Member: Member # 757 Expires 7/25/2020, Member & State Representative.
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2017, 12:17:47 PM »
Mine handles South Dakota winter's just fine freezing and thawing
I have had a couple cans of some old pyrodex get kinda rusty but that's about it
I'm pretty sure that was caused by the humidity and moisture in the summer months though
NRA Member
State Representative for South Dakota, contact me for more SD info
TMA #757

Offline Sjfriend

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 45
  • TMA: TMA Member #791
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2017, 01:07:16 PM »
Thanks for the responses. From what I had seen and read I kinda figured it should be ok. Some years we can go thru the freeze/thaw cycle like 50 times in a month with our wild temp swings.

Offline Ohio Joe

  • TMA BoD
  • ****
  • Posts: 7660
  • TMA Founder / Charter Member# 8
  • TMA Member: Founder
  • Location: Nebraska
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2017, 01:52:50 PM »
I store mine both in and outside. Never have had a problem with it.

When I lived in Ohio (a very long time ago) it was normally the humidity that sometimes played a little havoc with me when sometimes I would get some chunks in my powder horn or can, but some shaking of either one brought it right back to a usable condition and I don't believe it effected my accuracy,,, least I don't recall it doing that.

Since living in the northwest part of Nebraska for the last 30 years (give or take a year), I've not had this problem regardless of where I store my black powder as our humidity here, is nothing like Ohio's humidity. We have it, but not to the same long extended seasonal periods.
Chadron Fur Trade Days Rendezvous / "Ol' Candle Snuffer"
"Museum of the Fur Trade" Chadron, Nebraska

Offline Hanshi

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 936
    • http://www.martialartsusa.com
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2017, 05:06:58 PM »
Mine is stored in coolers, and since it doesn't get very humid or cold in the little basement room; It is just fine.  I still have a can of Dupont nearly 50 years old that's been stored just sitting on shelves, etc, for decades and it's as good as ever.
Young guys should hang out with old guys; old guys know stuff.

Offline Winter Hawk

  • TMA Contributing Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2430
  • Location: Chauncey, OH
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2017, 04:20:49 PM »
When I was in the Fairbanks, Alaska area, poor as the proverbial church mouse and trying to stay warm at -40d in a 1953 vintage, 28' trailer, EVERYTHING froze.  :laffing But Hanshi has me beat with 50 year old powder....

~WH~
NMLRA Life
"All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse and a good wife." - D. Boone
USN June 1962-Nov. 65, USS Philip, DD-498

Dues paid to 02 Jan. 2025

Offline Fyrstyk

  • TMA Forum Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 121
  • "When your dumb, you gotta be tough"
  • TMA Member: Member #799
  • Location: CT
Re: Freezing BP?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2017, 08:38:58 AM »
I have some old Dupont powder in an original 1/2# can that I found in an old barn 30 years ago.  The can has a price tag of $.50 from a hardware store that went out of business more than 50 years ago.  No heat in the barn, so this powder went thru many cycles of freeze/thaw, heat and humidity.  I tried the powder in my .45 Hatfield and it went off just fine.  I could tell no difference from new powder.
As I recall, the frontier mountain men sometimes got their powder wet when crossing rivers.  They spread the powder out on flat rocks in the sun to dry, then put it back in their horns.  Black powder is very forgiving I guess.