Excess powder and primer storage, where to store?

hollowoutadime

hollowoutadime

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Feb 27, 2014
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#1
Like most others I have a reloading area/room in my basement. Powder and primers are separated by a concrete wall. That said, I might have 25K primers and 100# of powder. While the chance of fire is low, it would seem prudent to move 80% of this outside of the residence. I have a barn and shed. I'm thinking about a few coleman plastic coolers to moderate temp swing and humidity. Thoughts?
 
#5
And if some of those are wolf/tula LR primers, I will trade you some Win LR primers for them. Win primers are totally safe in your basement.
 
#6
I've heard of buying a medium size lay down stand alone freezer and placing your supplies in it with large desicant cans and put in a garage or shed unplugged. The main issue will be temperature and humidity swings.
 
#7
hollowoutadime said:
Like most others I have a reloading area/room in my basement. Powder and primers are separated by a concrete wall. That said, I might have 25K primers and 100# of powder. While the chance of fire is low, it would seem prudent to move 80% of this outside of the residence. I have a barn and shed. I'm thinking about a few coleman plastic coolers to moderate temp swing and humidity. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
WHY would you post this in any forum?
Who will be guarding this shed 24/7 for the next couple of years?

No common sense at all.... sorry don't want to offend you, but come on....
 
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#8
Is it a space issue or a fire hazard issue?

If its a fire thing, you could get fire cabinets for storage.

If its a space thing then I would think an old fridge or freezer would be the best in an unconditioned space. You could probably find a free one. A bonus if theres power in your shed so you can run a dehumidifier in it.
 
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#9
Schütze said:
WHY would you post this in any forum?
Who will be guarding this shed 24/7 for the next couple of years?

No common sense at all.... sorry don't want to offend you, but come on....
Click to expand...
You are offensive. When you speak to respected long time forum members like with this level of smug superiority you reveal your own lack of character.
 
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#10
Not for nuthin',
On a completely different note....
and
Just throwing this out there to no one specific person at all....

Are there/do you have municipal regulations/laws pertaining to the amount of powder one can store at a 'residence'? (that's how it's done up here in Canuckisania) These numbers are either done by the Fire Marshall/Fire Inspector or by Municipal Law, or something like that.

Commercial ventures are required to have a "Powder Magazine" constructed of 'x' materials following 'y' guidelines,,, blah blah blah.

I only throw this out there, to prevent ANYONE from having any hugely compounding issues inadvertently.
 
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#12
Zoning code and laws in the U.S. traditionally dont address potentially explosive ammo making supplies in residential areas. That sometimes shows up in industrial and commercial codes but rarely exist because there arent a huge number of ammunition manufacturers such that most cities, counties, villages dont have to deal with addressing that risk. I would think the NRA or the GOA would have a melt down if the left started to push on that.
 
#15
Back in NY, there were state fire laws regarding gunpowder storage and bulk transport.

There was a definite limit, and without a commercial license, it was not 100lb per site. (Wow!)

Powder had to be stored in original containers, and those in WOODEN cabinets (to prevent pressure buildup and high order detonation).

The cabinets had to be adjacent to exits, painted red with broad white stripes, and blatantly marked "Explosive" and "No Smoking".

Black Powder could not be stored in bulk within 100yd of a public highway.

There were more, but I'm no longer in NY, and my memory ain't what it used to be...

Greg

PS Containers like refrigerators, metal cabinets, etc, were not legal, and could not have locks on them that could not be opened by arriving fire personnel.

It was questionable whether GI ammo cans were legal for powder storage. That depended on jurisdictions. Where legal, the lids could not be blocked from popping open under internal pressure.

Transporting powder in bulk required an interstate carrier license and certified/bonded personnel.

If you want to inquire State Fire about gunpowder storage in large lots, maybe it might be a good idea to have a friend do the asking for you.
 
Last edited:
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#16
diverdon said:
You are offensive. When you speak to respected long time forum members like with this level of smug superiority you reveal your own lack of character.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry if I choose the wrong words, I did not want to offend anybody.
I'm just worried for the op that he may get robbed, we are not living in very "secure" time .
 
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#18
I know Federal Ammo stores their bulk in small sheds that are spaced ~25 feet apart in a big open field. I'm thinking separated storage from your main residence would probably be the lowest risk. Makes me envy Gavin from UR.
 
#20
I appreciate the knowledge gained from this site. My friend has a lot of powder stored up (she buys 2-8 lb jugs at a time). I think it’s possibly 8 to 12 jugs. She keeps them in the shipping boxes and just stacks them on top of each other out in an open area in her reloading room. Plus maybe some 1 pounders above her workbench.
She may need to build a storage box?
 
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#24
No offense taken. 5 yrs ago, I stopped by the fire dept and they seemed disinterested. In retrospect, that was one guy who perhaps didn't understand, or did understand and felt that there were far deadlier storage issues in their AO. That said, it's getting moved as the safety issue is paramount, closely followed by the voiding of homeowners policy issue. The issue of theft is out there, but finding a cooler or freezer in my barn or outbuilding might be a challenge, as it's crowded with lumber, mowers, tires, etc.

Many of us here are collectors. 1 lb of powder represents about 200 rounds of ammunition. 20# is an annual supply, probably no reason to keep for than 5-10# in the home if "it will keep" elsewhere. Ditto with primers.
 
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#27
Check with your insurance company and then the fire marshals office. Most are very helpful. In many states, the violation is a fine which can be pretty steep. The building of the magazine is the easy answer.
 
#33
ggmanning said:
I've never seen powder or primers in any special storage at Cabelas, the local gun shops etc. Just racks of powder and primers. Well....before the buying frenzy.
Click to expand...

Folks cannot use where they shop and what they see at retail as an example of what right looks like. Take a HAZMAT course or study the MDS (MSDS) labels, many stores are all fucked up in their logic. Certain chemicals need separation for good reasons like off gas, static electricity, leakages and accidental mix. I am not an SF Charlie, EOD guy or any sort of special dude. I have however been around a HAZMAT class and know that restrictions are for a reason and most stores will never get dinged by a fire marshal.
 
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#34
hollowoutadime said:
Like most others I have a reloading area/room in my basement. Powder and primers are separated by a concrete wall. That said, I might have 25K primers and 100# of powder. While the chance of fire is low, it would seem prudent to move 80% of this outside of the residence. I have a barn and shed. I'm thinking about a few coleman plastic coolers to moderate temp swing and humidity. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Still low on supplies!!!🤣
 
#36
As an honest answer... loading supplies can present challenges with homeowners policies... state laws in my area dont care from my last look, but states differ. An honest answer would be to keep them in climate control in fire cabinets or similar. I wouldn't keep them in a safe. If anything add underground storage in your room if possible. I don't do that but I have added policies.
 
#37
Here's a question for EVERYONE in/reading this thread. Have ANY of you ever taken a 1 lb powder container, that had say, 1/4 lb left in it, and placed it into a campfire/fire-pit?

2 things to take-away in that learning process:

The 'forced fire' is incredibly HOT as well as FEROCIOUS. (that's only ONE point) [[and THAT is in an open venue, not a 'confined room'.]]
The exhaust from that 'forced fire' is an incredibly HIGH amount of OXYGEN.

Just think of what that would do, GOD FORBID, in your home right next to your rack of family heirlooms. Anything that MIGHT have been salvageable because of the smoke damage and/or water damage will most definitely NOT be salvageable because of the overheating.

I tried breaching this topic on this site a lot of years ago, but even back then, everyone was 'stuck in their ways'....
 
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#38
Sean the Nailer said:
Here's a question for EVERYONE in/reading this thread. Have ANY of you ever taken a 1 lb powder container, that had say, 1/4 lb left in it, and placed it into a campfire/fire-pit?

2 things to take-away in that learning process:

The 'forced fire' is incredibly HOT as well as FEROCIOUS. (that's only ONE point) [[and THAT is in an open venue, not a 'confined room'.]]
The exhaust from that 'forced fire' is an incredibly HIGH amount of OXYGEN.

Just think of what that would do, GOD FORBID, in your home right next to your rack of family heirlooms. Anything that MIGHT have been salvageable because of the smoke damage and/or water damage will most definitely NOT be salvageable because of the overheating.

I tried breaching this topic on this site a lot of years ago, but even back then, everyone was 'stuck in their ways'....
[
Yes and yes..
Click to expand...
 
#39
Personally I would not move my powder and primers outside my home. I might buy or build a cabinet for them. As for any insurance concerns I believe I would just exercise silence. A vented wall locker or a nice homemade wooden cabinet would suit me fine.

For what its worth the firemen that I have talked with are much more concerned about aerosol cans and propane tanks.
 
#40
Powder burns, but if enclosed in a closed cabinet, pressure builds, and that pressure gets released catastrophically. This is why I do not store powders and primers in ammo cans or safes. Powders are combustible, not explosive, it is all based on the speed of propogation of the fire. Thus explosive limits for powder are usually old and relate to black powder which is in fact an explosive. Powders and primers can degrade if stored outside of theid designed temperature range. Both too hot or cold is bad, but most modern powders will stay stable in most temperatures we encounter. Moisture is different as it can change the weight/density of yhe powder and therefore throwing the same weight may result in a different load. If I had to store inin an non climate controlled area, I would look for a used industrial climate gontrol cabinet. It will maintain a certson temperature and can either heat up or cool down. You set the upper and lower limit.
 
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