according to the historian lady antonia fraser, the gunpowder was taken to the tower of london magazine. it would have been reissued or sold for recycling if in good condition. ordnance records for the tower state that 18 hundredweight (equivalent to about 816 kg) of it was "decayed", which could imply that it was rendered harmless due to having separated into its component chemical parts, as happens with gunpowder when left to sit for too long—if fawkes had ignited the gunpowder during the opening, it would only have resulted in a weak splutter. alternatively, "decayed" may refer to the powder being damp and sticking together, making it unfit for use in firearms — in which case the explosive capabilities of the barrels would not have been significantly affected.