What the hell happened to this powder?

[nf1e]

Yowsers!

Nasty. Haven't had anything like that happen in over 50 years of loading. Time to check your environmental controls.

[lyman]

I had a bottle (plastic) of VV N140(?) )(can't remember the exact powder, bought it in the early 2000's to load 5.56 NM loads with)

it popped the top off the bottle and smelled like I had spilled Bleach in the cabinet,
cause a bit of flash rust on a couple metal cans,

the fumes had condensed and stained the wood shelf a bit,


tossed it and the partial bottle of 540 as well,


no issues with any other powder

[slamfire]

I had a bottle (plastic) of VV N140(?) )(can't remember the exact powder, bought it in the early 2000's to load 5.56 NM loads with)

it popped the top off the bottle and smelled like I had spilled Bleach in the cabinet,
cause a bit of flash rust on a couple metal cans,

the fumes had condensed and stained the wood shelf a bit,


tossed it and the partial bottle of 540 as well,


no issues with any other powder

You are not the only one to have problems with mid nineties Vihtavuori podwer. The Finns do live in a much cooler climatic than the average American domicile, but mid nineties still puts the shelf life close to 20 years. I know everyone expects to live forever, and therefore your stash of gunpowder and ammunition must also live forever, but this is delusional thinking. At some point in the future, both you and your gunpowder will be dust.





And don't think just because you have not had a problem with other brands, means, you won't have a problem.

[lyman]

fully aware of powder issues from storage, good or bad,

I check it when I reload, and now, every so often I'll check the cabinet to be sure,


and to add,

with the VV I had some rounds left over that I had loaded,

I pulled a few, and they had also broken down, the inside of the case and bullet base were blue,

disposed of them as well,