Accurate No5 Powder

[243winxb]

Do they really "blend powders to get a specific burn rate"" I do remember the gummit having different lots of the same type of powder selling as surplus...such as Wc820. The government didn't blend them. They loaded to specific pressure/velocity ranges. I also don't think a powder company would sell canister powder to reloaders with + or - 5%... The government can test all loads...we the reloaders generally don't have that ability. Also...look at the Hodgdon manuals. They haven't changed most of the old standby powder loads in years ...with a difference of 5% they would be doing changes in data with that much variation.

See post #13 Thinking about bulk buy of WC-846 FedArm rifle powder | The High Road "When a powder within a batch is found to be unsatisfactory, it is removed and returned to the process for use in another lot."

And Powder Lot Variations: A Case Study with H4831 - Hodgdon Extreme

 

[Paul in Nevada]

Just look at the pictures posted. The granules are random sizes of flattened ball. Its very possible that what OP took to be two different powders was consistent with expected granule variations within a given lot.

 

[LostintheOzone]

Does it look like this?

National Center for Forensic Science

Not going to suggest what you do with it. That's you call.

 

[mtgianni]

I have gone through 16 + lbs of WC820. It has on occasion looked as though it had floor sweepings in with it. It was marketed as AA9 equivalent and I have shot it as such. At no point does the odd extruded powder granule get culled, just shot with the rest. AFAIK, AA5 has always been a canister powder.
I say this though the fact that the powder appears to be mixed is enough to have you hesitant about the safety of the load and will probably throw your shots off enough from mental anguish.

 

[Skeet 028]

Some lots of the Wc 820 were faster than others. And finer sized. but it was pulled down powder and cheap. the batch I had came from a fellow named Jeff Bartlett. Bought about 80 pounds. I also remember buying surplus 4831 in the 60s(70 cents a pound delivered)...the first keg had some little bits of paper and some of the black sealant in it. The price was right...deal was real and I wore a 100 pounds out in a bit over a year. The bits of paper were small and picked out... the black stuff?? just got loaded.