brittle wad columns

[cjclemens]

I acquired a big box of hand-me down reloading junk which contained a large number of wad columns of various size and shape.  Upon further inspection, i noticed that some of the wads have become brittle, and the petals break rather than fold open.  Are these wads ok to use or should I just give them the heave-ho?  Wad columns are cheap enough that I dont have a problem buying new, but I'd like to use them if they are ok.

[Graybeard]

No toss them they might even be unsafe but for sure will not give good ammo performance. By trying to save and use them you'll really be wasting the rest of the components you use.

[Maritime Storm]

I'll second the boss on this one, at minimum you'll end up with snap-crackle and pop from the base being too brittle to expand and seal propellant gases, worst case scenario it may jam-up in a choke or forcing cone causing a dangerous pressure rise. Not worth risking considering the price of a bag wads.