Primers, maintaining their integrity & what are others doing?

[John L. Bray]

For primer storage, I like the new small plastic ammo cans because they don't sweat with sudden temperature changes. I also but the silica jell packets and place one in each can with the primers. These have moisture indicators on each package the monitor moisture content and can be re charged/dried if they change color. They have three indicators and the first is as bought dry. They are sealed in moisture proof packages, the second is to let you know there it some moisture present.
the third tells you that they need to be replaced or re dried in the oven.

Hear is the ammo cans I like to use for primers. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/plano-131200-box-ammo-can#repChildCatid=3094006

Hear are some of the packets. https://www.deltaadsorbents.com/silica-gel-packets

So far, I have not had to dry any of the packets, so the plastic cans have been working in this high humidity environment. I even left one of the packets out and it went bad over night.

Primer storage is very important as you said and improper storage can undo all of that expert cartridge re loading we try to do. After all, it all starts with the primer strike.

J E CUSTOM

 

[John L. Bray]

JE, what is the correct recipe/safe for drying out the primers in an oven? Thanks!

 

[Okanogan]

I now go for cooler, dry and as near as possible constant temp. I store my primers in a room purpose built for that when we built the house a few years ago. It is in a day light basement, in a room as near to fire proof as I could build. It also houses my powder and ammo, but each is separated. I tend to buy primers in 5000 lots, and powder in 8 lbs jugs to try and minimize lot variations so I may have both for multiple years.

If you aren't trying to minimize SD/ES, then you can probably get away with almost anything and still have the primers function. I have shot primers 30+ years old in my pistol reloading and never noticed any difference from newer primers. (These were pistol primers that sat in a not air conditioned garage in FL for 15 years)

 

[J E Custom]

JE, what is the correct recipe/safe for drying out the primers in an oven? Thanks!

There is none !!!!!
Please don't place primers in an oven unless you want to remodel your house. Primers are very powerful and unstable so the best thing to do if you suspect they are bad is to throw them away and start over with new ones and place them in ammo boxes with Jell packs to maintain them.

My fear with re using them even if you dry them out with the jell packs, that they will not perform as designed in a cartridge and cause a miss fire , or a squib load of even an over load.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

Ammo cans with desiccant packs in the house I only bring a thousand or so sometimes less just depends on time of year and my shooting volume at the time to the unclimate controlled reloading room in the spare house. I found a 100 that had been misplaced at some point in the non climate controlled area of the garage that I figure had been there for 10 or so years I did have failures to fire in that 100 primers stored for that long in poor conditions.

 

[crkckr]

Since I usually buy my primers 5k at a time, I find that storing them in 5 gallon buckets with dessicant packs works well. They can be sealed & neatly stacked. While I do it, for smaller numbers the ammo cans are ok but the part I don't like is that in the event of a fire, that can becomes a very powerful bomb! Same if storing powder in them. I keep my powder in an old, gutted refrigerator. I sealed up all the holes so it stays dry inside. The best way to store primers is probably, as JE said, in the smaller plastic cans. The ones I access most often are in a very large ammo can but it scares me every time I think about it! Think "nuke" if they ever got heated by a fire! I need to get some more buckets!

Also, once primers have been contaminated by water, there is nothing that can be done to make them 'normal' again. They are ruined. The moisture changes the chemistry of the compound and can allow the 'cake' to crumble and actually fall out of the cup.
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[MLN1963]

I keep my powder in an old, gutted refrigerator. I sealed up all the holes so it stays dry inside.
Cheers,
crkckr

I have an old freezer and fridge I plan on doing the same with. I wasn't aware that they aren't sealed up already. Where are the holes that need to be sealed? It seams they would have condensation issues and always be running if they weren't air tight to begin with. Except when my kid stands there with the door open for 10 minutes deciding what he wants!

 

[coop2564]

I've always kept all my reloading stuff in my shop, not AC. I don't buy bulk so my stuff is used somewhat quickly maybe some primers might be 4 yrs old before I use them. But never had any problems. Just keep them in a drawer, temps have ranged from 5-110. I've never had a reloaded rd not fire in my 30+ years, but have had firing pins freeze and not strike and had some factory rds not fire.

 

[crkckr]

MLN, there are places in the back where hoses/line go thru, some big enough for mice to get thru. I just sealed them up with silicone. You'll find them when you pull the condensers and pump out (I ripped everything out & stripped it down to just a cabinet... if you don't do that, it should remain air tight). Some electrical as well but they're usually smaller. Mine is a Sears model & has served a whole lot longer as a magazine than it ever did as a freezer! Plus you can use those erasable felt pens to keep notes as to what your getting low on or what you might want to try next on the door. Well, unless you have grand kids, then I suppose you could put up their art work!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[jasonco]

I purchase mine by brick and keep them on the shelf, high & dry, no issues, but I do shoot a lot.

I really should put them in a container with desicant though?