Well Heck 

Just a tiny little point here.  Nearly as I can remember from my spotty research, Colt didn't convert the 1861 percussion guns to cartridge.  The Navy only had 1851 Navy guns, of which they (the Navy) did send a pile to Colt for conversion.

This was the basis for my only (other than no quality control) criticism of the late Armi San Marco "1860" Richards conversions.  Those guns were ALL based on the 1861 which Colt did not convert.  Although I still think the Armi San Marco conversions were the best looking "modern" conversions even if historically incorrect.

Colt converted both '51 and '61 percussion guns, but only as Richards-Masons.  Never converted either of them to Richards type 1 or type 2 (well, they made ONE type 2 '61 that is shown in McDowell's book, which is what I use as the basis for my type 2 '61  ).

The '61 R-M barrels were sleeker than the percussion barrels, had the bottom trimmed off.  No modern manufacturer has ever reproduced that one.

  ABILENE !! 

Oh for Pete's Sake.  Digital??  Griff??  Griff with Digital ??  Shirley you Jest.  Just ain't no way.  You know durn'd well Griff be a LUDDITE  (I think??)

The only time I was jealous of my wife’s previous boyfriend was that he took her to the theatrical release of The Wind and The Lion.

Since APP, unlike nitro powders (ug) is made using stable materials that do not degrade then as long as it is kept dry it should last as long as standard
Gunpowder. Carefully break up the lumps and bang away.
Some I have that is eight or so years old loads and shoots just fine and cleans up a lot easier.
Hold Center
Bunk

 I posted in one of Mako's threads on BP shotshells about some old commercial shotshells made with Pinnacle (APP) in paper hulls.  I bought them from a retiring shooter, and they must have been 15 years old.  Anyway, the boomed just fine but the paper had degraded so it split badly and the heads tore from the hull upon extraction.  So I think it would be okay in properly loaded metallic cartridges.  Major, I did the same as you with some of this stuff - I dissected 4 rounds so I could reload a few of the paper hulls with BP (they disintegrated just like with the Pinnacle, so the paper was already degraded) - and the powder in those shells was like a rock which I chipped out with an ice pick.  Anyways, I took those 4 shells worth of powder and chunks and set it off inside a sheet of newspaper on the back porch.  It whooshed and smoked just fine!