Powder in the Hopper?

[johnk518]

I keep reading in various manuals and online sources that state never leave the powder in the hopper for an extended period of time, even overnight or a week. Is this a real danger? I wasn't doing it for a while but started dumping the remaining back into the container. It kind of doesn't make sense, after all it's sitting in the cartridge for "extended periods of time".

[jericho89]

one of the main reasons to not do it is the powder can not be identified.

[TKM]

Nothing like dumping 2 or 3 thousand grains of powder into your 5 gallon bucket of empties because it clumped.......

Go ahead, ask me how I know. Ask me why I wear ear pro when vacuuming with a fire extinguisher in one hand....

[kcheung2]

Some (most?) powders have a chemical that will eat into the plastic of the hoppers. It won't dissolve through, but it will turn a transparent hopper translucent. There's also the issue that a hopper, even with the cap on, is not as moisture resistant as the original container.

[sirgrumps]

1.) type of powder
2.) Humidity
3.) Sunlight
4.) oxidation

Just to name a few off the top of my head

[anonymouscuban]

So to summarize...

1. Can't identify the powder so if you load multiple, you may forget what's in the hopper.

2. Moisture can contaminate the powder in the hopper. Especially so if your equipment is in a non-insulated space like a garage.

3. Turns the plastic hopper yellow/opaque.

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[johnk518]

I get the ID factor, but I thought they were warning me of something else. I guess the one that I really wondered about was not leaving it overnight. I leave it in the hopper longer than that sometimes when I'm reloading. But...I see it is just a good habit to do now.

[slayer61]

To me it just seems like a good idea to clean up at the end of the day.

What's the big deal about dumping powder back into the jug??

[Bt Doctur]

powder degrades when left exposed for long periods to air and humidity.
When the session is finished return to original container.

[JagerDog]

Originally Posted by anonymouscuban

So to summarize...

1. Can't identify the powder so if you load multiple, you may forget what's in the hopper.

2. Moisture can contaminate the powder in the hopper. Especially so if your equipment is in a non-insulated space like a garage.

3. Turns the plastic hopper yellow/opaque.

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^^^^these

Originally Posted by johnk518

I get the ID factor, but I thought they were warning me of something else. I guess the one that I really wondered about was not leaving it overnight. I leave it in the hopper longer than that sometimes when I'm reloading. But...I see it is just a good habit to do now.

Overnight isn't an issue in most any environment.

[HUTCH 7.62]

Learn something new everyday

[alpha_romeo_XV]

I have one powder dispenser for pistol powders and one for rifle powders but always dump the extra into a labeled small bottle . I don't like to dump an ounce back into an 8 lb jug so each powder has an old 4 oz Rx bottle for it (yellow UV absorbing plastic). UV light can also degrade nitrocellulose hence it always comes in brown bottles from factory.
Depending on how many different powders you have - some can be distinguished by shape and color. I would never mistake Varget for TrailBoss.

[General]

Funny you should mention this.


I left two cans of powder on my bench.


A small amount of powder in the hopper for about ... maybe 3.



Which one was it!!?



I tossed it.

[Sheldon]

I have always left powder in my Dillon powder measures with no ill effect.... think years. I gave seen a green RCBS powder measure's plastic hopper react badly to having powder left in it, dont know how long. Looked like powder started to melt the plastic.

[FLIGHT762]

Some powders will melt the plastic on some powder hoppers. It may stick to the sides and can be difficult to remove.

This and the other listed issues, powder should be removed from the powder hopper when you're done reloading.

I left some Bullseye in a RCBS hopper about 4 decades ago, sticking the powder to the plastic and ruining the hopper. Luckily, I was able to get a replacement plastic hopper and didn't have to throw out the unit.

[NoHeavyHitter]

I once saw a powder measure that had been purchased from an estate sale where the hopper looked like a dead, dried up old banana due to melting and discoloring so badly. It was unusable in its current condition. Apparently (we suspect) the originally owner had passed away and his relatives didn't sell everything for a couple of years.

[JerryC9]

A year ago, I left a powder hopper half full oh Hody H110 for several weeks during a cold wet February. My Hornady measure was badly effected. The once clear plastic was pitted and dured dark. Even the red painted interior was pitted. I scrubbed it out with gun cleaning stuff an finally got it back to usuable. The hopper was permanently a dark gray after that. It seemed like the powder was OKAY, that is reloads worked well.

[alpha_romeo_XV]

There can be several chemicals in smokeless gunpowder besides the main propellant base of nitrocellulose. A safety data sheet for an Accurate powder shows some things (plasticizer or solvents) that could soften some plastic hopper tubes. Regardless of other additives, when the nitrocellulose undergoes hydrolysis from atmospheric humidity the nitric acid produced will corrode steel parts.

[Sandspider500]

Some powders will eat the plastic.

[newbie1234]

…... It kind of doesn't make sense, after all it's sitting in the cartridge for "extended periods of time".

That's right, I left the powder in the hopper because my hopper is made by BRASS and TOTALLY SEAL.

[Elgatodeacero]

I agree with those that say do not leave powder in the hopper, for all the good reasons mentioned.

However, if you must, a wise move is to use a piece of masking tape on the hopper lid to secure it and write the powder type in black pen on the tape.

But better not to leave it.

[BrassCase]

The instructions with my RCBS Chargemaster warn about leaving powder in the hopper for the previously mentioned reason of discoloration of the clear plastic.

[divingin]

Originally Posted by kcheung2

Some (most?) powders have a chemical that will eat into the plastic of the hoppers. It won't dissolve through, but it will turn a transparent hopper translucent. There's also the issue that a hopper, even with the cap on, is not as moisture resistant as the original container.

I think it's nitroglycerin that eats the hoppers. Some powders are much more prone to this than others.

I don't mind the hazing so much; it's the powder sticking to the plastic that I don't like.

FWIW, I once had loaded some 308, and a week later, couldn't remember what powder was in the hopper. Even though pretty much everything I was loading used fairly similar charge weights, I dumped it (probably about 50 rds worth.) I now have a piece of masking tape on the cap of each opened jug of powder that has the powder type written on it. When the powder goes into the measure, the tape gets stuck on the hopper facing me. When the hopper is emptied after loading, the tape goes back on the cap.

I've been known to leave powder in the measure for a couple/few weeks at a time. That said, I don't recommend it even though I've seen no ill effects aside from my memory.