Powder Storage

[IHFarmer07]

I built my reloading bench surrounding a harbor freight tool box and I keep some powder that I don't use much on the very bottom and the bulk of my primers in the very top drawer. The powder I use the most stays out in the open and so does the 100 count primers I use, I only get out what I need. The room as of now is heated and cooled through the seasonal changes. In the next 2-3 months I will be in our new home that we had made a "storm, shtf, gun/reloading" room that has concrete all around. I'll probably be down reloading for awhile to finish it out and get everything in there. But I will have to have a dehumidifier for that place and idk if hvac can happen in there but that would be nice also. Powder and primers will be stored pretty much in the same manner though but not in my tool box anymore.

 

[cosmicmuffin]

At one time I did some HVAC repair work. I was sent to do normal winterizing/safety check. Boss mentioned there had been a fire a this residency previously. Noticed right away the home owner was very concern we make sure we look furnace over well. Do a C.O. test etc. Soon after customer joined us downstairs.Thats when I noticed scaring on his face and hands. I brought up the fire. He explained he had done reloading. For what ever reason he had extra gunpowder in a coffee can by his bench grinder. Yep,,,forgot about it. Went down to grind something he was working on,BOOM! Blew him against, and stuck him to a peg board,(things you hang tools on). But he said he was lucky! Showed me where the force of the blast went the "other way", down the hallway,taking out a support wall!
He no longer reloads. Be careful out there!

 

[Pinoniper]

Wouldn't store primers or powder in metal ammo cans or a safe. See "making a bomb" above

This is 100% correct. And yet, we store ammo in ammo cans, hoping it won't all go off at once...

 

[TORCHRIDER]

When I used to reload I kept primers and powders in coolers at opposite ends of the room.

 

[Pinoniper]

My powder is on a shelf in a wooden cupboard (in factory packaging of course). My primers are in a plastic tool box in a different cupboard. Arid climate. Room gets near freezing in winter.

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

I'm in an area of Florida where no-one has basements and the humidity is 100% at sunrise 300 days out of the year. I store the powder inside the air conditioned house in a closet however do the reloading in the garage but not in the summer. I was just thinking I'm over protecting the powder. Thanks for the replies

Hodgden has an article on their website about prolonging the life of their powders. They urge avoiding temperature extremes, because that is what shortens powder life. So I will be moving my powder from my shop, which is not heated or cooled when I'm not using it, to the house.

 

[ntsqd]

Be clear that a fire rated safe just means that it will resist fire for X many hours (whatever the rating is), not that it is totally fire proof. If the fire lasts longer than the rating like it did in the Thomas Fire a couple years ago then everything inside will burn. I saw more than a couple fire rated safes that didn't survive that fire and everything inside was burnt.

At work we use Initiators (Air bag electric "primers") in some of our products. ATF requires that those be kept in a fire resistant locker on metal wheels.

 

[badthirtyone]

Hodgden has an article on their website about prolonging the life of their powders. They urge avoiding temperature extremes, because that is what shortens powder life. So I will be moving my powder from my shop, which is not heated or cooled when I'm not using it, to the house.

Great point. This is why I referenced above, that I am diligent in keeping my components in a climate & humidity controlled environment.

ALL things are vulnerable to heat-cycles, especially food products and volatiles. The repeated changes in temperature can be exceptionally destructive to most things over a couple of years if the proper precautions are not taken.

I am fortunate to live in a climate that has very little humidity, so that is not a great concern to me, but our temps range regularly from -8f to 100f+ over a few month span. We also get into the spring months where it is frigid in the morning, and roasting in the afternoon.

Beware the dreaded heat-cycles - and protect your components!

 

[Maverick254]

I lost all my powder & primers in the boating accident

I've been hearing about a lot of boating accidents in my area lately

 

[Almondgrower]

In the house temperature and humidity controlled!!!

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

Here's the link to the article I referenced above:

Gunpowder Stability | Hodgdon Reloading

Gunpowder is designed to be safe under normal handling and storage conditions.

www.hodgdonreloading.com

 

[Alibiiv]

If you have primers and reloading powder, where are you storing it. in the house, or in the garage? How long have you been storing the powder and do you store the primers in the same area as the powder? What are most people doing and what's is the safest move?
I have only a few large rifle primers left, maybe 800 LR and 400 mag. We used up the 8 lb. powder containers but have six or seven one lb container on the top shelf in a walk in closet. The primers are in the bottom drawer in the bedroom. I wonder if I'm being too protective? We are reloading Large rifles. When this weirdness ends we will start reloading 45 ACP

Presently with the cost of bullets, primers, powder and brass I have removed all my guns from the safe and now store the components in there.!! I keep my bullets on shelves over the loading bench, I keep the powder on another shelve away from the bench only for convenience and I keep the primers in ammo boxes stored on a different shelve from the powder. My basement is quite dry, I have powder and primers that have been around for years without any issues whatsoever.

 

[Okanogan]

Before the recent boating accident, I kept my powder, primers and loaded ammo in a purpose built fire resistant room. Six concrete reinforced walls with a fire rated steel door and CDX interior walls. Everything stored on separate shelves with primers as far from powder as possible. The room temperature and humidity in the room were ideal for long term storage. If you are fortunate enough to be able to build your own place in the future, planning up front offers some nice possibilities.
I lived in NW Florida for 15 years and stored a limited supply of powder, primers and ammo in the garage under less than ideal conditions for most of that time. When I moved west and used up the remaining powder, primers and ammo from FL, the only thing I really noticed about the older powder was that it had swelled a little making it less dense than the more recently purchased powder out west. (A good reason to recheck your reloading variables when moving from one lot of powder to another.) My grandson was killing quail this year with shotgun shells I bought in 1985 that went through my FL storage but luckily missed the boating accident.
From my FL experience, I'd suggest that the powder and primers can probably survive less than ideal conditions and still perform with perhaps a little degradation. If it were me, I would not go to any extremes that I thought put my family at extra risk to try and optimize my powder/ primer/ ammo storage. However, if you have a nice safe and secure area with HVAC available, it should work better than a FL garage.

 

[Arkansasdad]

I'm in an area of Florida where no-one has basements and the humidity is 100% at sunrise 300 days out of the year. I store the powder inside the air conditioned house in a closet however do the reloading in the garage but not in the summer. I was just thinking I'm over protecting the powder. Thanks for the replies

When I read this I thought I might relate something that could help you. I have a good friend that lives in Okeechobee he puts his powder and primers in watertight camping boxes, you know the ones with the rubber seal, and puts silicon bags in with his supplies and keeps them in his reloading room, he has no problems. I know he has done this for years and has a couple hundred pounds stored I know some of his stuff has to be at least 25 years old, it as good as new, I know I have used it. Happy shooting.