Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is there a technical reason why powder mfgs DON'T seal their canisters?

For those not old enough to remember the Hercules cylinder type powder cans: The plastic spout had to be pulled up and cut open by the purchaser.

I do remember those. That wasn't a bad plan at all...but it was hard to get the last bit of powder out of them. But you knew you were the first to open that can of powder.

They were very good for that reason, but they were a real PITA to get powder back into.

That is why funnels were invented!!

Mostly I have bought Hodgen recently but I've had it fairly often that on unscrewing the cap for the first time the foam, sealing disc is up inside the cap. Or some part of it has pulled away from the mouth of the container.

Rocky,

It appears to me that the guys here on the forum reflect the thinking of many reloaders.

In that you have a connection with Chris Hodgdon how about contacting him again clearly stating that a protective seal is being requested.

We are aware that the cost would need to be passed onto us, the consumer, and we are willing to pay the extra per can cost for the safety thereby provided.

Well, at least, I would.

Jim

The cut spout did not mate well with a powder funnel. The bottom edge of the funnel wound up resting on top of the spout. When you had to jiggle it to dislodge a bridge, it would slide off and spill powder down the side of it.

+1

Something like the below image would be nice. However, most are heat-shrink, and Hodgdon may be hesitant to blast the top of a powder bottle with a heat gun.
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.--Bob

+2

Here's the email I just sent: (quote)

Subject: Anti-Tamper Seal - Update

Chris, that thread at 24-Hour Campfire has gotten some interesting posts. The last page asks me to contact you again with a request to consider.

Here's the link so you can read it yourself: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._there_a_technical_reason_wh#Post5161691

Rocky

I think a lid like those on milk jugs (where you have to remove a strip around the bottom of the lid before opening) would be the best solution.

Brian.

But it's pretty simple to get those lids off in one piece if you try.

I'd favor the shrink-seals.

Thanks Rockie.

Let's hope that Chris can find a way to help us feel more safe buying his powders.

I believe if he finds a way to seal the canisters other manufactures will follow.

When I see the creativity expressed by the guys on the forum I think he could probably give it to us as a project and find that there is over a dozen different ways to accomplish it including absolutely dogmatic statements made by those who know that their solution is positively the only way.

May the Lord bless Chris with wisdom.

Jim

What I would really like to know is, in that gun at the top, if the powder went back and what was found in the bottle.
The other thing, a really good seal is the kind found on gallon jugs of truck oil (Delo, for example) -- a half pull kind of thing.
But when I've opened "virgin" powder (mostly Alliant, Hodgdon, and Western), the seal cracks and pops at least 20-25 percent of the time. But you can tell if it's a new "pop" or was like that before.

The powder did go back. Hodgdon determined it was H335 contaminated with H110. The OP purchased what he believed to be a new, unopened canister of H335 from a major retailer.

The OP posted this statement after I started this thread:

Thanks Rockie

There are several possibilities as to why this happened. One, as we all know, could be deliberate.

Two, a handloader might have bought it and accidently emptied his hopper partially full of H110 into a new can of H335. Instead of scrapping the entire can, which is what he should have done, he returned the mixed powder to the store, so as to get his money back for the contaminated can.

Before reading this, I have never paid much attention to whether or not the seal was firmly attached to the spout, but rest assured that is the first thing I am going to check the next time I buy a can of powder.

There is no fool proof way to seal the can, to prevent someone from either accidently or deliberately contaminating it, but some of the methods mentioned in this thread would send a warning of what to be aware of.

A simple way would be to glue the foam seal to the powder spout, so it has to be either cut or torn to remove. This would at lest give a warning that the can had been opened. Another foam seal could be included in the cap to seal the can from moisture.

Here's the latest from Hodgdon. I'd like to think that our input has been helpful to them because of all the good that Hodgdon has meant to us all over the past 60 years. Here's the email:


Rocky

We are looking at some different styles of caps but when we make the change to a different lid it will take some time. Unfortunately we have to get all new approvals from our friends in the government at the Department of Transportation.

Thanks for keeping me updated.

Chris


That's something none of us thought of: that shipping rules for propellants are complex to meet and timely/expensive to change once met.

Well, If the DOT, etc, people didn't interfere in some pointless ways they would think they weren't doing us any good! And we all know government stands - or sits - ready to help us all the time.

That's why we're expected to cheer when they take over our medical insurance and grab control of our medical treatments. As an old poop-medicaid type myself, I have already seen my BO-Kare benefits' decrease and my monthly insurance plus co-pay costs increase but what the he77, we have to support all those extra bureaucrats in some way.