4831 powder find

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  • Last Post 04 March 2022
cbshtr posted this 22 February 2022

Over the weekend I stopped at a thrift/consignment shop. I found an old corrugated metal keg hand labeled 4831. The weight said 10 pounds but it seemed heavier than that. They were asking $50 for it. It had a pop lid on it. With permission I opened it and it looked fresh and smelled like my other IMR powders with no sign deterioration. Knowing the prices of reloading components lately I really couldn't leave it for what they were asking. Once home I put the whole keg on the baby scale and it was just shy of 22 lbs. I'd say I hit the jack pot with this find. Since most of my shooting is cast is there a practical use of 4831 in traditional cast calibers? I have calibers that are more associated with jacketed but if I could use the powder with cast that would equal to some cheap shooting.

Robert Homan

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 22 February 2022

did you get enough to share?

 

 

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RicinYakima posted this 22 February 2022

Ken Waters, of Handloader, used this is straight wall cases, 45/70 and 50/70, just like black powder. Fill the case to the bottom of the seated bullet. They were dirty, but consistent shooters. I used to shoot a lot of it in 30/06 with 220 grains bullets, 50 grains. That was good for 1600 f/s, but again dirty. I used to buy it in the paper sack for $2 a pound as WW2 surplus. Unlike ball powders with lots of additives, wiping every ten shots wasn't a problem. 

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dbarron posted this 22 February 2022

Worked for me in 308 as well. Mag primers and some unburned powder. Decent if not spectacular groups. Of course I’m not recommending that anyone else try this.

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dale2242 posted this 22 February 2022

I was gifted approximately 30# of H4831 in it`s original 50# cardboard container.

I did a little experimenting with it with heavy cast in a 7.62X54R.

 I am interested in see what others have tried using H4831 with cast.

Larry Gibson has used it and hopefully he will chime in here with some of his sage advice.

It seems I was using reduced loads with Dacron filler and CCI magnum primers.

There was some unburned powder with no adverse affects.

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Rich/WIS posted this 22 February 2022

Are you sure it is 4831?  The hand labeling would make me cautious.  

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cbshtr posted this 22 February 2022

Identifying the powder has been on my mind ever since finding it. I've been trying to find a positive way of trying to identify it. I have other IMR powders but I'm not sure if there's a physical way of identifying it. I know loading a 30/30 case to the neck is probably safe with most stick powders. The big unknown is nagging on my mind. Any suggestions on physical identity would be appreciated.

Robert Homan

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JeffinNZ posted this 22 February 2022

If that ended up in a thrift shop here the bomb squad would be called.  (sigh).

Cheers from New Zealand

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cbshtr posted this 23 February 2022

I did more research and found a forensic data base for smokeless powders. 90 pages of shape, size, color and luster, etc. The 2 powders that meet the physical description of what I have are IMR 4350 and IMR 4831. So I'm starting to feel pretty comfortable that what I have is IMR 4831. It's crazy all the different powders and the information that they have for each. It also has a search option that you can enter known parameters.

Robert Homan

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Dukem posted this 02 March 2022

51.0 grains surplus 4831 in the .30-06 pushing a 311284 that weighed 216 grains. 1,900 fps on the Oehler 35P. Shot decent and used it to kill a deer and had a decent exit wound indicating expansion with ACWW+a little tin.

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cbshtr posted this 04 March 2022

Good to know. Heaviest .30 caliber mold I have is the Lyman 314299 which is close to that weight. Very accurate bullet that I've loaded for deer but never pulled the trigger. I'll have to try it with the 4831.

Robert Homan

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