Wet black powder dried out

[M. De Land]

I've read but not tested for myself that BP gotten wet can be dried out and then shot but does loose some of it's potency. Has any one tested this out to know what the real score is ? I do have a chronograph and could find out I suppose but it sure would save me some time if someone has already done the work.

 

[deerstalkert]

i routinely wet powder to rescreen into a different size. been doing it for 60 years. did a batch today from fffff to fff.
once dried it has the some potency . if you don't dry powder on a surface like paper no chemical is lost.
paper will absorb potassium nitrate out of the mix. makes good paper cartridges, but will change the parent powder, making it weaker.

 

[M. De Land]

i routinely wet powder to rescreen into a different size. been doing it for 60 years. did a batch today from fffff to fff.
once dried it has the some potency . if you don't dry powder on a surface like paper no chemical is lost.
paper will absorb potassium nitrate out of the mix. makes good paper cartridges, but will change the parent powder, making it weaker.

How wet do you get it and how do you dry it?

 

[Brokennock]

Spence experimented with it and had good results. Sadly he is no longer on the forum and his posts aren't searchable anymore by name.

 

[deerstalkert]

How wet do you get it and how do you dry it?

i dampen it with 50/50 water, alcohol just to the consistency of pie crust, so it cleans the side of the bowl.
air dry or ue a food dehydrator.
sorry if this gets across the line into verboten subject.

 

[hanshi]

I've never been "victimized" by the powder wetting troll. I have had powder that clumped up some but came back around when I shook the can. Black powder and water don't mix....well they actually DO but powder has to be nice and dry for shooting.