Old APP Powder?

[Abilene]

I haven't loaded any ammo with APP in quite some time, preferring BP, but am wanting to make some smoke with a new 32-20 rifle.  I've been loading 32-20 BP for an old Colt but do that like all my BP pistol rounds with no lube, and then lube over the round in the cylinder before shooting.  Can't do that in a rifle.  I will order a new .312 die for my old Lyman lubrisizer so I can properly lube some bullets for the rifle, just don't want to hassle with pan-lubing.

So in the mean time I've got a half can of APP that I first opened 9 years ago.  The color of the powder is brown.  I don't recall exactly, but seem to remember the color as being gray before.  It was lumpy, as APP usually is, but the lumps broke up easily.  It has a bit of an odor to it, but seems like it did when new as well (there's that memory thing again  )  It has been in a closed can in the house, although it does sometimes get over 90 degrees inside in the summer.  I took a pinch of it and wrapped it in tissue and set the tissue on fire on the back porch, and when the flame got to the powder it had a satisfying "whoosh" like BP does. 

Think this stuff is okay to load?  I'm leaning towards using it but thought I'd check to see if anyone had a negative experience using old APP.  Thanks.

[August]

Big Lube's got you covered.

[Coffinmaker]

Normally, properly stored, the shelf life of gun powder(s) is indefinite.  Old version APP is kind of a grey color.  On the white side of grey. 
Load it up.  The worst that will happen is an embarrassing  Pif-fit and the pregnant silence that precedes quality abuse and rude comments pertaining to your fine motor skills 

Coffinmaker

PS:  Much better than the earth shattering KA-BOOM some smokeless shooters enjoy 

[hellgate]

It will probably just be low powered. It should be grey so the brown color indicates some deterioration. The darker it gets the weaker it gets. I suspect you have an older formulation that will get darker with time to the point of being almost black where it will REALLY be low powdered. I used to load Black Canyon which did just that. I eventually loaded it up into shotshells. In the rifle BC was pretty accurate when compressed and fresh.

[Major 2]

No numbers to back this up...
I had bought 6 or so boxes to AA shot shells re-loaded with AAP ( Clean Shot )
about 2002. I though it was all gone, but I found a box & 1/2 somethime back...
used some at a Shoot , talking 10+ years old, it all went boom , not a Hick-up.
Sounded & dispatched the knock downs just fine..course sealed in AA shells, I did not see what color it had become  

[Pettifogger]

The main thing with APP is to make sure it was DRY.  Did it still have the desiccant packs in it?  If so, it is probably OK.  APP has gone from light tan to dark tan to light gray to dark gray and now it is black.  The latest batches seen to have a lot less dust than the old stuff.  With the .32-20 be careful to watch for bridging.  APP 2F is basically like small boulders and is basically useless for CAS cartridge loads.  APP 3F is still very large chucks, much larger than 3F real black.  When I was loading .32-20 with APP it bridged several times and if I wasn't pay attention got little or no powder in some cases and then a whole bunch would fall out and make a mess of the press.

[Abilene]

Thanks for all the replies.  This is 3F.  There was no desiccant pack inside, but the top was on tight and it wasn't any more "chunked up" than in the past.  I am loading this with a dipper, so no problem with bridging.  When powder bridges it is in the Lee funnel right in front of my eyes and I tap the funnel to get it to drop.  Since age appears to weaken it, I think I will use a bit more powder than normal so there is some compression to maybe up the power a little.

August, I will consider the biglube bullets for the future.  But I've seen the pic of the .32 bullet before and it doesn't look to hold much more lube than a standard 115gr bullet (I know pictures can be deceiving).  In my other calibers I either use 2-lube-groove bullets or in a couple of them regular smokeless bullets relubed.  So far this has worked out well.  It is usually fairly humid around here and none of my barrels are longer than 20".  I'll see how that works in the .32