Temperature Effects on Gunpowder Explained
(Guns & Ammo photo) March 10, 2021 By Dave Emary
Have you ever opened a can of powder and gotten a puff of foul-smelling brown smoke? Have you shot ammunition in the winter without issue, only to experience stiff bolt lift and cratered or pierced primers in the summer heat? Have you sighted in during a warm day and later had a round impact off your zero on a cold one? Or, have you wondered why an ammunition or propellant may perform differently over time?
These issues are directly attributable to changes in chemical reaction rates caused by temperature and the propellant’s exposure to high heat. The chemical stability and life of propellant is decreased with relatively short exposure to high temperatures.