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Old 09-17-2016, 11:17 AM
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Default How to SAFELY dispose of powder from pulled bullets

I am about to pull 3 or 4 hundred reloaded 45acp rounds. I will re-use the primed cases and cast bullets, but need to abandon the lube contaminated powder. All suggestions appreciated.
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Old 09-17-2016, 11:27 AM
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Run it out in a line and burn it. Don't believe the bogus advice about using it as fertilizer, totally false.

What's wrong with the powder that it cannot be re-used? How did it get lube-contaminated?
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Old 09-17-2016, 11:28 AM
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Pour it into a big pile and throw a lit match on it.
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Old 09-17-2016, 11:45 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DWalt View Post
Run it out in a line and burn it. Don't believe the bogus advice about using it as fertilizer, totally false.

What's wrong with the powder that it cannot be re-used? How did it get lube-contaminated?
The bullet is Lyman 45266 with a beveled base. The powder is Bullseye and the lube was alox/beeswax which oozed in (warm weather) storage over thirty years.
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Old 09-17-2016, 12:55 PM
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i pour what i have into fire ant hills and set it on fire. my grandson loves to do it it looks like a small volcano.
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Old 09-17-2016, 01:59 PM
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I pour my old powder in a line and burn it off.
Wait till it starts to get dark out for more fun.
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Old 09-17-2016, 03:51 PM
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Yep, just torch it.
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Old 09-17-2016, 04:30 PM
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There's no chance of unconfined smokeless powder exploding so just burn it up out in the open. I supppose you could also flush it down the toilet but thate's no fun in that.
Jim
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Old 09-17-2016, 04:45 PM
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My daughter loves when I give her powder. Google gun powder art.
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Old 09-17-2016, 05:40 PM
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Key word in the title is "safely".

I scatter it in the front yard. Dunno if it works as fertilizer or not, but it's not going to get into any trouble there.
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Old 09-17-2016, 06:04 PM
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Related...how to safely dispose of primed cases that were damaged during reloading.
Independence day. (Commonly and incorrectly known as "4th of July").
It it will chamber in your pistol of choice, it sounds just like a firecracker going off. (This is how I get rid of my .38spcl/.357magnum cases). Note: neighbors may mis-interpret what is going on. Best to do this secretly.

I get rid of my "misc. powder" can in the winter, on the snow on our deck. No fire hazard, max fun.
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Last edited by RV4driver; 09-17-2016 at 06:05 PM.
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Old 09-17-2016, 08:26 PM
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Do not put in a big pile and burn it. A skeet shooting friend did just that. He was badly burned and is no longer with us. So spread it out in a line..step back and throw a match in it
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Old 09-18-2016, 06:27 AM
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Gonna go with the fire dude on this one.
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Old 09-21-2016, 09:17 PM
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It's a propellant, not an explosive. If it's not confined, it will burn, a bit vigorously perhaps, but it will not explode. It's no more dangerous than Walmart fireworks. Put it out in the yard away from anything you don't want burned and light it off. (It's more fun after dark.)
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Old 09-21-2016, 10:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Warren Sear View Post
Pour it into a big pile and throw a lit match on it.
I have done this with smokeless propellant (of course) quite a few times, and it was safe.

Do not try this with gun powder or you WILL get hurt.

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Old 09-22-2016, 12:16 AM
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Throw it around your plants as it's fertilizer.
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Old 09-22-2016, 01:17 AM
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I once sold a fellow a 15 lb keg of green Dot. Took it to his place as I was going by anyway. He was in his metal building doing some reloading. Anyway he was a smoker. Opened that 15 pounder and looked at it. cigarette in his mouth dropped an ash...right into the keg. It was an amazing sight. No of course it didn't blow up...but it sounded like a jet engine cranking up. When it was all gone it had burned a hole in that old metal roof. It was one of the older heavy galvanized metal sheds. Scorched his eyebrows and lashes before he could get back. Otherwise he was very lucky. The cardboard keg was intact afterwards but badly blackened. Talked to a fellow at Hercules(now Alliant) and he said luck was the best word. but it was a bit contained. Said a lot of powder in a large pile even in the open can burn top and bottom and create a small explosion..not up but out to the sides...burn the crapo out of you...which seems to have happened to the fellow I referenced earlier(in my first post not the smoker) as I guess he was just too close. He lived for quite a while before succuming to the burns and infections. Burns are terrible injuries. Ask Beemerguy..I am sure he can back me up on that. Spread that powder out and burn it. It does not make good fertilizer by the way

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Old 09-29-2016, 08:09 PM
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I am burning off some old powder. Now I do respect everyones opinion here but I do not feel safe burning much at a time.
Use a metal paint roller pan and let it cool between burns.
That is what I do.
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Old 09-29-2016, 11:12 PM
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Default There's a heck of a lot of .....

There's a heck of a lot of nitrogen in gunpowder, if it can degrade (?) and put nitrogen in the ground, it SHOULD be good for making grass green, but I don't know what amount of time it would take to work? The degradation may take so long it would be worthless.

It's more fun to burn and probably more expensive than Scott's nitrogen fertilizer.

Yeah, I checked it and Scott's is a little more than a buck a pound.
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Old 09-30-2016, 05:06 PM
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"There's a heck of a lot of nitrogen in gunpowder, if it can degrade (?) and put nitrogen in the ground, it SHOULD be good for making grass green, but I don't know what amount of time it would take to work? The degradation may take so long it would be worthless."

Indeed, it would take a L-O-O-O-NG time. Smokeless powder is insoluble in water, and the nitrogen in smokeless powder would necessarily have to be in a solution form for it to act as a plant fertilizer. The "powder-as-fertilizer" advice would be correct for black powder (as it contains soluble potassium nitrate), but it doesn't apply to smokeless powder. It won't hurt anything to spread unwanted smokeless powder on your flower bed if that's what you want to do, but don't expect your flowers to appreciate the gift.
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Old 09-30-2016, 06:36 PM
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I save up my discarded powder until winter, then spread a line of it on the snow and light it off.

I realize this isn't a viable options for a lot of members...LUCKY YOU!
But then, you probably can also drive home on level roads in the winter, and then when you get there, also be able TO GET UP THE DRIVEWAY!
It requires shovels and salt for some of us to pull that off.
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Old 09-30-2016, 07:47 PM
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You are talking about what, 1/2 lb of powder ?
Just toss it in the yard. Not a big deal.
More fun to burn, depends on your situation.
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Old 09-30-2016, 08:11 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DWalt View Post
Run it out in a line and burn it. Don't believe the bogus advice about using it as fertilizer, totally false.

What's wrong with the powder that it cannot be re-used? How did it get lube-contaminated?
Believe it or not, this is how we in the Field Artillery disposed of unused powder increments. At the end of the fire missions we'd pile up any unused powder bags, pour out a line of powder about 30' long and light it up.
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Old 09-30-2016, 08:50 PM
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This is another answer for a non problem. I have seen a lot of
powder burnt with no ill effects. There is always some fool that
can hurt himself with a rubber hammer, but he is the exception,
not the rule. In the 1st place don't accumulate unwanted powder.
If your living situation allows it just take it outside and put a match to it, or just throw it into grass or weeds. I may not have
value as fertilizer, but will break down and be harmless. I remember when I was overseas the artillery guys burning off
their left over charges, also they had a thing they called Crispy
Critters. For night duty when the guns were depressed in their
mounts, they loaded them with the extra charges with a little diesel as a projectile. At point blank range it would make a mess
of anybody coming over the wire if attacked. Thus Crispy Critters.
It was like paste napalm.
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