Shelf life of APP ?

[Major 2]

I had a about an oz. of Shockley's Gold in pre- opened OEM plastic container packed away.
It was at least 7-8 years old, though its lid was tight it had laid on its side for several years.
The powder was clumped and kinda stuck to the inside of the bottle.

I know I loaded, several 100 44 special and some 44 Russian from that bottle.
The Russian were all fired, but I still have several boxes (50 each) of the Special.

I wonder about the storage life of the loaded rounds.

So, as a test and a lark I decided to sacrifice the 1 oz remained to a POOF test.
I had to kinda shake and rattle the bottle to loosen it up.
Poured it on paper towel and wrapped it up, then place it on a Newpaper page, lit the newspaper and backed off.
It took about 45 seconds to reach the powder pack and POOF    
no compression of course, so no bang, but plenty smoke.
Certainly, not scientific or even safe really, but I was 30 feet away.

I'm thinking it still had some life.
I have another un-open sealed can of Shockley's Gold, bought at the same time (7-8 years) 

I'm thinking my 44 Special are fine as is the sealed can... what do the sages say ?
 

[bear tooth billy]

I'd load 1 round and shoot a steel plate. 1. Did it go off and clear the barrel.  2. Did it ring the steel like
a fresh reload. Then either shoot em' or use your spare time pulling bullets.


                                        BTB

[Froogal]

The one container of Shockey's gold that I have used was clumped when I first opened it, making it difficult to measure out with a dipper. I closed it up again and shook the heck out of it. Problem cured.

[Advertising]

[Major 2]

The one container of Shockey's gold that I have used was clumped when I first opened it, making it difficult to measure out with a dipper. I closed it up again and shook the heck out of it. Problem cured.

Yeah, that's the ticket

[Abilene]

 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!   

[Bunk]

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