Powder used in Older Shells?

[Woody]

I was taking some old shells apart to reclaim the shot. I came across several different looking powders. My question is what powder did Remington use in the old express papers that had Remington around the top of the high brass? It is a white colored and granular looking. Kind of like tumbling media for a lack of a better example.

[Researcher]

The short answer is we don't know. Remington's progressive burning powder, high velocity, load was the Nitro Express up to WW-II --

NITRO EXPRESS

Late 1930s NITRO EXPRESS.jpg (88.87 KiB) Viewed 2370 times

and emerged after the war as the Remington Express --

REMINGTON EXPRESS roll-crimp

1945-46 REMINGTON EXPRESS.jpg (95.33 KiB) Viewed 2370 times

In 1947 Remington introduced their New Remington Crimp on their REMINGTON EXPRESS loads --

REMINGTON EXPRESS New Remington Crimp

1947 or later REMINGTON EXPRESS New Remington Crimp.jpg (100.81 KiB) Viewed 2370 times

NITRO EXPRESS and REMINGTON EXPRESS --

Remington Express & Nitro Express.jpg (111.2 KiB) Viewed 2370 times

The New Remington Crimp was introduced on Trap and Skeet loads for 1939.

From the introduction of factory loaded smokeless powder shells in the early 1890s, sportsmen were told exactly what powder they were getting --

3-inch IDEAL 20-gauge.jpg (97.63 KiB) Viewed 2370 times

The introduction of the progressive burning powder, high velocity, loads in the mid-1920s seemed to begin the trend of manufacturers using the drams equivalent instead of telling consumers exactly what powder and how much they were getting, but "specified loads" did remain in the offerings up to WW-II.

[Researcher]

The last shells I know of which listed the type of powder were skeet & trap loads. The Remington SHUR SHOT and Peters VICTOR trap and skeet loads. From the late 1930s into 1948 they were offered loaded with a choice of DuPont M.X. or Hercules Red Dot --

SHUR SHOT 20-ga Skeet Load Du Pont MX.jpg (90.37 KiB) Viewed 2368 times

The Western Xpert Super Trap and Super Skeet loads of the same period were offered with MX, Red Dot and their own Western MiniMax (WM).

[Woody]

I have several boxes that have the powder on it. A few like the one that is pictured marked Red Dot. Some of the shells I dismantled that had the white type powder in them are the green Remington Express you have pictured.